We Recommend: Free Driver's Lounge Art

Those who don't receive Trans Consult Dick Fischer's School Bus Safety News emails should. In one of his most recent emails, Fischer shares this poster and the reminder that "Not all people that drive a school bus are 'School Bus Drivers'..." Take a look or email Ficher at dfischer [at symbol] ix.netcom.com to sign up.

Dangerous pet on the bus ... or not

A mom who blogs, shares the story of school bus driver who radioed the principal's office to say that a girl on board had a live hamster and that this was not allowed. But, as a teacher assured the principal, the "hamster" was a toy brought in for show and tell. But, by the time the principal could return the call, it was too late.

Because the radio is used by all of the corporation and people at home with that frequency tuned in, the jokes and jabs started immediately. One was heard to say you have to be very careful with those dangerous hamsters. The bus driver will probably go to his grave with the "hamster" call sign.

Video: New Effort Stops Bullies Keeps Kids in School

According to the CDC, 160,000 kids stay home from school because of bullying. A new program in Ely, Nev., is reducing the abuse and getting more kids on the bus and back in school, ABC News reports. The program at White Pines County School District started with a confidential survey that helped identify some of the biggest bullies in the school. Instead of punishing these bullies, a new principal is talking with them, trying to solve the problems at their roots. Thanks for the link, Diana!

Train the Trainer with Dick Fischer

For those of you in the Midwest, our colleague Trans-Colsult Dick Fischer will be offering a 40-hour school bus driver "Train the Trainer" program. On June 8-12 in Seymour, Ind., and June 22-26 in Salina, Kans., Fischer will teach 20 hours of classroom training and 20 hours of behind-the-wheel-training to those looking to get the skills they need to train other drivers. Attendees will also get a 550-page training manual covering 35 subjects for more info email Fischer. More on Fischer and Trans-Consult at our industry contact page.

Monday Rundown

• The Kalamazoo Gazette offers more thoughts on the assault of a school bus driver. Apparently, it will take some time before the district can coordinate a policy on staff and training to prevent assaults like these or address them if they happen again. The paper also reacts to the virulent debate about race, education and discipline the incident ignited.
• On a similar note, a West Monroe, La., police tasered a 14-year-old student after the 250-pound 5'9" bus rider became belligerent and assaulted an officer.
  
• School bus driver gives special treatment to one cat.
  
• Spring break is over for Bus No. 6. He's sad to be waking up early again, but glad to be working in a job he loves given the economy:
  

  "At least we have a place to go to in the mornings instead of the unemployment line. At least we're driving something bigger than Bubba's pickup truck, and if he even LOOKS like he's going to pass through our blinking lights and stop sign, we know we could take him out if we had a mind to, but we don't because there are kids on board and we're more professional than that. But we gave it some thought. Yes indeed. My blood runs yellow. How about yours"

• Also from Nation's Press:
  
  • Web Site Users Catch Bus Drivers Behaving Badly, Call for Action
  • Transportation Boss Quits After Driver Allegedly Drove While Intoxicated
  • The Ambien Defense: School Bus Driver Claims Medicine Responsible for Sleep Driving Crash
  • More
    

Jobs in the Industry...

This week, IC Bus joins the rest of the major OEMs in announcing layoffs. The company has not said how many employees will be laid off, but has halved its vehicle production. Blue Bird and Thomas Built Buses made similar announcements this year and last. At the same time, as we reported earlier this month driving a school bus appears to be a promising job in the downturn.

New Video: Installing STAR

As we ramp up for the this year's School Transportation News Conference EXPO and Trade Show, this week we add another new video from the 2007 EXPO. In this video, SafeGuard IMMI's Charlie Vitts shows attendees how to install and remove the company's SafeGuard STAR child safety restraint system.

New Blogger Behind the Wheel, Another Take on Kalamazoo

Okay, technically she's not new, but we just found her. Ravings of a Mad Bus Driver is the blog of a 30-year-old Michigan pupil transportation professional that tells everyday stories from the driver's seat. In her most recent post, she shares her take on the beating of a Kalamazoo, Mich., school bus driver we discussed earlier in the week:

WOW can you believe this.....

