FEEDBACK


School Transportation News Published by STN Media Group


Episode 157 of the School Transportation Nation podcast discussed the continued greening of yellow school bus fleets as well as the importance of events such as Green Bus Summit at STN EXPO in elevating green leadership at district operations. Learn more at stnpodcast.com.


Topic today was Earth Day, or at least one of the topics of today’s podcast. I participated in the very first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. I had just turned 14. My entire school, Fremont Junior High, went out for most of the day and picked up litter, or trash, bottles and cans. We ended up with a mountain of our work that was huge. The governor of Oregon, Tom McCall at the time, came to the school and congrat- ulated us on our efforts. Group efforts, like that, were fun and help all of us see just how bad the littering problem was and still is. Appreciate your crew and the great work you do. Scott Bohl, Pupil Transportation Operations & Policy Analyst Oregon Department of Education


STN EXPO Indianapolis keynote speaker Sylvie di Giusto provided a guide to leading with emotional intelligence in school transportation. Read her blog post at stnonline.com/go/g7.


Great article from @STNMagazine to remind us how to deal with stress to better take care of your team and yourself! Taking stock of how to better manage stress in a leadership role is not only good for your team but just as importantly to your health. Twitter/@TransportantUS


Letter to the Editor In the May issue, Editor-in-Chief Ryan Gray dissected the viral incident involving Ohio school bus driver, Jackie Miller and the tongue-lashing she gave several junior high students on her route. While she admitted her behavior was unacceptable, the video brought the plight of many school bus drivers to the national spotlight. Read more at stnonline.com/go/g6.


I just wanted to drop you a line and “Thank You” for your editorial opinion in the May edition of STN concerning former school bus driver Jackie Miller from Ohio. You certainly, if I may, hit the nail on the head. I am president of the Indiana State School Bus Drivers Association and also drive a school bus and receive numerous calls from drivers with various concerns. But the most prevalent piece of our conversations in the last two to three years has been student dis- cipline (or lack thereof) on school buses. I certainly do not condone what driver Miller did, and she shared her regrets of the incident, but I fully understand her concerns. It is sad to say that school transporta- tion has lost another good driver in a very serious driver shortage era. We have (I think) now created a society where parents or guardians think their children can do no wrong, and it is according to the parent or guardian the other person’s fault. We are fast becoming a society where there is no accountability for disruptive actions, and that is a real concern. I think (and I know this sounds prejudiced and probably is) school bus drivers do a fantastic job of safely getting students to and from school each day, and that is backed by statistics. Ron Chew, President Indiana State School Bus Drivers Association


10 School Transportation News • JULY 2023


Editor Ryan Gray


Associate Editor Taylor Ekbatani


Social Media Coord. Ruth Ashmore


Technical Editor Robert T. Pudlewski


Editorial Intern Merari Acevedo


Senior Designer Kimber Horne


Graphic Design Maria Molina


Circulation Andrea Dugmore


CONTRIBUTORS: Carol Brzozowski Linda F. Bluth, Ed. D. Debbie Curtis Art Gissendaner Kari Lydersen


5334 Torrance Blvd. 3rd Floor Torrance, CA 90503


Tel: 310-792-2226 Fax: 310-792-2231 stnonline.com


President & Publisher Tony Corpin


Chairman of the Board Bill Paul


Vice President Colette Paul


Client Services/ Digital Media Coord. Claudia Newton


Event Manager Alice Hung Sabedra


Sr. Event Coordinator Amy Yamakawa


Event Services Coordinator Trynne Lilleskare


Accounting Lisa Douglas


Creative Consultant Vincent Rios Creative, Inc.


Amanda Pampuro Jim Romeo Mark Rowh David Volz Eric Woolson


EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Mike Bullman, South Carolina Department of Education Denny Coughlin, Consultant Michael Dorn, Safe Havens International Ned Einstein, Transportation Alternatives Launi Harden, Consultant Pete Meslin, Consultant Alexandra Robinson, Consultant Michael Shields, Consultant


HOW TO CONTACT STN: School Transportation News welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and are subject to editing for grammar, style and space. Submissions must be legible, include a signature, job title/employer name, valid mailing and/or email address, and telephone number. Unsigned letters or letters signed only with a pseudonym or initials will not be used. Email letters to: ryan@stnmedia.com or send via U.S. mail to:


School Transportation News P.O. Box 789 Redondo Beach, CA 90277


The views and opinions in School Transportation News are those of the editorial staff. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the members of the Editorial Advisory Board or their organizations. Individuals serving on the board are advisors only and are not responsible for the editorial content.


For permission to reuse materials in this publication, contact STN Editor Ryan Gray, at ryan@stnonline.com, or by phone at 310-792-2226 or by fax at 310-792-2231. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without written permission. Printed in the U.S.A.


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