Noah Webster Educational Foundation

Month: November 2023

  • When the Wheels on the Bus Don’t Go Round

    When the Wheels on the Bus Don’t Go Round

    Here at the Noah Webster Educational Foundation we’ve featured many articles on the subject of school choice, such as this one, which can help you decide which school is right for your child. School choice is a wonderful idea, but what if a student can’t even make it to school? 

    This was the reality for many students in Massachusetts during the COVID-19 pandemic when the national guard had to be deployed in order to combat a shortage of bus drivers. The sad fact is that this was not an isolated incident, and even before Covid, schools were facing annual driver shortages. The question of how to get students to school has been an ongoing one with no quick answer in sight.   

    The Issue

    Main Reasons:

    So what drives these shortages? Why aren’t there enough bus drivers to go around? The answers to those questions are many. 

    First, the bus driver shortage isn’t new. Shortages happen almost every year. Even before the pandemic it was something administrators encountered. They  worsened during the pandemic and have remained more problematic since then.

    What drives this shortage is more complex. School Bus Fleet offers a list of the main reasons a bus driver might quit. These reasons include: 

    • Low pay for a person with a CDL
    •  Employment limitations placed on a person who drives a bus
    •  The fact that even if a driver is offered benefits their pay will likely not cover the cost of those benefits 
    • Difficulty paying for the prerequisites needed to get a CDL
    •  Lack of support from administration that many drivers receive.

    Further, Times Union points out that another reason people are not lining up to be bus drivers is that they’re required to memorize and pass a test on the different parts of a bus’s engine. This requirement exists even though bus drivers will likely never touch a bus’s engine. In fact, drivers are required to not try to fix their own engines. Instead, they’re instructed to remain in the vehicle and wait for a mechanic to be dispatched from their bus depot. Requiring drivers to pass a memorization test they’ll never even need acts not only to deter possible drivers from pursuing a career in bussing, but may even keep someone who is trying to become a driver from gaining certification.

    A Convoluted Problem:

    Those reasons can overlap. The low pay is to blame for the inability of drivers to afford benefits. Pay also affects the attraction to prospective drivers, decreasing the chance they’ll put in the time and money to get a CDL. And the odd hours of the job make it impossible to supplement income with a part time job, which further compounds the issues of the low pay and low hours offered by the role. In fact, some drivers aren’t even considered full time employees. 

    Moreover, while most things are back to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic, the bus driving industry is still suffering. NPR points out that many bus drivers were and are elderly, and when their districts furloughed them during the pandemic, many retired or sought another job that wasn’t affected by the pandemic. Some others may still be looking to go back to bussing, but health concerns could be keeping them away. Some variants of COVID-19 are still out there. Ill health coupled with old age can put elderly drivers at risk if they return to buses packed tight with students.       

    What’s One to Do?

    School & District Resources

    So, you’ve found a school you want to send your child to, but you’re worried they won’t have enough drivers or you’re outside of their bussing routes. What are you to do? 

    First, you should do a quick google search or make a call to the school you’re eyeing. The people working within the school you’re looking at will often be the most knowledgeable in relation to what options are available for you. School and district websites, also, often dedicate a page to breaking down what transportation is available for their area.

    Outside Options

    If the school or district can’t help, it may be a good idea to look up the general area you’re in and see if they offer any alternatives. Cities like New York are now beginning to offer city wide transportation options. New York City provides several options for students to make it to school on time. Depending on the school in question, these can include prepaid metro cards, traditional bussing from bus stops, bussing from house to school, and alternate pickup and drop off locations. Other areas, such as Chicago, Illinois and West Orange, New Jersey, provide monetary assistance to persons who meet certain criteria.

    When the school or city is ineffective, there are other options. In recent years companies have sprung up to address school transportation issues. Education Next highlights one such option, HopSkipDrive, a company set up to help working moms meet the demands of daily schedules and getting the kids to and from extracurricular activities. Since their inception, HopSkipDrive has expanded to meet the needs of students who are unable to make it to their school of choice for a myriad of reasons.

    Finally, depending on time and distance, walking, biking, and driving a private vehicle are all valid options. Of course, these options don’t come without risks and their own set of problems. Driving is time consuming and gas is expensive. Walking and biking to school is only possible for students of a certain age, within a certain distance from school, and in areas that are safe for children to be walking around without adult supervision. 

    When the Bus Doesn’t Run and There Aren’t Other Options… Now What? 

    Well, don’t lose hope just yet. There are officials in place to hear out parents like you. 

    School superintendents have many duties, and one of them may be to oversee the bussing of students. Placing a call to a superintendent is not likely to change anything. However, organizing with a group of parents from nearby areas to show that there is interest on a possible route might be enough. 

    Then, if the superintendent isn’t listening, you could go to the school board, whose members as decision makers act as go-betweens for parents and a school district. Ask for an addition to the bussing routes for your chosen school. School boards are there to hear the concerns and wants of parents, and they’re tax payer funded. So, while you might feel like you’re overstepping, you should remember school boards are there for you.  

