Lives in Our Hands: Danger Zone Safety, Rising Star Talks Driver Training
Release Date: 11/26/2024
Gus, the Talking Safety Bus: Supporting Educational Access & Student Safety
School Transportation Nation
Breakdowns of the federal Driving Forward Act’s impact on school bus driver training, new student transportation topics being covered by the National Congress on School Transportation writing committee, and doing what’s best for the children. Monique Jackson, area manager for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina, discusses her passion for education access, her children’s book “Gus, the Talking Safety Bus,” and teaching students school bus safety. Read more about . Episode sponsors: Transfinder, School Radio.
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Conference Conversations: Tariffs, STN EXPO East Motivation & Minimum Driver Age
School Transportation Nation
Tony, Taylor and Ryan cover recent news headlines, analyze federal tariff and funding updates, and recap the action and takeaways from in Charlotte, North Carolina, last month. Hear thoughts from Joshua Hinerman, director of transportation for Robertson County Schools in Tennessee, as well as several attendees of STN EXPO East, on the starting ages and appropriate training for school bus drivers. Read more about . Episode sponsors: Transfinder, School Radio.
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Onsite at STN EXPO East in Charlotte: School Bus Technology Interviews
School Transportation Nation
During STN EXPO East in Charlotte, North Carolina, STN Publisher Tony Corpin caught up with several friends in the school bus supplier market and found out about their new and exciting products and developments. Francisco Lagunas, general manager of the North American bus market for Cummins, provides updates on the highly anticipated new B7.2 diesel and Octane engines. Mike Ippolito, chief operating officer for School Radio, covers the safety benefits of modernized two-way radio communications, including AI voice transcription of calls. Steve Randazzo, chief growth officer for BusPatrol...
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Making Safety Safer: Seatbelts, Technology, Training & Electric School Buses
School Transportation Nation
Analysis on NAPT‘s new three-point, lap-shoulder seatbelt recommendation, the New York City Department of Education’s large technology RFP, and hands-on school bus emergency training in Texas. Participate in more discussions about safety and technology at and , which both include the Bus Technology Summit and the Green Bus Summit. “We’re not looking for a buyer, we’re looking for a partner.” Jason Yan, vice president of sales at RIDE Mobility, discusses how battery safety and development enhances electric school bus operation and range. Read more about . Episode sponsors:...
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Put That On A T-shirt: Changing Landscapes & Serving Communities
School Transportation Nation
Ryan and Tony discuss federal government shifts and how the industry could be affected, as well as how to keep the core values of transporting students safely and efficiently. “The driver shortage isn’t an excuse.” In an interview full of phrases you could put on a t-shirt, Heather Handschin, supervisor of bus operations for Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia, discusses tools, processes and training to retain drivers, run operations smoothly, and serve community families well. Read more about . Episode sponsors: Transfinder, Ride.
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Mr. Bus Driver: Celebrating & Promoting the Yellow School Bus on Social Media
School Transportation Nation
See the latest stories, videos, webinars and photo galleries on green bus updates, safety, crashes, heroic bus drivers, Love the Bus Month and more at . “They say, ‘It feels like you’re driving my bus!’” Cor’Darius Jones, school bus driver for Escambia County Schools in Florida, shares how he became the popular “r” online and discusses leveraging social media to showcase the importance of the yellow bus and recruit drivers. Read more about .
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It’s Not Business, It’s Personal: Alabama District Talks Transportation Collaboration
School Transportation Nation
Tony and Taylor are back, discussing news headlines and why it’s valuable to attend conferences like the upcoming in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I didn’t know you could get an award for doing something you liked already,” Superintendent Dr. Walter B. Gonsoulin, Jr. said of a childhood reading award that draws parallels to his current nomination for Super of the Year from AASA, The School Superintendents Association. He and Transportation Director Kevin Snowden discuss the passion, care, technology and collaboration that serves the students at Jefferson County Schools in Alabama. Read...
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Seeking Clarity: Federal Shakeups, Why Transportation-Superintendent Synergy Matters
School Transportation Nation
School districts and transportation departments seek clarity on tariff impacts, federal funding sources, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency raids on or around school buses. “You need the money there to attract people in – but when they come in and you have good people, you need that culture there to keep them.” Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, superintendent of Peoria Public Schools District 150 in Illinois, is a finalist for the AASA Superintendent of the Year award. Transportation Director Joshua Collins pulls back the curtain on how the district smoothly collaborates...
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Internet is Foundational: Why Universal Services Fund Matters to School Buses
School Transportation Nation
Ryan and Tony discuss potential school bus industry shifts in response to U.S. presidential moves on zero-emissions and tariffs, shed light on misleading headlines, and review OEM business updates. AASA: The School Superintendents Association is on the front lines fighting for education and student service in the U.S. Supreme Court. Noelle Ellerson Ng, AASA associate executive director of advocacy & governance, analyzes a pending case questioning the constitutionality of the Universal Services Fund, which in part funds E-Rate, school bus Wi-Fi and homework access for students in rural...
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Pre-Trip Yourself: Green Bus Funding Anxiety, Promoting Emotional Intelligence
School Transportation Nation
Headlines reflect how U.S. states, school districts, and manufacturers are navigating new funding and emissions rules from the Trump presidential administration. Mitzii Smith is the assistant director of transportation for Maine School Administrative District 6, a Maine School Safety Specialist, president-elect of the Maine Association for Pupil Transportation, and a 2024 STN Rising Star. She discusses running propane buses, promoting emotional intelligence to support staff, and what she’s looking forward to at in March. Read more about .
info_outlineSafety lessons the industry can learn from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Loading & Unloading Survey and illegal school bus passing report to Congress, as well as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse recommendations.
Joshua Wilson, former transportation director, national director of student transportation for Specialized Education Services, and a 2024 STN Rising Star, leverages his expertise in driver training to analyze the school bus driver shortage, alternative transportation, and more.
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