Photo by Allen County (Ind.) Public Library

When I hear of someone retiring, I’m happy for him or her but, secretly, also slightly jealous.

I can think of many ways I could spend my days after leaving the working world. But, alas, I still have a few decades to go before that becomes a possibility.

Another notion that often arises when someone retires is uncertainty — who’s going to replace that industry veteran, and will his or her knowledge be lost?

Over the past year, there has been a surge of pupil transportation stalwarts stepping down from their longtime posts, many of them state directors. Some are leaving the workforce altogether (at least for the time being), while others are going to work on the supplier side or as consultants.

On pg. 11 of our March 2011 issue, we profile veteran Oklahoma state director Randy McLerran, who retired from his position in February and then joined National Bus Sales.

Another recent retiree is Cheryl Wolf, an expert on transporting students with special needs. She stepped down from her school district position on March 1, but she said she’ll remain active in the industry as a consultant.

Committed career

Wolf began her involvement in the pupil transportation industry in 1983, starting as a substitute school bus driver. In the years since, she has held a variety of positions: route driver, driver trainer, special-needs transportation trainer, special-needs transportation coordinator, safety and training supervisor. In 2000, she was appointed as transportation supervisor for Lafayette (Ind.) School Corp.

When I asked Wolf what initiated her focus on special-needs transportation, she said that “once I met the kids, I was hooked.”

Initially, her district didn’t have a structured training system for drivers of students with disabilities.

“As it became clear that our special-education program was growing and the needs of the students that we would be transporting were more complex, a training program was needed,” Wolf said. “The development of that training program was an ongoing process over several years.”

She said that a key development in her career was when she first attended the Transporting Students With Disabilities and Preschoolers conference.

“Networking with the speakers and other transporters at the conference was amazing,” Wolf said. “I knew at that time I wanted to be a part of that amazing group of people who wanted the safest transportation for our kids with disabilities.”

Go for growth
Wolf’s story points to two keys in keeping pupil transportation running strong: career advancement and professional development.

Our industry needs to keep bringing in talented people to help carry out its mission into the future. Perhaps the most critical aspect in attracting young folks to any line of work is the potential to move up.

For those who are unaware of the industry’s depth (as I certainly was before coming to SBF), we need to make it known that there is an array of interesting and challenging roles that one can progress through.

And for those who have already joined the pupil transportation workforce, opportunities for professional development — like those offered by industry associations and conferences — are essential to keep them on board.     

— Thomas McMahon, executive editor