In her 1990s ‘Clan of the Cave Bear’ book series, author Jean Auel described early mankind as communal, with annual gatherings of the tribes to share foods, sports, medicines, religion, clothing, and social traditions. Each time I’ve attended a NAPT Annual Conference and Trade Show over the years, I felt that spirit inside me; that […]
CAVEAT LECTOR (Let the reader beware): I write this piece acknowledging I am neither attorney nor a professional journalist. But my experiences in each of those worlds have afforded me certain useful knowledge and insights. That is what I share here. I hope to provoke thoughts on your end, and I also caution you to […]
In business marketing, the concept of ‘brand loyalty’ can be defined as follows: Brand loyalty…consists of a consumer’s commitment to repurchase or otherwise continue using the brand and can be demonstrated by repeated buying of a product or service or other positive behaviors such as word of mouth advocacy. Think about it and you’ll see […]
It was February 9, 2004. A gunman opened fire in my daughter’s high school. No fatalities. A special ed teacher was shot and injured and an assistant principal tackled the shooter to end the incident. I remember driving to the school with my ‘flip phone’ in hand hoping to hear from my daughter on […]
In 1850, Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote Sonnet #43, which we know today by its endearing opening line: “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” As we exit February and move past America’s Valentines’ Day, I thought it would be appropriate to think about the many ways we love the school bus. […]
Pause with us for a moment to reflect on 2020 and 2021. Pause to reflect on what has transpired in our nation and our schools and on our school buses. Pause to reflect on what we have accomplished in these months of change and disruption. Pause to consider what the next twelve months will bring […]
“Essential workers.” “First people children see every day.” “Critical to children’s education.” Most of us have said these things, with good cause, about our school bus drivers…which makes the current rash of violent acts against drivers so hard to reconcile. As the 2021-22 school year nears the first quarter mark, it has been marked by […]
Several months ago, we explored the issue of advocacy for school transportation professionals. Given the time of year and the environment in which we find ourselves, it seems appropriate to revisit that topic and go a little deeper. Why? Because it is getting pretty real out there! The nation is still reeling under the COVID […]
Over the many years I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the school bus community, I have often said that school transportation folks are ‘problem solvers’ and that you tend to not pat yourselves on the back very often. The culture of school transportation is to recognize the situation at hand, address […]
When I first was hired in Oneida County, New York, in 1974, the County Executive I worked for told me to remember two things, one of which is the focus of this article. I have tried to live by it ever since: “If there is bad news or there are hard decisions needing my attention, […]