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State
directors & agencies
For many years the federal
government has recommended that each state appoint a State
Director of Pupil Transportation. While specific functions vary
from state to state, State
Directors have usually played several
key roles in their
states’ safety programs:
Working
with state legislators and state associations to promulgate new
safety regulations and implement new federal requirements.
School
bus accident investigation and analysis.
Coordinating
their state’s bus driver training program.
Conducting compliance audits of
local school districts.
Administering
state aid for school transportation.
Developing
specifications for new
buses and coordinating the state inspection program.
Responding
to transportation complaints and appeals from parents.
Providing
technical assistance to school districts and bus contractors on
transportation issues.
Moral
Leadership
But contrary to the stereotype of uncaring government officials,
perhaps the
most important role
State Directors have played in many states is moral leadership.
To their credit, many State Directors have used their position
as a bully pulpit to effectively advocate for higher safety
standards and improved training - even if it meant more
responsibilities for them.
Dangerous trend
Ironically, school bus safety has been a victim of its own
success in many states. As student fatalities have dropped, and
fewer tragedies have aroused public concern, the staffing and
financial resources available to State Directors have been
seriously undermined in many states. In some, the position
itself has been eliminated. To those who remember the “bad old
days,” before vibrant safety programs existed in most states,
the long-term implications for such short-sighted thinking are
frightening. |
