I was hired at FDOE by Larry McEntire , then Florida ’ s state director of student transportation , in June of 1981 . I spent a lot of time traveling all over the state and got a crash course through extensive time in Florida ’ s school districts . People who knew way more about school buses and transportation than I did held my hand . They were very generous and kind , letting me shadow them and do school bus inspections with them . At that time , Florida ’ s transportation personnel went into each other ’ s school districts along with FDOE and did peer reviews where we analyzed not just the fleet maintenance side , but also the operational side . They were and are a dedicated and great group of professionals . That experience , combined with the training by school bus and component suppliers that FDOE allowed me to attend , allowed me to function as a school bus maintenance specialist . I eventually got to the point where I was going out and providing training and consulting services , helping establish patterns of information about perceived defects in school buses , and coordinating OEM and manufacturer-provided training for the districts . I held the position of school bus maintenance specialist for four years before I was appointed director of the Fleet Management subsection . Within that group , we developed and updated school bus specifications , conducted the statewide school bus purchasing program , and generally provided assistance to local fleet managers , technicians , and parts personnel . In 1989 I was promoted to the State Director of Student Transportation , a position I held for 24 years while working with a lot of talented colleagues at the local , state , and national level . I particularly treasured my relationship with the members of the Florida Association for Pupil Transportation . Florida has a lot to be proud of , such as its exemplary program for establishing robust school bus specifications with input from all the stakeholders , including the manufacturers and component suppliers as advisors .
What was one of your department ’ s biggest accomplishments during that period ? In the 1990s , we developed a first of its kind , comprehensive school bus inspection manual that consisted of detailed pass / fail criteria for the different items on school buses that are required to be inspected every month under Florida ’ s regulations . The manual provides detailed guidance for inspection of the entire bus . The manual was instituted on a voluntary basis as a pilot program for several years , and it included testing and certification procedures to ensure the competence of the local school district inspectors who were performing the inspections . The program requires that technicians pass both hands-on and written testing . Following successful pilot testing as a voluntary program and with FAPT ' s recommendation and concurrence , the State Board of Education adopted the program into rule . Every school bus inspector in Florida must be certified and tested , both in a 100-question written test administered locally and in a hands-on timed inspection administered by FDOE . Prior to the program , the Florida Highway Patrol was conducting less thorough inspections annually on school buses in the state , both public and private , to augment the monthly local inspections for which there were no established criteria . In 1995 the FHP convinced the legislature to decommission their program , because they wanted to put those troopers back on the road doing traffic enforcement . That was the trigger for us and FAPT strengthening self-regulation , to take the place of state oversight , Plus , we felt that an annual inspection was nowhere near enough to ensure the ongoing safety of a school bus . Technicians , school bus drivers , and everyone in the chain must be incredibly rigorous about safety and not compromise it . That is the strength of our profession , and it is why yellow gets in your blood . Although we may have our differences of technique or mode of operating , nationally , across the United States , everyone is aimed at the same goal , with safety as our number one priority . It is great to have worked in a career that offered so much variety , the opportunity for travel , professional development , and collaboration with the different associations .
How did you get your start at NASDPTS ? By 2014 , I was close to retirement at FDOE , and I knew the Executive Director of NASDPTS at that time was considering retiring . I felt it would be a good fit for me . I have always been involved with NASDPTS , including as one of its past presidents , and always believed strongly in the organization . We focus on supporting the leadership at a state-level , particularly when it comes to training and guidance , and I thought working full time with NASDPTS I could promote that . I retired from the Department of Education on June 30 , 2014 and was started with NASDPTS on July 1 .
24 | SCHOOL-BUSRIDE . COM | FEBRUARY 2021