Colorado State Director Honored for Security Training Efforts
Susan Miller is recognized by Child Safety Network for her work with that organization and the Transportation Security Administration to bring security training to all the state’s districts.
Susan Miller, Colorado's head of pupil transportation (center), receives an award for her school bus security training efforts from Ward Leber, the founder of Child Safety Network. Also shown is Andrea Di Spirito, a TSA trainer. Photo courtesy Child Safety Network
2 min to read
Susan Miller, Colorado's head of pupil transportation (center), receives an award for her school bus security training efforts from Ward Leber, the founder of Child Safety Network. Also shown is Andrea Di Spirito, a TSA trainer. Photo courtesy Child Safety Network
BOULDER, Colo. — The state’s head of pupil transportation was recognized recently for her efforts to bolster security training at all of its school districts.
Child Safety Network (CSN) awarded Susan Miller, the transportation supervisor at the Colorado Department of Education (DOE), with its highest state honor for excellence in school bus safety and security.
Susan Miller, who represents Colorado as state director in the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), collaborated with CSN, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Colorado DOE to begin training school districts in ways to make school buses more difficult to target.
Related: PHOTOS - NASDPTS in D.C.
On Oct. 23, leaders from across the state spent the day at the Boulder Valley School District transportation department to learn how to train other industry professionals to identify suspicious activities and resolve threats quickly and safely.
“CSN requested that the TSA send trainers from Washington, D.C., to sites in Boulder and Colorado Springs,” said Ward Leber, CSN’s founder. “CSN invited [the state’s] 171 school districts to volunteer to learn and become a force multiplier, by becoming trainers themselves. Susan Miller organized the events and deserves this award for her critical role in protecting students, and for her many years of service dedicated to Colorado’s pupil transportation system.”
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this award,” Miller said. “Working at the Colorado Department of Education and with all the amazing people in the school transportation community in Colorado is truly my honor and privilege. I believe this training is extremely important for the safety of the approximately 365,000 students we transport daily, as well as for all of the dedicated school transportation staff that work so diligently to provide safe transportation for our students.”
CSN’s mission is to develop, execute, and administer programs that result in safer school buses and students.
“Upon the creation of the First Observer Program (Plus), I learned very early that pupil transportation professionals are some of the hardest working and most dedicated individuals I have ever had the pleasure to work with,” said Bill Arrington, CSN’s senior advisor on school bus security and former TSA manager for surface transportation nationwide. “I applaud Susan Miller of the Colorado DOE, and Ward Leber of CSN, for continuing to partner with the TSA to train our pupil transportation professionals to be better prepared to protect children. I would also like to thank David Cooper and Andrea DiSpirito of TSA for continuing my legacy, and their dedication to keeping our children safe and secure.”
A Rockland County child was struck by their school bus late last week. Here's what we know so far about this and other fatalities and injuries in the area over the years.
As Maine becomes one of the first states to require anti-pinch door sensors on new school buses, manufacturers like Mayser offer a look at how the technology works and why it's a critical fail-safe.
What if your fleet technology actually worked together? Learn eight practical strategies to integrate multiple systems into one platform, unlocking clearer insights, stronger safety standards, and smoother daily operations.
A recent Verra Mobility survey reports that 82% of parents support safety cameras to penalize stop-arm violators and 70% favor automated enforcement in school zones.
After complications in multiple cities when self-driving taxis failed to stop for school buses, the NTSB joins NHTSA in a probe to determine what's behind the tech and related safety concerns.
Transportant introduced a next-generation stop arm camera designed to improve image quality and reliability for documenting illegal school bus passings.
Keeping buses safe, reliable, and on schedule requires more than manual processes. This eBook explores how modern fleet software supports school transportation teams with automated maintenance scheduling, smarter video safety tools, and integrated data systems. Discover practical ways fleets are reducing breakdowns, improving safety, and saving valuable staff time.
