Do You Need Online School Transportation Training? Interview with Calcasieu Parish School Board
Calcasieu Parish School Board Shares Life Before and After Online School Transportation Training
Mary Bass Fontenot, Director of Transportation with Calcasieu Parish School Board (CPSB) shared with INFINITI Fleet Safety Training what life
was like before and after implementing online school transportation safety training for the bus drivers in her department.
Mary filled the roles of teacher, assistant principal, and bus driver before becoming the Director of Transportation for CPSB. She now oversees a fleet that logs more than 1.9 million miles annually for their regular bus route.
Mary has used the INFINITI Workforce system since July 2015. She uses the system to help train both full and part-time drivers. The parish employees 400 drivers and transports 16,000 students a day with 318 buses.
Question 1: What Was Driver In-Service Like Before Online Training?
Back in 2013, when I was a driver, training was being taken care of during in-service. We would have all of the drivers come in for a day before school started. There would easily be 500 people in a room, including drivers, aides, and subs.
The in-service would include different topics presented for the drivers. We would have a sign-in sheet and an agenda with different presenters. We would sit through this for training.
At the end of August, we would have all of those drivers come in again for another four-hour in-service, and we would break them out into smaller sections.
I remember one year it was a chiropractor who came to talk about stress, or an insurance rep, or different things like that. As a driver sitting there, I felt like the information wasn’t always good, helpful information that would help improve the driving experience.
Plus, with the sign-in, you’ve got people talking and not paying attention. Only the first five rows are paying attention, you’ve completely lost the rest of the group.
As I moved into the role of Director of Transportation, I felt like it was very important that we tighten training up a bit. I didn’t feel comfortable that people were really getting good beneficial training.
Question 2: Why Did You Decide to Implement Online School Transportation Training?
We approached training from a risk management standpoint. We got our loss prevention company involved because it’s really all a liability issue. That’s what all of this comes back to.
We got a lot of feedback from our stakeholders before we ventured out. If this was not something our loss prevention provider was on board with, we would not have done it.
It’s all a liability standpoint. I was terrified as a new director to think “What happens when we have an event? Will someone ask where they received their training?”
I questioned whether the sign-in sheet and a summary of what was covered would be enough to prove training occurred. That was the main motivating factor to move into online school transportation training.
Anytime I can say “I can produce a certificate of completion. I’ve got the data to show when they logged in and how many attempts it took them to complete the learning module. It’s really a no-brainer from the liability standpoint.
Question 3: What Was Corrective Action Training Like Before INFINITI?
Before online school transportation training, drivers had to sit through the training on how to become a new bus driver. For example, when the next class would roll around, drivers who needed remedial training would come in and sit in the back row. They would be there for the four hours, and that was their remediation.
There were problems with this. What if that particular night they were covering something that had nothing to do with what they needed remedial training on? The training was not meaningful, and the drivers were not getting anything out of it.
The drivers were frustrated and mad. It was a lose-lose for everyone because the whole point of remedial training is to try to remediate what caused the accident and improve the drivers so it wouldn’t happen again.
Question 4: How Has Online Training Changed Your Remedial Training?
I did away with that method of training and reformatted the procedural part of the accident protocol. On the first preventable accident, we no issue online school transportation training modules.
We see tail swing, backing, not sure of bus spatial awareness, and bumping mirrors over and over and over. That’s the majority of your accidents. So, I wanted to give corrective action on the event of their particular incident.
If their accident was due to tail swing, then I assign a training module to be specifically on tail swing. If it is a backing accident, I assign remediation training on backing. I want it to be meaningful; something that will help you improve as a driver.
Question 5: How Has the Support Team Helped You with Online Training?
I can’t tell you how much of our success is squarely because of the customer service team behind the INFINITI Workforce system. When we were first initiating this, I could just call.
I felt like I knew my client service representative (CSR). She would say, “Whatever you need us to do, that’s what we’re here for.”
We really don’t do anything as far as the maintaining. I will add a new user, help with a password or reset, and go in to see if they’ve completed all their training. My CSR helps with everything else.
For example, our last remediation, I called our CSR and said, “These people, this is what I need for them to have scheduled, and this is the timeline.”
That was it. She took care of it. That part of it is huge.
For our monthly school transportation training, I’ll call or email the CSR and tell her what modules I need to rollout. She sets it up, and I’m done with it.
Don’t let the possibility that you don’t have enough staff in your office hold you back. INFINITI is superb at fulfilling the ins and outs of this program. They’re fantastic.
FAQs
What was the primary method of driver in-service training before implementing online training?
Training was conducted during in-service days where all drivers would gather for sessions presented by various speakers.
How many drivers and buses does the Calcasieu Parish School Board manage?
They employ 400 drivers and operate 318 buses.
What was a significant issue with the in-person training sessions?
Not all drivers were engaged, with many not paying attention, and the information provided was not always beneficial.
Why did the Calcasieu Parish School Board decide to implement online school transportation training?
The decision was made from a risk management standpoint to ensure proper documentation and liability coverage.
Who did the Calcasieu Parish School Board consult before implementing the online training system?
They consulted their loss prevention company to ensure it was a viable solution.
What was a major concern that led to the adoption of online training?
The concern was whether traditional sign-in sheets and summaries were sufficient proof of training in case of liability issues.
What can be produced to show proof of training with the new online system?
Certificates of completion and data on login times and module attempts.
How was corrective action training handled before the implementation of online training?
Drivers needing remedial training would sit through new driver training sessions, which often did not address their specific needs.
What was the issue with the previous method of corrective action training?
The training was not meaningful or relevant to the specific issues the drivers needed to address.
How has the online training system changed the approach to remedial training?
Specific modules are assigned based on the nature of the accident, making the training more relevant and effective.
What common accidents are addressed through the online training modules?
Tail swing, backing, bus spatial awareness, and bumping mirrors.
How does the Calcasieu Parish School Board ensure the online training is meaningful?
Training modules are assigned based on the specific type of incident that occurred.
How has the support team of the INFINITI Workforce system contributed to the success of the online training program?
The support team handles most of the administrative tasks, allowing the school board to focus on other responsibilities.
What are some of the tasks the Director of Transportation handles with the online training system?
Adding new users, helping with passwords or resets, and checking training completion.
How does the Director of Transportation communicate training needs to the support team?
By calling or emailing the client service representative with specific requirements and timelines.
What reassurance does the Director of Transportation offer about staff requirements for the online training system?
The INFINITI Workforce system support team is highly capable and manages the program’s details effectively, reducing the need for extensive staff involvement.
