![]() ![]() We think even more promising are the districts redesigning their delivery model altogether, often through the use of an emerging concept called co-production. ![]() Related Massachusetts Activates National Guard to Aid With School Bus Driver Shortage In Massachusetts, the governor moved quickly to call in National Guard members to provide temporary drivers in districts that could not find sufficient staff. One New York State congressman is seeking changes to bus driver licensure rules. Bozeman, Montana, for instance, is permitting parents to bring their toddlers on their bus routes and trying to entice college students by purchasing campus parking passes for them as a perk. Other districts have changed working conditions and tapped new labor markets. While these types of incentives have long been routine in the private sector, they are relatively uncommon in public education. In Springfield, Missouri, new drivers can receive an extra $4,000 if they stick around for the full school year, while existing employees can earn stipends for referring new applicants, serving as a peer coach to a new driver, maintaining a safe driving record and consistently showing up to work on time. In recent weeks, districts like New Haven, Connecticut, have dangled cash through signing bonuses of up to $5,000. On pay, in the hopes of attracting new drivers and retaining existing employees, numerous districts have introduced a range of hiring and retention incentives with bonuses and enticements previously considered off limits in public education, where uniform pay tied to length of service has been standard practice. Perhaps most impressive are those completely rethinking how they provide transportation. A few districts have come up with creative (if temporary) workforce solutions. We’ve seen impressive shifts to re-envision compensation packages and even rethink working conditions to fill driver positions. Shelby County in Kentucky will provide part-time workers like bus drivers with full-time benefits.īut, it turns out that a surprising number of districts are pivoting in more significant ways, and doing so with warp speed. In a move late last month, Fairfax County in Virginia raised its hourly pay for new hires by 17 percent. Then there are districts doing more of the usual stuff, for example by offering across-the-board raises and more benefits to attract drivers. In Anchorage, school is on, but the normal bus routes have been suspended through October with no substitute in place. Districts in Pittsburgh and Rochester, New York, were unable to find a solution and delayed the start of their school years. How districts react to these unusual labor challenges may be telling us something important: Whether they can adapt to meet the moment and which, if any, will consider adopting innovations that are common in other industries outside of education.Īt one end of the scale, a handful of districts have struggled to solve their transportation problems. Getting students to school is critical: Children can’t learn while waiting for the bus. Newspaper headlines have blared stories of unfilled bus driver positions, delays in school start dates, canceled bus routes and hours-long waits for kids. Fueled by pandemic fears, strained labor markets and vaccine requirements, widespread shortages of bus drivers have left many districts scrambling to find a way to get kids to school as classes started up again. But there’s an old saying that necessity is the mother of invention, and COVID-19 may indeed be pushing some districts to adopt strategies they had long ignored.Īn interesting set of case examples is surfacing as districts race to handle transportation issues this fall. Public schools are not known for being particularly innovative. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |