RENO, Nev. — With a number of workshops and seminars covering an array of topics, one of the overall themes of the 2016 STN EXPO and Green Bus Summit appears to be confidence.
Whether that confidence is found in abilities or employment or information, school districts and transportation departments nationwide seem to be seeking a guarantee that the foundation the entire establishment is built on is solid.
Take for instance the issue of distracted driving. Charley Kennington, director of Innovative Transportation Solutions, made the comparison that driving while distracted is like “driving while intoxicated,” he said.
Much of the workshop, “Districted Driving is like Drunk Driving,” directed attendees to focus on the issues surrounding texting while driving.
“Texting is the worst,” Kennington said since texting falls under the three types of distraction: visual, manual and cognitive.
To prevent accidents as a result of texting while behind the wheel of a school bus, he underlined the importance of leading by example setting the expectations early on. “You are setting the precedent for what you expect from your drivers,” Kennington said.
Transportation departments must set the stage for appropriate behavior; however, if there aren’t enough drivers in the field or technicians in the shop, a whole other mess arises, according to the speakers who addressed the current worker shortage hitting the country.
Denny Coughlin, owner of the School Bus Training Company, tackled the issue in his workshop, “Addressing Mechanic Shortages,” which examined how both unemployment benefits and large companies draw talented mechanics away from school bus shops.
Transportation departments are finding their shops understaffed because the number of competent mechanics has dwindled due to lack of interest in the profession and the ones who are gifted migrate to higher paying jobs.
Coughlin emphasized that importance of competitive salaries, reframing the argument as a long-term investment since district should “rather pay the wages required of top technicians than pay for the costs associated with shoddy mechanical work.”
This investment in hiring the right employees while also providing the necessary benefits to retain them also the topic of discussion for Launi Harden, transportation administrator for Washington County School District in Utah, and Alexandra Robinson, executive director of the Office of Pupil Transportation for the New York City Department of Education, in their workshop “Driver Shortages Around the Nation.”
Much like what Coughlin spoke about, when the economy is good, people aren’t signing up to drive school buses; though, it should be noted, as Harden pointed out, even when things turn south for employment, drivers with CDL are looking elsewhere. “Check employment statistics, see where the salaries are going,” she added.
As districts get desperate, Robinson acknowledged that numbers can become more important than quality. However, this trend should be avoided, with more attention directed to “things beyond salary.”
Both speakers agreed that in order to keep standards high, transportation departments must provide incentives and appealing work environments, along with making workers feel like they are reliable investments. “You don’t want to just keep drivers, you want to attract them,” Robinson said.
In addition to building assets such as mechanics and drivers, internal communication as well as public outreach is key. Victoria Campbell, public information officer for the Washoe County School District, spoke on this topic for her workshop, “Communicating with the Media: Tips for Transportation.”
The importance of being on point when keeping the public appraised of a situation, especially during a moment of crisis. It isn’t about controlling the message, Campbell stressed. It’s about providing the proper message.
There will be a lot of distorter from “citizen journalists,” as they will, in the attempt to get news out the fastest, distort the facts with incorrect information.
Campbell noted that during an emergency, the goal of everyone involved with the district and transportation is to direct reporters to the appropriate people whose job it is to alleviate fear and correct misinformation.
“Your job is to be the cool head at the scene,” she said. “You will either shine or dig yourself deeper.”
After making the necessary assessments, the district communication officer or someone similar, will get the most reliable information out to reporters quickly that is both accurate and composed, Campbell adding that during a crisis “everything could be different than everything else.”
