Solving Problems Together “I’m constantly communicating with everybody, so
that if there’s a problem, we get together and solve it together,” said Morrison. She also gives bus drivers and aides who transport
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children with special needs an opportunity occasion- ally to switch routes if they want. “It’s like a marriage; the driver/aide team spends so much time together. If you don’t get along, it’s difficult to give full attention to students,” she added. “People who are happy at work also show up every day, and consistency is very import- ant when working with students with special needs.” Shutrump said this means school districts must
provide their staff with adequate time to train on CSRS. “Many people feel it would be wonderful to get every bus driver trained in an eight-hour course, but that is not feasible.” However, she said she encourages school districts to send more transportation personnel, including maintenance technicians and driver trainers, to attend conferences and seminars, where hands-on training about child safety restraint systems occurs. For those who can’t attend such events, she said there are many resources online to turn to.
Visit
stnonline.com/go/4m to access training
videos on the proper installation and placement of a child in rear-facing or forward-facing car seats as well as safety vests.
“People are thirsty for information. Drivers know they have to have the proper restraints and know how to use them,” Shutrump said. “They need to keep up with equipment design changes. They need to know how to get kids out of belts in an accident. And, it can be as basic as asking if they have a child-safe belt cut- ter in the event of an emergency.” Neither Shutrump nor Kennington said they think
state or federal training mandates are a solution. “The biggest problem I see everywhere I go is that transpor- tation directors need to get outside of their four walls so they learn this stuff,” Kennington said. “They need to be active in their state associations and national associations.” While online research can be helpful, Kennington
recommended interacting with seasoned pros about what’s posted on many internet message boards. “What I see is the newest people with the least expe-
rience are usually the ones with the quickest answers —and they’re often wrong,” he said. “The people who have been on the front lines are the people to get the answers. You do that by rubbing elbows.” ●
See Us At Booth # 519 50 School Transportation News • MARCH 2019
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