Mitchell: We should always strive to “do what is best
for our student.” This includes knowing the needs of your students, which starts with transportation being involved with the IEP process. The IEP team decides what services the individual student needs, but unless transportation is invited to the meeting, the team is not aware of the bus environment or specific safety issues exclusive to that school bus route. Staffing for each bus should be based on each student’s IEP, supervision of all the students’ medical, physical, and behavioral needs, as well as the staff needed to operate equipment and to safely evacuate all students in an emergency. School districts can and should add staff to the bus based on the route needs and on best practices.
STN: What is the biggest training need(s) you see for school bus drivers? Other transportation staff?
Mitchell: Bus drivers receive a great deal of CDL training in the safe operation of the school bus. This mandated training and the safety regulations in place on school buses make the yellow school bus the saf- est transportation for students. While I am grateful for the mandated training, training in pupil transportation requires training for drivers and attendants on how to support students with behavior, medical and physical needs. This training should include education in the different disabilities and strategies that work in difficult situations, de-escalation techniques, special equipment training and evacuation of students with disabilities. To retain drivers and ensure the safety of our students, we must support the drivers and attendants with student support training. As our industry and the needs of our students evolve, our training needs evolve as well. Directing a transportation staff is a challenging job. Our directors, supervisors, routers, trainers and other support also need ongoing training to meet these needs. These include training in management and supervision, leadership, communication, utilization of technology and a clear understanding of state and national laws and regulations.
STN: I can tell that professional development is very
important to you. Why? How do you provide opportuni- ties for your team members at your school district, and how does that translate to work NAPT is doing for its members?
Mitchell: Not only is professional development very
important to me as I have shared earlier, but it is very important to our industry. Many of our transportation professionals strive to “keep learning” and stay abreast of
STN: Thank you. ●
updates and best practices of our industry. After all, that is how we better our programs and keep safety at the forefront. In our district we offer professional development in
several varieties, we have worked with the local techni- cal college to provide training in several areas including inter-personal skills, leadership skills, team building and Lean Six Sigma. We also offer our staff the opportunity to participate in the certification program with NAPT. We currently have two staff that are certified directors and certified in LLS. We also have several more staff mem- bers working toward NAPT certifications in supervision, special needs and specialist. Our staff also participates in professional development opportunities with our state association of pupil transportation (SCAPT). This translates to our work at NAPT because NAPT
is committed to the professional development of our members. We are working toward updating and expand- ing our Professional Development Series, providing educational and informational webinars, holding training academies, providing professional development events and connecting people within our industry. I have benefited from the mentoring of our experienced leaders, and we hope to expand these mentoring and coaching opportunities for new professionals. An exam- ple of this is our Leadership Academy for transportation executives that will be held in Buffalo, New York on May 16 and 17. The emphasis will be on enhancing your management, supervision, communication and leader- ship skills.
STN: Is there anything you would like to add? Mitchell: Transportation is not a profession that in-
dividuals, districts or contractors should do alone. It is a complex industry with many rules, constant changes, and the safety of our children depends on how well we navigate the complexity of the yellow school bus. It is important to align yourself, your district, or your compa- ny with your state and your national associations. I am not sure exactly who said this, but I think it came from an African Proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.” When we work together, we can advance our industry with education, advocacy, and leadership. NAPT‘s commitment is CLEAR. We provide our members with Communication, Leadership, Education, Advocacy, and Resources.
www.stnonline.com 35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
