INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS: TOP STORY


£ NSTA President Tim Flood makes opening comments before introducing Guilford County Schools Superintendent Mo Green, seated to the left, and Secretary Anthony Foxx, right.


Lovin’ It


U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY FOXX CALLS SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS ‘UNSUNG HEROES’ DURING ASBC LOVE THE BUS EVENT IN NORTH CAROLINA


WRITTEN BY MARK ROWH HIGH POINT, N.C. — It’s not every


day that school bus drivers are praised by dignitaries and cheered by throngs of kids. But that was the upbeat scene at this year’s national Love the Bus main event, held at Oak Hill Elementary School on Feb. 21. Sponsored by the American School Bus Council, the celebration recognized the importance of school buses — and those


who operate them — in providing safe and reliable transportation for the nation’s public school students. With students decked out in bright


yellow “Love the Bus” T-shirts and officials noting the contributions of bus drivers, the event had the energy of a pep rally. But instead of quarterbacks or point guards, the focus of the enthusiasm was on the drivers who labor in the background to transport students to and from school as well as during field trips and extracurricular events. Headlining the celebration was an


appearance by U.S. Secretary of Transporta- tion Anthony Foxx, who praised the work of drivers and other support personnel. “I think our bus drivers are unsung


heroes. Tey are people who, day after day, get up in sometimes adverse weather to arrive on time to pick up kids for school,” he said. “Tey sometimes have to manage conduct issues but (also), by and large, their


14 School Transportation News April 2014


respect and their ability to be responsible adults — the first responsible adults from public education kids interact with on a daily basis. Tose things are so important in the development in children.” Foxx recalled his own experience riding the


school bus as a student in Charlotte in the 1970s. He said the daily routine of waiting for the bus stands out in his memory, along with the steady performance of his driver. “He taught us the value of getting up,


going to work and being dependable,” Foxx told the gathering of children, teachers and staff. Te latter included a half-dozen driv- ers who, in representing their peers, enjoyed a resounding ovation from the audience. Guilford County Schools driver Lisa Little was singled out with a special award for her dedication and devotion to the well-being of students. “She’s always there to find a way to get children home, even if not part of her regu-


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