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Sept. 29, 2020

NAPT MEMBER NEWS

New NAPT Publication on the Way

NAPT

The NAPT and Foundation Boards believe the challenges we face these days can best be served by better communications tailored specifically to the needs of our members. So, we are collaborating with a respected national publisher to create a comprehensive portfolio of integrated digital media products and services, including our own magazine, called SchoolBUSRide.

SchoolBUSRide will feature in-depth coverage of federal and state activities; up-to-the minute regulatory and compliance coverage; exclusive columns by leading industry experts; vehicle and product field tests; equipment road tests; new product and service information; custom research and analysis; and editorial content by trusted industry thought leaders throughout North America. Our goal is to make SchoolBUSRide the leading source of industry, and particularly industry association, news.

Watch your in-box; the first issue will arrive soon.

Dr. Linda Bluth Joins the NAPT team

NAPT

Dr. Linda Bluth is joining the NAPT staff as our Special Needs Transportation Consultant. Linda’s qualifications are unmatched: she is not only a former President of NAPT (she’s also in our Hall of Fame), she is a certified school administrator (superintendent, elementary & middle principal, K-12 special education) and a certified supervisor of school transportation. She is and has been for a long time the “go to” national expert on the transportation of students with disabilities and their related special needs.

Among her initial assignments will be updating the NAPT manual, “Transporting Children with Disabilities, 5th Edition,” writing articles for NAPT publications, creating new training, presenting webinars, collaborating with state affiliates and associations, and providing technical assistance to NAPT members.

“I am excited to continue my passion, work and interest in the transportation for students with disabilities and special needs”, Linda said in announcing her exclusive affiliation with NAPT. “I am really looking forward to helping the association continue to help its members.”

Expect to see Linda online soon – and don’t hesitate to contact her via email (linda.bluth@napt.org) or telephone (800-989-NAPT). She’s looking forward to working with you.

Keep Your NAPT® Member Profile Up-to-Date

NAPT

Now is a great time to log in to the NAPT® website and update your member profile!

Once you're logged in:

View and update your personal information — it's quick and simple. As soon as you log in, you'll see all of your information and have the ability to make edits as necessary.
Upload a professional photo to display in your profile that will be visible in the Online Member Directory.
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Select your Directory Category by clicking on "My Directory Options" and selecting the appropriate organization type.

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

IR Thermometer with audible alerts

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Connect with NAPT

NAPT

Let NAPT help you stay in touch with colleagues and up-to-date on industry news and interesting stories from around the nation.

INDUSTRY NEWS

House passes key clean transportation and climate legislation

U.S. PIRG

The U.S. House passed a major piece of legislation that marks meaningful progress on clean energy and climate. The "Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act" reduces greenhouse gas emissions and accelerates vehicle electrification. It also modernizes and bolsters funding authorizations for clean energy research and development programs — including solar energy, wind energy, energy storage and other Department of Energy programs.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Driver: School buses running smoothly, social distancing is working

WCBD

School officials say social distancing on school buses is working and bus operations are running smoothly this year in Berkeley County. "As Mr. Terri always says… safety, safety, safety," said Patrick Hernandez, who drives a bus for Westview schools. He says safety is – and always has been – their top priority. He reached out to News 2 to say things were running smoothly so far this semester.

Most are sending their kids back to school if they're open

Rasmussen Reports

Just over half of Americans report that schools are open for in-person teaching where they live, and most parents in these communities are sending their kids back to school despite the lingering coronavirus threat. Perhaps in part that's because parents question whether at-home learning is working. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 54% of American Adults say schools are open for in-person learning in their community. Thirty-three percent (33%) say they are not, while 13% are not sure.

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World’s Most Eco-Friendly Bus Wash System

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Recruiting custodial staff for Provinces school buses still ongoing

VOCM

Work is still be doing done to recruit custodial staff to manage the cleaning of the province's school buses. Several new buses have been purchased for the province to use, and government hopes to have them ready for the road as soon as possible. NAPE represents many of the bus operators across the province. President Jerry Earle says he can’t comment on the entirety of operators in the province because in some areas the service is contracted out.

School attendance in the COVID era: What counts as 'present'?

NPR

From shiny red pencils reading "My Attendance Rocks!" to countless plaques and ribbons and trophies and certificates and gold stars: For as long as anyone can remember, taking attendance — and rewarding kids for simply showing up — is a time-honored school ritual.

US parents delaying preschool and kindergarten amid pandemic

The Washington Post

Claire Reagan was feeling overwhelmed as her oldest child’s first day of kindergarten approached and with a baby on the way. The 5-year-old boy has autism, and she worried he would struggle with juggling in-person and virtual learning, and that she wouldn’t have enough time to give him the help he needs. So she decided to wait a year before sending him to school.

