Tensions in America are high right now, and it's spilling over into our schools. These days, it seems like the news is full of stories about conflicts between parents and school staff, including bus drivers. There had always been occasional reports of conflicts or fights between drivers and parents, but now we're seeing such reports all the time.
The ongoing shortage of school bus drivers may be hitting a breaking point. Schools were already struggling to keep enough drivers on-staff to fulfill their transportation obligations despite the disruption of COVID-19. Now, there's a new threat: school bus driver protests and strikes.
Being a bus driver is never easy, but the job has become particularly difficult with the COVID-19 coronavirus still threatening the country. On top of their other responsibilities, bus drivers are now expected to do much of the heavy lifting in protecting students' health while onboard their buses.
Is your district doing everything they can to support your drivers? Better policies and updated school bus driver training can make their lives easier while increasing safety for the students.
Distracted driving is a serious problem on America's roads. According to compiled statistics, nine people die every day due to a distracted driver, while hundreds more are injured. Distracted driving can happen almost anywhere, at any time, to anyone - including your school bus drivers.
Last month, a potentially very dangerous mistake occurred in Waterloo, Iowa: A school bus driver mistakenly dropped off an autistic girl at the wrong location. Unsupervised, she wandered more than a mile away and was found at a local Target. Fortunately, she was entirely unharmed.
According to the story, this happened due to multiple failures:
As difficult and frustrating as city driving can be in an automobile, the problems are multiplied when driving a school bus. Buses can be up to 45 feet long, which makes maneuvering them around city corners a real challenge. Plus, with a full load of passengers on board, it’s easy for school bus drivers to become stressed out, which can diminish their effectiveness in an emergency.
The challenges your drivers face are going to be largely particular to your city. However, with proper training, there are certain strategies which will help mitigate the chances of problems while on city streets.
Nothing is more important for school bus driver training than encouraging them to drive safely. With dozens of young lives at stake on every drive, this is inarguably the #1 priority for any school district. Unfortunately, not every driver training program
emphasizes safety. Instead, the focus is on the basics of bus operation.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has proposed regulations for entry-level commercial truck and bus drivers to complete certain training prerequisites before obtaining their commercial driver's license (CDL).
Bullying is a major concern across the country, and in Central Florida, a special two-day training session provided special tools for bus drivers facing this issue.
Close to 1,500 employees of the Orange County School District in Florida met at the Orlando Convention Center to discuss emergency response techniques and bullying on the bus. Discussed were some of the signs of bullying and what to do when bullying is suspected. Though most teachers and school administrators receive training on bullying prevention, school bullying often takes place outside of the classroom setting.
