Please provide an overview of your time in the pupil transportation industry. Steven A. Simmons III: I’ve been in the pupil transportation industry for about 42 years. I started out as a mechanic working for a private contractor in Columbus, Ohio and then applied and got a job with the school district. I worked my […]
Merriam-Webster defines a pandemic as something “occurring over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affecting a significant proportion of the population.” We have seen that definition in action over the last nearly two years. I believe there is another pandemic in our midst and that we must be mindful […]
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 […]
It is a widely held belief that alternative forms of student transportation do not meet the standards or regulations of traditional student transportation. There are thousands of districts out there that use alternative types of vehicles though (some of them even own their own “white fleet”), so is it true? Do alternative types of transportation […]
School BUSRide spoke with Kevin Trudeau, director of commercial sales for BraunAbility, to discuss accessible student transportation in the wake of COVID-19. BraunAbility provides mobility products to numerous transportation industries. Trudeau discussed disruptions due to the pandemic, new safety concerns, the role technology plays in the “new normal,” and more. From an equipment standpoint, what […]
In a post-COVID environment, cleanliness on school buses has become a paramount concern for education professionals. Disinfecting should no longer be a reactionary response due to “spikes in COVID cases,” but become part of a “daily routine.” It is critical for school buses to be disinfected regularly, in a safe, and effective manner, to restore […]
After a long day (and despite the school bus industry’s exceptional safety record), children are sometimes left behind on the school bus. Best practices, surveillance systems, and training help a lot — but is there more you can do to ensure every kid is off the bus each night? No school bus driver intends to […]
School BUSRide recently spoke with Noelle Ellerson Ng, associate executive director, advocacy and governance, for the School Superintendents Association (AASA). She spoke about the role of lobbyists in Washington, D.C., and the current agenda for the AASA. How did you become a lobbyist? My undergraduate degree is in political science, and I was certified in […]
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 […]
Myth #1: The only students who need alternative transportation are children with special needs. We all love the show MythBusters because they were a team of professionals who took common myths most of us were familiar with and tried to prove them. Sometimes they did, and other times they either found that the myth was […]