A Look Back Provides Glimpse
Top 10 news items during the 2010-2011 school year, as judged by the STN editorial staff, an eye opener for student transportation industry
I
t was difficult to choose only 10 events from this past year to make it onto our list, one that started at about 25 and slowly made its way back down. Tese moments helped shape the industry, and many will continue to do so in the coming years.
BULLYING BECOMES THE HOTTEST TOPIC Tere is no origin date for bullying; it is something that has
existed even before David finally stood up to Goliath. But this past year, bullying became something that expanded beyond the confines of the schoolyard, or the school bus, and made its way into the mainstream, with celebrities and politicians even making their voices heard. In late October, NAPT brought Kevin Jen- nings, the assistant deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education’s Safe and Drug Free Schools, to the NAPT Summit in Portland, Ore., to address conference attendees on how deep the scars of bullying run. Jennings, bullied himself as a youth, spoke about changes at the federal level, such as evolving the word bully to include harassment and the upcoming federal training for school bus drivers expected this summer on how to deal with bullying. But it was not Jennings’ appearance that had some in the audience objecting. James Jones, made famous last fall when he boarded a Semi-
nole County (Fla.) school bus to confront the boys who were allegedly bullying his daughter, was invited to sit on the bullying panel that followed Jennings’ keynote. Tere were some attend- ees who felt Jones’ presence was glorifying his illegal actions on the school bus, something he apologized for. But, in the end, his actions pushed the issue further into the national spotlight. Agree or not, Jones was later named one of NBC News’ “People of the Year” for 2010.
NHTSA SHOWS SOME LOVE FOR THE YELLOW BUS In a letter last June, Trans-
portation Secretary Ray LaHood explained NHTSA’s plans to fund a public aware- ness campaign for school buses that would include in- formational brochures, fliers, and press releases designed to help increase school bus ridership across the coun- try. Adding to the news was the fact that NHTSA would be funding the campaign through existing funds from its fiscal-year 2011 budget.
LaHood scored even more points with the school bus commu- nity by attending an American School Bus Council “Love the Bus” event in February at Takoma Park (Md.) Elementary School, just north of Washington, D.C. LaHood addressed the group of children in attendance, reminding them that riding in school buses was safer than in their parents’ vehicles. After talking to the kids about school bus safety and NHTSA’s role in ensuring it, he opened the floor to the students, which led to a number of off-the-cuff questions, including, “Is there anything you can do about some of my favorite TV shows being cancelled?” Te NHTSA school bus public awareness campaign is expect- ed to begin this September.
FMCSA MAKES FINAL RULE ON DRUG TESTING Starting in October 2010, a final rule by the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration that set new requirements on alcohol and drug testing for commercial drivers took effect, which included the types of drugs tested and the procedures that must be in place to ensure ac- curacy. Te new rules align themselves with the Department of Health and Human Services requirements for the types of drugs tested for and the procedures used. Drivers must now be tested for MDMA, which is found in the drug ecstasy, as well as initial testing for heroin and lower cutoff levels for cocaine and amphetamines. Te physicians in charge of both receiving and reviewing the tests, also known as medical re- view officers (MRO), must now re-qualify for the position every five years and take 12 hours of continuing education credit every three years. Tis section of the final rule was challenged by the school bus industry, explaining that school districts or school bus companies will have fewer options available to them to certify their drivers.
30 School Transportation News Magazine July 2011
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