     Last and most drastically, the members of a school board are elected. So, if they don’t want to listen, you can always vote and campaign for someone who will, or even run for the board yourself. The school board handles many items of business. So, in addition to the bussing routes, you could improve other things as well. Plus, not only would your child be able to attend the school of their choice, but all of the other students along the new route could attend as well. Ultimately, the lengths you are willing to go for a school are up to you.

    Let’s Get Those Wheels Going Round

    To summarize, if you encounter issues with a school’s bussing route, follow these steps:

    1. Google, call, or otherwise get in contact with the school to see if there are any options available to help you.
    2. Consider alternative transport such as paid transportation services, walking, biking, or using your private vehicle.
    3. Contact the superintendent of the school and the school board for your district and see if they would be willing to do anything to help.
    4. Organize with like minded parents to push the school board to add bussing routes for your selected school to your area.
    5. Consider running for election to your local school board to personally affect change on school transportation.

    Learning is important, and so is where a person learns. Transportation should not be the deciding factor behind what school choice options are available to any student. Sadly, often they are. Buses are not the only options for transportation, and we should remember that.

    But more importantly we should push as a community to ensure that quality education is available to all. Even deciding not to use a bus is a form of protest to the routes it services. Superintendents and school boards keep track of what buses are being used. They may move a bus that is seeing little or no use to another area. Moreover, by choosing to attend a school without a route to you, you are showing interest in a school from an unserviced area. This won’t go unnoticed. Overall, bussing is just as important as any other school issue. Hence, we should strive to understand the issue and affect change that will be beneficial to ourselves and our community as a whole.   

  • Education Counterpoint With NWEF Ep. 2 “A Simple Solution for Reforming Education” With Jack Appleby

    Education Counterpoint With NWEF Ep. 2 “A Simple Solution for Reforming Education” With Jack Appleby

    Leadership in our schools is in decline. Children aren’t learning. We need to fix it, but it all seems so complicated.

    Jack Appleby, after fifty years in education, knows that it actually can be quite simple. Jack was a biology teacher, a principal, a school reformer, and has been all over the world sharing his ideas about education. He boils success down to two things: relationships and accumulative knowledge. Whatever your role in education is, listen in today to discover how you can harness the power of connection to work with others, educate yourself, and create a better learning environment for our kids!

    “Schools are built on relationships. Relationships exist between the teacher and the student…Relationships exist between the teachers and the parents…Relationships exist with school board members and how they relate to the stakeholders of their school. It’s all about relationships.” — Jack Appleby, President of the Noah Webster Educational Foundation

    Here’s a recap:

    • Jack recounts his fifty years as an educator, from his days as a biology teacher to his education work around the world
    • What working with schools in other countries can teach us about American education
    • Why are relationships so important in education? Why do we remember some of our childhood teachers so fondly?
    • Schools are medicating students to keep them quiet and well-behaved in the classroom, encouraging the idea that structure is valued over the child
    •  How can teachers keep up with paperwork, forming relationships with students, and all the other demands of modern education? Can better teacher training programs help?
    • Jack talks about his work helping failing schools—how he brought teachers and school staff together, spearheaded discussions on leadership books, and improved teacher success by having each of them pick three goals for the year
    • Building a holistic education mentality
    • How retaining long-term leadership in schools and on school boards can improve school success
    • Jack lists some of his favorite resources for educators and explains why adults—especially educators—need to be lifetime learners
    Subscribe via your favorite podcast app here.

    Would you rather watch the video versions of our podcast? Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get notified every week when new episodes drop. Here’s today’s conversation with Jack:

    If you like what you heard today, stay tuned for our next episode on Counterpoint with NWEF.

    RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

  • How To Be The Coolest Substitute Teacher In School

    How To Be The Coolest Substitute Teacher In School

    Substitute teaching can be a beast! There’s no argument there. Working random days, sometimes on late notice, with kids who prefer their regular teacher — it’s a difficult job. How do some substitute teachers nail it every time, while others struggle? 

    How do you become the coolest substitute teacher in school, someone both staff and students love to have come in?

    Whether you’re seeking to someday move up to full-time teacher, or you just love working with kids part-time, the key to success is this: have a plan and go with the flow. It sounds paradoxical, but stick with us! By the end, you’ll hopefully see how being prepared and being ready for anything will make you the school’s favorite substitute. 

    Start The Day Out Right

    In order to impress your employers with your adeptness, and to get a smooth start, arrive at the classroom early. 

    It’s important to look over the lesson plan the teacher left you, acquaint yourself with the classroom before students arrive, and make connections with the school staff. Say good morning to the other teachers, and even take initiative to walk into the classrooms nearby and introduce yourself. This is especially important if you’re subbing for a lengthy period of time.

    Going the extra step to create relationships will be especially beneficial in your substitute position. Substitute teachers are not as respected as full-teachers, in part because they are only part-time employees. Taking initiative to be kind and friendly and willing to chat with the school staff will prove to them you’re in their corner.

