Change Your World Week Fall 2021 (Archived)

The Covid-19 Outbreak and its subsequent effects have left society reeling. This disease hit the schools hard in an unfortunate area, namely the mass exodus of a number of bus drivers who for health or financial reasons have decided not to come back. The question becomes, what do we do about hiring new staff to replace the losses, and how to retain the current staff that did stay? The bus driver shortage is having its impact felt in that schools have had to cut routes, increase the number of students riding each bus to make up for this route loss, and in many cases, some students are unable altogether to get bussing to school. In many cases, existing staff in other areas, teachers, principals, and other staff have had to step up to fill in for this shortage, but not all staff have the licensure necessary to do this legally.

The biggest problem that we were able to see with the bus driver shortage is the question of how to entice applicants to apply, and how to not lose existing drivers to other, higher-paying districts? Covid-19 has created many problems across the board for society, but this particular problem might be able to be solved by increasing the Covid relief funds that are granted to schools to use at their discretion to combat the effects of this dreadful disease.

• The Coronavirus outbreak has created or exacerbated the need for more technology solutions for learning.
• The State of Michigan has given the school districts in the state a certain extra measure of money specifically earmarked to combat the effects of Covid-19 on the schools and students. This money is for discretionary use by the various school districts.
• In districts where there is a technological need, either because of finances, or geographic concerns, some students don’t have reliable internet access
• This money could go towards devices such as Chromebooks, or hotspots for gateway connectivity.
• Such devices are necessary to ensure that the homework gap doesn’t become an inescapable way of life for underprivileged students.
• Native students, rural students, and students of color are more likely to not have full educational resources necessary to combat the homework gap.

Of all interested parties, we feel that this list encloses the vast majority of people who might have a stake in this issue. There may be others, but they didn't come to mind at the time of writing.

Bus Drivers and potential Bus Drivers: These folks have the most power in this issue. It is up to them to take the salary, hours, and working conditions offered by the schools and accept them, or reject them.

Schools: The districts are the ones who put together the compensation packages for the drivers and ultimately are second in our list of power holders.

Lawmakers: These are the dedicated men and women who may allocate more resources to the schools to allow them to entice drivers to join the noble ranks of the Bus Drivers

Garage and ancillary staff: The staff of the bus barns include mechanics, dispatchers, and other ancillary staff who are undoubtedly affected by this issue

Teachers: They are affected because sometimes they have students unable to make it to class due to these hardships, and at times, they may need to fill in for the missing drivers.

Competing interests for resources: The transportation departments aren't the only one's affected. Covid has hit schools hard across a multitude of areas. These areas also are competing for some of these discretionary funds from the state.

Taxpayers: The taxpayers are ultimately paying for these enticements via the taxes levied on them. Usually taken in the form of millages.

Kids/parents: Ultimately these are the ones most directly victimized by this hardship, as they often have to scramble to make arrangements to get to the schools in the absence of reliable bussing.

We have created a petition to the local representative of the Michigan House for the Midland/Bay ares. Please take a moment to sign it so you might be able to help the children of Midland and Bay Counties out.