Each year the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) holds the America’s Best Training & Skills Challenge. This year’s competition will function jointly with NAPT’s 40th Annual Summit: Driving Innovation in Kansas City, MO November 7-11.

The America’s Best Challenge includes separate events for Technicians, Inspectors, Driver Trainers, and Special Needs Transportation Personnel. Each of these areas will include a written exam and a hands-on portion. All events and America’s Best specific training will take place at the Kansas City Convention Center.

Will you be there?

The annual NAPT Conference and Trade Show is consistently recognized as the premier school transportation conference in the nation. Expect over 3-dozen different workshops on an array of important topics. See the newest products and latest technology in pupil transportation! Choose from more than a dozen courses from the NAPT Professional Development Series.

Where will you be November 8-11?

Come to the NAPT Summit!

The annual NAPT Conference and Trade Show is consistently recognized as the premier school transportation conference in the nation. This year expect over 3-dozen different workshops on an array of important topics. Choose from more than a dozen courses from the NAPT Professional Development Series. See the newest products and latest technology in pupil transportation!

November 8th is right around the corner. The 2014 NAPT Summit will be here before you know it. View the PDS course offerings on the NAPT Summit webpage and register for the Summit today.

There is a lot to do at this year’s summit. If you have scheduling conflicts, consider the online PDS courses!

The annual NAPT Conference & Trade Show is called “The Summit” because it is a wonderful opportunity to meet school transportation professionals from across the nation. The networking opportunities at the conference are virtually limitless.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone this year.

One of the many things 9/11 has taught us is that we never know when a disaster might strike.

As school employees and bus drivers, you can never have enough preparation for emergency situations.

On this day of remembrance, take the time to honor those who died in this horrific tragedy, as well as those who put their life on the line to help many survive.

Let this day also serve as a reminder to make sure you have the necessary training for whatever emergency comes your way.

The safety and well-being of the students is in your hands.

School Training Solutions offers a variety of courses to help you be more prepared for emergency situations. View our course catalog for more information.

When I coordinated the continuing education program at the University of West Florida back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, this type of instruction was seen as a very hands-on reality. A small sampling of the classes I offered might include:

•Basic Photography

•Beginning Guitar

•Oriental Cooking

•Yoga

And of course…Disco Dancing!

You might be able to guess which of my classes almost always had the most students during that era, but I will drop the hint that a whole lot of people were putting up their “boogie shoes.”

These classes pre-dated the convenience of the Internet era and, at first glance, it may seem that “going online” might not have fit into the overall picture. However, I can say in no uncertain terms that I would have LOVED being able to offer my continuing education students an online instructional component back in the day. It would have been an ideal situation to combine well-conceived, well-structured online instruction with the obvious hands-on instruction required for a class like Disco Dancing. Heck, even I might have been able to pick up the steps!

Well, this is the 21st century, and School Training Solutions (STS) is way ahead of the curve when it comes to providing the best in online training to go with that necessary hands-on experience. Well-conceived and well-structured, indeed!

One of the best examples of this is the comprehensive online bus driver certification course offered by STS. This course is organized to meet state mandated in-service training requirements for school bus operators and also meets the professional development training needs of transportation specialists serving school districts.

Drivers taking this course move through step-by-step, self-directed online instruction that is light years ahead of the old classroom approach in its speed and flexibility, but they also slip behind the wheel of a school bus for their required hours or hands-on training. A win-win blended learning experience!

Translating this to my 1970s reality, it would be like offering a disco dancing class that showed you those legendary dance steps online while you marked out your moves in the living room. By the time you got to the studio, you’d be ready to show your instructor (the one with the wide collars, bell bottoms and gold chains) that John Travolta had nothing on you. Ah, nostalgia!

More and more school districts are signing on with STS as word has gotten out about the bus driver certification course and many other STS online training options.

In this fast-paced information age, staying ahead of the curve is all part of “stayin’ alive.”

Andrew Metzger

Guest blogger

School Training Solutions

As you prepare to equip your students with the appropriate knowledge and skills, what training do you need to make sure you are ready for the upcoming year?

School Training Solutions (STS) offers online professional development courses to meet your yearly training requirements and ensure you are armed with the tools needed for a successful school year.

A few of our most popular courses include:

• Stress Management
• Time Management
• Sexual Harassment Awareness
• Conflict Resolution for Adults
• Medical Emergency Awareness
• Bloodborne Pathogens
• Identifying and Reporting Child Abuse