theory to the practice of transporting students. Dr. Cal LeMon and incoming NAPT President Alexandra Robinson, along with NAPT Board Member and Transportation Director Launi Schmutz of Washington County (Utah) School District,
spearheaded the concept,
which is built on seven leadership skills that fosters change and helps industry professionals respond to it. Robinson said there were
certainly
some doubts back then in the minds of current NAPT board members that the program would actually create a “sought- after, sustainable effort” for association members. But, LED has become just that. as these professionals prepare for the Annual NAPT Summit this month in Cincinnati. “It is a group of cohorts and colleagues
who come together to study leadership theory and then take the ‘Leading Every Day’ mantra back to their collective districts, agencies and companies to put that theory into practice,” she said. “Te effort doesn’t end when the (NAPT) Summit is over, as LED is actually just getting started in a yearlong effort of leadership and assistance through a listserv and problem- solving ‘brain-trust’ for each other and the school bus industry.” Pete Meslin, transportation director at
Newport-Mesa Unified in Southern Cali- fornia and a senior faculty member for the LED program, points out that leadership is as much an art form as a science. “By
sharing strategies with both
instructors and fellow LED participants, leadership skills can be honed,” Meslin said. “Te program is designed to encourage attendees to implement new ideas in this relatively safe environment. At the same time, the opportunity to meaningfully interact with community
LED participants listen during a classroom session during the 2010 NAPT Summit in Portland, Ore. The group also performed a peer-to-peer review of a local operation.
leaders, industry leaders and each other offers a tremendous learning experience.” Te LED brochure quotes John Quincy
Adams: “If you inspire others to dream more, learn more and become more — You are a leader.” Marisa Weisinger, a technical specialist at Innovative Transportation Solutions in Houston who has taken four years of LED courses, said the quote from the sixth U.S. president encompasses what the training is all about, because good management and leadership skills are not mutually inclusive. “Leadership is an acquired skill set and
one that needs continual development and mentoring,” she added. “Te LED activities encourage participants to reach out of their comfort zones and afford them the opportunity to experience new and different situations, to work with others to formulate plans and create solutions they might never have been able to.” Meslin refers to LED participants as
“LEDheads” because they not only receive an enhanced conference experience in terms of content but also are able to participate in what colleges refer to as
62 School Transportation News Magazine October 2011
“practicum,” or a course dedicated to a specialized field of study, which now includes a peer review of a school district near the site of the NAPT Summit. LED continued to evolve last year
by increasing leadership opportunities through an on-site “peer review and project” with the nearby Beaverton Public Schools. The school district and NAPT group performed a bell-time study to gain insight and come away with meaningful “take aways” to be used at home for what Robinson called a true “hands-on” experience. “Tat energy will continue this year as
LED cohorts will take on a new challenge with the school bus drivers and students of Cincinnati Public Schools, the result of which will surely benefit all involved,” added Robinson. Te reviewers go through a process of
discovery and understanding about the issues at hand and ask questions based on execution. Discussion and consensus leads to agreement on best practices that can be shared with the participating district. Te project team leads to relationships
LED, Follow or Get Out of the Way T
In its sixth full year, the NAPT “Leading Every Day” program prepares for more growth opportunities in Cincinnati
he Leading Every Day Initiative, or LED, was developed for NAPT to develop current and future leaders by applying “graduate-level”
Photo Courtesy Jaime Gallegos
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