A View from the Now-Retired Principal's Seat

Our district has many unsung heroes, and I am fortunate to know most of them and to call them colleague and friend.  Our Transportation Department is home to just one group of those heros.  Simply put, our bus drivers are remarkable.   I've known this for years, but I decided I wanted to get to know the drivers even better in order to support them and our students.  So in the last month I have ridden each of my school's morning bus routes.  Eight buses serve our school community, and it has been an absolute privilege to learn about the drivers and to watch them perform their craft and science with our students. Being a bus driver is a uniquely challenging art.  First, drivers have to be on-time.  They can't be early, and it's best to not be late.  Drivers have to judge traffic and the weather to arrive at their many stops as close to their assigned time as possible.  Next, safety is critical.  Yes, buses are large, and the community looks out for them.  Still, buses a