House easily passes stopgap funding bill, averting shutdown

The Associated Press

In a sweeping bipartisan vote that takes a government shutdown off the table, the House passed a temporary government-wide funding bill, shortly after President Donald Trump prevailed in a behind-the-scenes fight over his farm bailout. The stopgap measure will keep federal agencies fully up and running into December, giving lame-duck lawmakers time to digest the election and decide whether to pass the annual government funding bills by then or kick them to the next administration. The budget year ends Sept. 30.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Ransomware attacks take on new urgency ahead of vote

The New York Times

A Texas company that sells software that cities and states use to display results on election night was hit by ransomware last week, the latest of nearly a thousand such attacks over the past year against small towns, big cities and the contractors who run their voting systems.

What does in-person school look like in the COVID-19 era? Here's a look inside.

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Principal Kyle McDonough spent his summer drawing up plans, measuring rooms, and putting precautions in place to prepare to open the 461-student school. Most surrounding districts chose to open the year virtually, but Nativity parents overwhelmingly wanted in-person instruction, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia offered a playbook, and McDonough has luxuries unavailable to public schools, including the ability to limit admissions.

Social distancing on a school bus? Drivers during COVID-19 have new jobs, if they're working at all

Northern Public Radio

The majority of Illinois students are still learning remotely so there hasn’t been much need for school buses. Unfortunately, that means in many school districts there has been no need for bus drivers either. Ladel Cass is a northern Illinois general manager at busing provider First Student. He oversees 10 districts and says only around 30% are driving their normal routes right now.

MAPC receives grant for electric school bus expansion

Gannett Co., Inc.

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council, a regional planning agency that serves residents in the greater Boston area, announced on Sept. 21 it has received state funding to develop a regional procurement model that would support expansion of electric battery school bus service across Massachusetts. MAPC shares the grant with primary grant recipient Highland Electric Transportation, which currently provides the Beverly Public School District with one electric bus.

How transportation at Greece CSD has changed in the pandemic

Spectrum News

Robert Bentley knows how to make a good impression on the kids he drives to school in Greece. At first sight, their favorite thing about him might just be his hair. "His mohawk. It looks so cool," said second grader Britney Lomax. "Because it's yellow. One of my favorite colors," said Jackson Almekinder. For the last five years, Bentley has been a bus driver. He makes it his mission to connect with kids even further.

What a diverse group of 20 school districts are doing right in their COVID-19 reopening plans

The 74

In many school systems, the 2020-2021 academic year was thrown off course before it even started. Large urban districts made a rapid shift to all-remote learning when the COVID case counts started climbing in late summer. In the months since, labor strife, health fears, legal battles and technology glitches have dominated the headlines. In a global pandemic, the best-laid plans can quickly fall apart. But students and educators need not weather a rocky return to school. Districts across the country have devised new ways of supporting students, connecting with families and measuring progress despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic.

What we know about coronavirus cases in K-12 schools so far

The New York Times

Schools are not islands, and so it was inevitable that when students and teachers returned this fall to classrooms, coronavirus cases would follow them. But more than a month after the first school districts welcomed students back for in-person instruction, it is nearly impossible to tally a precise figure of how many cases have been identified in schools.

What Ruth Bader Ginsburg meant to education

Education Week

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a pioneer in the women's rights movement and the second woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, died Friday at age 87 due to complications of pancreatic cancer. On education issues arising during her 27 years on the court, Ginsburg was a stalwart vote for sex equity in schools, expansive desegregation remedies, strict separation of church and state, and, in a memorable dissent, against broader drug testing of students.

Why having a diverse network is a good thing for every leader

Forbes (commentary)

Janette Braverman, a contributor for Forbes, writes: "I began diversifying my network at a very young age and have not stopped. Start early, and be open to connecting often with people who don't look like you! I'm intentionally connected to people who spark new ideas and perspectives. It forces me to be more creative and ensures inclusive thinking. Embracing diversity has even prompted me to learn new languages and cultures, which greatly expanded my global network."

How to conduct an ideal job interview, according to a forensic interviewer

Fast Company

When you're hiring a candidate for a potential role at your company, you hope they're truthful in the interview. Unfortunately, the majority of people embellish their answers. While some of these overstatements may be harmless, others might cause you to make a hiring mistake.

NAPT Dispatch

Connect with NAPT

Dennis Hall, Director of Publishing, 469-420-2656 | Download media kit
Hailey Golden, Senior Education Editor, 469-420-2630 | Contribute news

National Association of Pupil Transportation
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