It's frightening to think what can happen just for doing your job. I couldn't help but cringe while watching this. It is very scary.

Incidentally, in the unfolding of this story, two teens were recently honored for their role in helping to stop the attack.

On Sale: School Buses for $682 Each

Houston ISD is selling nearby Galveston ISD buses at bargain basement prices, Houston Press reports. Prices from the auctioned buses were so low, the blog wouldn't believe 'em until the school system the spreadsheet.

Monday Rundown

• Storm and strong winds throw Indiana school bus into building. According to the AP, the bus was empty at the time. Click for more on the storm, including photos of the bus atop a flattened building.
• Last week, a Michigan school bus driver was assaulted by one of her student riders in an incident caught on the bus' security camera. In an editorial this weekend, Julie Mack puts the incident in some perspective, reminding readers that the student was emotionally-disturbed and the incident occurred on a bus for students with emotional-disabilities:
  

  This was a horrifying assault. But it was very much an anomaly. This isn't something that happens every day or every year. To be honest, the viciousness of the assault was why it made national news; if this was happening regularly, it would be just another video.

  Yet many people don't see it that way. As often happens with school-safety issues, some are quick to draw conclusions that are fundamentally false. An isolated incident becomes proof of systemic violence in schools. A whole school system, a whole community can get unfairly tainted from one teenager's awful outburst.

• Short Bus Chronicles offers its two cents.
• Day Light Savings is back. That means early morning darkness for a.m. pick ups. Interestingly, one expert says while darker mornings produce more car crashes involving kids, the increase is more than made up for by the larger decline in early evening accidents with increased hours of light. The Washington Post's Marc Fisher explains the history of day light savings and looks at an alternative two-hour savings.

Friday Highlights

• Time to Enlist the Wisdom of Sherlock Holmes. Bus No. 6 has a tip for getting riders to stop eating on the bus and writing on the backs of seats: follow the greatest detective's advice and use your other riders as spys.
• D.C. gets hit with its first snow day. Short Bus Chronicles says drivers need more of a say in when school gets called off.
  
• Just in in case drivers are on the road anyway, a few tips on driving in winter weather.
• wife. mom. school bus driver. also has a day off with the snow.
  
• School Bus Stories learns to 'watch for curbs.' After blowing out a tire and bringing, the a driver learns the probable cause of his first-ever blow out.
• How do you motivate staff in this heartless economy? On our YouTube channel we share Cal LeMon's advice from our 2007 EXPO. In the clip below, LeMon suggests how we can look at working differently to better motivate employees. Watch the section below or each part of the presentation on our channel.
  

School Transportation Is Recession Proof Job

Looking for a job in down times? Look to the big yellow school bus. A report on 50 Recession Proof Industries by Resume Bear says school transportation, along with medical equipment, vehicle towing and turbine generators should be safe bets for job applicants in these tough times. The report looks to our recent history for proof:

Thanks to our compulsory public education which forces all children to attend schools until at least age 16, the demand for school bus transportation suffers little from economic downturns. In fact, school and employee bus transportation experienced 5%, 4%, and 4% growth during the 1990, 2001, and 2007 recessions.

You don't need to tell this to First Student offices in Deforest, Wisc. For the first time in 15 years, they have all the drivers they need. Channel3000.com says new driver Ron Reynolds had his own business until becoming unemployed last fall. He's had several jobs since. Now he looks forward to getting behind the wheel. "This hopes to be the right one," he said.

Monday Morning Roundup

• In North Carolina, a student's death prompted legislators to introduce a bill allowing stop arm cameras.
• In Indiana, a school bus driver has been charged with felony neglect for not stopping teenage students from terrorizing a female rider. The driver denied knowledge of the abuses.
• A school bus monitor is the latest New York lotto millionaire. The first person to see her winning ticket? Her bus driver.
• An educator's association is standing up for a school bus driver who struck several parked cars. They say she takes responsibility for the crashes but was a "victim" of the side-effects of the prescription sleep drug she was taking.

What is it to be a school bus driver? Thanks to the Short Bus Chronicles, we found this great video slide show on all the roles school bus drivers fulfill besides driving the bus.