    Getting to school early will also benefit you in another way. As a substitute, you’ll sometimes be the one bringing order to chaos. Hopefully, the regular teacher has left things ready for you: a clean classroom and a detailed lesson plan. But you won’t always find this to be the case, so to start the day out right, get there early to check out the situation and have an emergency lesson plan handy. Plus, if you get to your classroom early, you’ll have a little extra time to tidy up.

    Do An Attitude Check

    If you’re having fun, your students will catch on and have fun too! Of course substitute teaching is a tough job. Subs tend to get a lot of pushback from students. Kids have a mistaken idea that they can get away with anything when the substitute comes in. 

    So by all means, have a discipline plan. Set down your rules right away. But, at the same time, keep things positive for both yourself and them. Write “Rule #1: Have Fun!” on the whiteboard, tell jokes, smile and laugh. Be confident and firm without raising your voice or becoming annoyed.

    Your positive attitude will be challenged throughout the day. So, it’s critical that you check in with yourself and be certain you’re having fun and remaining cheerful.

    Run Through Your Introduction Routine

    Once the students arrive and are seated, it’s time to introduce yourself. 

    Decide on your introduction routine at home ahead of time. You’ll be using it a lot as you move from classroom to classroom. You might have a fun or unique way of introducing yourself. However,t simply writing your name on the board is enough, so long as you’re friendly and let them see that you’re happy to meet them. This step is critical to helping students feel comfortable with you.

    Get all of your students to tell you their names and then move onto an “icebreaker.” One teacher uses the game “Two Truths and a Lie” to get to know her students better. Each person, including you, writes down two things that are true and one thing that’s a lie, and then everyone has to try to guess which is the lie. Check out these additional ideas at Study.com, or come up with your own!

    Then, quickly go over your classroom rules and establish any consequences and rewards you plan to offer based on their behavior. You might also introduce an attention-getter (we’ll talk more about this in a bit).

    Know Your Kids

    In addition to playing fun games, get to know your students on a deeper level. Talk to them individually. Watch them to learn about each individual. Does that girl always have a book nearby? Ask her if she likes books, and what her favorites are. Is that boy wearing a Marvel shirt? Ask which superhero is his favorite!

    If you talk about something they love, they may open up, and you can talk on a deeper level about their family, friends, hopes, and dreams. 

    Get Their Attention

    It’s important to have a few quick attention-grabbers up your sleeve. 

    Every teacher has a different approach to getting students’ attention, so feel free to make this your own. Some teachers hold up their hand and count to five by putting down one finger at a time. By the time you have no fingers left up, your class should be silent.

    Edutopia also suggests picking a clapping pattern that you use to get students’ attention. Clap to them and then have them clap back. Or you can have the entire class countdown from five. 

    There are many ideas for attention-getters out there. Use one of these or do a quick Google search to find one to suit your needs, style, and the age group of your students.

    Shake Things Up To Distract Them

    After you have their attention, you need to keep it. Come prepared with diversionary tactics! To keep kids’ attention, you might read aloud from one of your favorite books, play a fun game, or surprise them with an unplanned activity.

    If they don’t expect it, an “unplanned” game or activity can really work in your favor. It will instantly distract your students, especially if they’re on the younger side. But don’t forget to use incentives, too. Tell them what you have planned if everyone behaves or finishes their work early. Distract them with the reward, and they’ll probably end up doing more work and being more cheerful about it.

    Put Your Own Spin On It

    It’s important to follow the teacher’s lesson plan faithfully when you’re substituting. But that doesn’t mean you can’t put your own spin on it. Let your personality shine through in everything you do.

    If you like to sing or listen to music, incorporate that into the day. If you’re good at riddles and brainteasers, embrace that. Dress in a way that brings out your fun personality, or bring a tote bag full of books, stickers, coloring pages, or stationary. Switch up or eliminate an activity or a drill that the kids are used to doing everyday. Think creatively and your unconventional methods are sure to win you the “coolest substitute” badge.

    Buttoning Things Up After a Long Day

    It’s been challenging, but you got through the day with a smile! Now it’s time to make sure things are all ready for a smooth transition back to the regular teacher.

    Have the kids help you clean up so everything is tidy for when their teacher comes back. They’ll probably enjoy surprising their teacher with a clean classroom, maybe a note or a handmade sign welcoming her back.

    You may also wish to stay for a few minutes longer to do some spot cleaning or tidying after students leave. 

    Now you’re ready to head home, except for one important thing. Make sure you leave a note for the teacher. This is something that teachers wish substitutes did more often. You can make it short and sweet, telling her how fun it was to teach her class and giving feedback on how the kids behaved. You also should detail any instructions you handed out, homework you assigned, or other relevant info she should know about.

    If you button things up well, the teacher and the school staff will come to view you as a reliable and honest person, and hopefully, they’ll call on you over and over again.

    Becoming An Awesome Substitute Teacher

    Great job. You’re on your way home now, after a good day’s work as a substitute teacher. You went in with a plan, you were ready for anything, and you conquered the substitute teaching beast!

    If you show yourself to be a confident, fun, and skillful substitute, you’ll get more work and become the person your school administration knows they can depend on every time. Not only that, but you’ll be loved by the students and they’ll be excited when they get to have you for the day.