PUBLISHER’S CORNER A Culture of Caring WRITTEN BY TONY CORPIN |
TONY@STNONLINE.COM G
rowing up in the school bus industry, it was always evident to me that this was an indus- try of people who cared deeply about what they did every day. Te passion and commit-
ment to the well-being of children transported on school buses has always be a core principle of School Transporta- tion News. I believe that this core value resonates with our reading audience, too. In reviewing some recent headlines, one in partic- ular caught my eye. It was a story about a school bus mechanic in northern Tennessee who built a wheelchair ramp for a disabled girl he barely knew. According to Fox 5, Tom Mitchell is a Clarksville mechanic who works on school buses and fills in to drive, occasion- ally. Te latter point didn’t surprise me when I read it as many transportation professionals step in to take on vacant routes, especially in this current driver shortage. I’m sure you can relate. Mitchell’s substitute route includes driving a group of special needs children to their school. Recently, he noticed that a young wheelchair-bound girl named Lydia was having trouble getting out of her house and onto the bus. Lydia’s mom, Verna Despain, said her daughter has a seizure disorder, which stunted her development. Te stone steps at Lydia’s house present a challenge to wheels, so Mitchell decided to build her a brand-new ramp. “Every day, she would come out and struggle with this small little area and this aluminum ramp that didn’t go to the top step,” he told a reporter. Mitchell rounded up a few friends and togeth-
er they’ve made Lydia’s life much easier. Verna was overjoyed. “It’s those little things that people take for granted,” she said. “And maybe I didn’t even realize my predicament, because I’m so used to doing it solo.” Sue Shutrump, supervisor of OT/PT services at Trum- bull County ESC in Ohio and a TSD Conference Ten- ured Faculty member, relayed a story of a special-needs high school student who wanted to attend prom but didn’t have the means to get there. So her school bus driver asked contractor Community Bus to help. Te company donated a school bus and the bus driver to transport the girl and friends. Te driver even made the girl a corsage.
Tese touching examples of kindness and selflessness 74 School Transportation News • MARCH 2017 CELEBRATING25YEARS
are two of many that can be told throughout our indus- try. I think that a culture of caring is what makes the school bus industry and its people so special. As many transportation professionals find themselves heading to the TSD Conference in Frisco, Texas, this month, they will be among peers who have made the decision to better themselves and their business or school districts. Often, this decision is made on their own dime and using their own vacation time because of the passion they have for their jobs and for the students in their care. Launi Schmutz-Harden, transportation director for
Washington County School District in St. George, Utah, and a 20-year veteran attendee of the TSD Conference, said she’s seen this passion firsthand come from TSD Conference participants. She talked about how they refer to the students on their buses as “my kids,” and how they attend events like the TSD Conference to take own- ership of their jobs and treat the children they transport like their own. “Transportation professionals do it because they care about kids,” she said. “Making a difference every day is important and that’s instilled into their operation and culture, too.” She added, “I believe everyone in transportation has a caring sense about them. Te mentality of the people is to help others with a problem and share. Not every problem has a single solution. Each operation is differ- ent. It’s a priceless experience I’d recommend to anyone. It’s helped my organization grow and you can’t beat the quality training year after year.” Would you like to share a story about a caring staff member who has done something kind or selfless for a child under their care and supervision? We’d love to hear about it, no matter how small. Whether it’s an anonymous gift you’ve heard about or a random act of kindness or a driver buying a pair of shoes for a kid. We want to help continue to foster a culture of caring in our industry, and we need your help doing it! ●
Tony Corpin, Publisher
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