ing success—whether in personal or professional relationships. The quote rings especially true when lead- ing over 133,000 students and their families, 268 staff members and 900 school bus drivers and monitors. In fact, during the two days School Transportation News
“C
was onsite at Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, Director of Transportation Keba Baldwin never stopped communicating. Regardless if he was on his phone, speaking with staff, popping into offices to say hi, or even addressing members of the community through local news stations and at school board meetings. It’s when communication fails, that trust is broken. When I walked through the doors at PGCPS, Baldwin
was already knee-deep into his day navigating a parent complaint that had escalated to the superintendent and local media. Short over 100 drivers, some buses inevita- bly run late as other drivers step up and make multiple trips to pick up students—referred to as doubled backs by district staff. However, transportation failed to commu- nicate a late bus arrival for one of its 1,102 routes, leaving parents frustrated, who then turned to the media for an-
ommunication is key” is a phrase that resonates with most people. It under- scores the point that clear and effective communication is essential for achiev-
swers. Baldwin acknowledged the communication lapse but emphasized the department’s progress and ongoing improvements. “Anytime I get a media request, I immediately send
it over to our communication team for an evaluation, and I wait on feedback from them to say, ‘Okay, you can do this,’ or ‘No, we’re going to defer and put something in writing,’” he said of the communication action plan. “When the media does come, we want to be positive.” He said PGCPS maintains a strong relationship with
reporters and strives for message consistency. “Yes, we’re short drivers, but here’s what we’re doing to
offset that and keep that message going,” he explained. Baldwin knows Channel 7 reporter Brad Bell well. Not
only did Bell interview Baldwin during my visit, he was there for Baldwin’s first day as PGCPS transportation director in July 2023. “It was horrific. News [crews] ev- erywhere. Kids dropped off at the wrong location. It was not a good look,” Baldwin recalled. Now, he said, Bell barely has any negative student transportation news to report. “We take that stance to be very consistent. We want to be transparent and be upfront about what we’re doing,” Baldwin explained, adding that dealing with the local media as well as par- ent complaints is part of the job.
Channel 7 reporter Brad Bell interviews Keba Baldwin about late school buses while his staff looks on.
56 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2025
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