Latest / The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District / Episode #48-Konika Spicer, Bus Driver

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Episode #48-Konika Spicer, Bus Driver · The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District

• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to the Recess Podcast.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Dr.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Alan Spicciotti, the proud superintendent of the Auburn School District.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: The recess gives me a chance to share some behind-the-scenes stories, uh, introduce some staff to you, uh, share about our programs, and we're going to hear about a really, really great one today because I have a bus driver from from our transportation department, and I'm so proud of the work that our drivers and our transportation team do.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: They're the first person that you know about half of our students see every day.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and they set the tone and they do that with grace and usually a smile.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: And they also are really, really good at their job.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Our drivers drive approaching two million miles every school year uh in those big yellow buses and uh keep our kids safe and get them to school in time and do that under some extraordinary circumstances.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Like we'll talk about weather and all the things that go into being a driver, uh, and they do it just with incredible success.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: And as a community, we're very proud of them.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: So um, my guest today is Kanika Spicer, and uh Kanika is a driver, and she's gonna talk about what you do as a bus driver, what the day looks like, uh, some of the special trips you take, and just take us behind the scenes.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: I I think this is gonna be a great episode.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so at this time I'll introduce my guest, Kanika.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: We're glad to have you on the podcast.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I'm glad you're here.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: I love our bus drivers.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm very proud of the work that that your team does and all of the other employees, and we'll actually work that in here, who support the drivers.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: But before we get to all of that, uh I'm gonna start with the question I ask every guest.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Kanika, please tell us who is your favorite teacher and why.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: So, my favorite teacher, her name was Mrs.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: Taylor.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: She was my eighth grade teacher.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, why was she my favorite teacher?
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: She was uh really amazing, inspiring, uh helpful.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: She showed me that teachers actually care about the students even outside of school.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, there were some incidences when I was younger in the eighth grade and I had to be transported.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I lived really far out of district.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: And she made sure that I got to school by coming to pick me up and taking me in with her.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: So just that extra special care from her uh developed the sense of care that I have for what I do.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: I love that answer uh because you'd be surprised how many times the guest has said, like, Oh, it's my English teacher, and now I'm an English teacher, my music teacher, now I'm a band director and and so many tie in.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: And here you start with a story about a caring teacher, and actually it's really connected to your work.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think that that has anything to do with it?
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, absolutely.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, she showed me like I I love kids, I love working with kids, I love being of service.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: And giving that that was my model at such a young age, it kind of shaped me to be in a customer service atmosphere for all of the career path that I've had.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a licensed cosmetologist.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um I went to school to be a CNA in Bellevue, working as an activities director at a senior community before I became a bus driver.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, cool.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: So you got both ends of the spectrum.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Uh that's that's really cool.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, we're glad you found your way here.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: I cannot contain myself.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure I'll do this more than once, but we are always looking for bus drivers and uh really excited to find you.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: And um, if folks who are listening are interested in being a driver, get out of your comfort zone a little bit and take that on.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: We would love to have you.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Auburn School District is a great place to work.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: We're really proud of that.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: We try very hard to take care of our bus drivers, and uh, we have a great team.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: So uh if you're interested, if you know somebody who might be interested, it is really a great job.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: And we're gonna hear a little bit more about it now.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: So tell me about your typical work day as a bus driver.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: What does that look like?
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Take us through a typical day.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: Well, a typical day for me, I usually get up about four o'clock and we are on the road to transportation about five.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh my route starts uh around 6:50, but I like to get there early because you never know what uh can happen with weather, um, with drivers that may have gotten into uh sickness or any any other unforeseen event, and it's always you know great to be able to help out and show up.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Once I figure out what my day is, if you're not on a route of your own, you'll get a route, and it's always good to have that little prep time to check where your roads are and know what streets you're going down, especially if it's dark in the morning.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: Street signs are not always visible, so that can be a challenge.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: And so I just give myself a little bit of time to prepare for what route I'm going to be doing that day.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: Then you go out and you check your bus, you do your pre-trips, make sure all your lights are working, get that heat on when it's cold outside.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: Just mentally get yourself prepared for for your day and for kids, and you want to be happy and refreshed and friendly because you are the first face that that they see, and it's always good to be a smiling one.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: And then once you get your load of kids on, you start your first school, and then you continue to your second and third and sometimes fourth with the two elementary schools that we do.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: You get a a little break break in between so you can, you know, check your uh sheets and see if there's any other work that you would like to be doing on your bus, sweeping, uh, walking down your aisles and making sure that the seats are clear and that you haven't left any passengers or students on board that are sleeping because it's early.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: We uh check for cell phones and Chromebooks that get left behind as well.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: How often does that happen?
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, more than more than you would think it happens.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, usually you hear one of our dispatchers or someone in the office calling our bus number and asking, Hey, have you found a Chromebook or a trumpet or a flute on your on your bus?
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: And if you haven't looked before you go to your next school, you gotta pull over and secure your bus and then check and bring it back to that student.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: So then once we're done with that, you get back and you post-trip your bus, fuel it, check your lights, make sure everything's all all good before you exit for your uh break.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that's that's a big day that you get to your break.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: My understanding is some drivers have a break, some we have a few, I think, who do other jobs in the middle of the day.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Uh then you repeat it again for the afternoon runs.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us about your runs specifically.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Like what schools do you drive for?
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: So my run is a split run.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: Uh in the morning I drive bus 58, which is a special ed bus, and I drive for Mount Baker and then Pioneer and Dick Scoby.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: So I have what two elementary schools and one middle school.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_01: My students are pretty great.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: I have about uh five to seven students in the morning for Baker, and then about eight kids for Pioneer and only five for Dick Scobie.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um I travel through M Street and then I go uh to Algon and Pacific as well, also Lee Hill area, and then I'm back down the hill.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Fantastic.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh driving for students with disabilities, do you have uh uh assistance on the bus to just explain that?
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think you know, most people have a concept of a school bus and it's a whole lot of kids, and they know what that is, but most people probably haven't seen the specialized buses that we have uh that support our our great students uh who have special needs.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: So just talk about what that looks like for a minute.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's actually great.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: We have bus aides that are on the on the route with us as well for most of our our routes.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: And they are there to make sure that if there's any needs specifically that a student needs, like they are prone for seizures or they're in a wheelchair and they have um devices that are are needed, they can manage and take care of the students while we are focused on the road.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_01: When you get your special ed students, your routers will give you some paperwork and it can help you identify some of the the needs that need to be met for them so we can do it personally and and it's very specific to each student.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_01: We have some that are non-verbal, um, we have some that are on the spectrum, we have some that uh have maybe some behavioral things going on and just can't be on a on a general ad bus.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: And um we do our best to take care of each one of them as if they were our own.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, that's beautiful.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: I like the way you put that.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm constantly amazed by the competence of our drivers and our transportation assistants.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: And you think of um, you know, sometimes we're transporting students with some fragile uh health situations and and need for care.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and our kids, you know, they're they're transported to and from school with love and care.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: They arrive safely, healthy, happy, and it's really awesome what our what our staff does for our kids.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: Let's let's talk about the staff for a minute.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I'm gonna I'm gonna read through a few um kind of facts about our transportation office just so people understand the operation that's happening.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh a lot of times we talk about our food service as the biggest restaurant in town.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: Uh but I think you could say something like that for our transportation.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: We have 105 bus drivers, which is like mind-blowing, right?
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: That's a that's a lot of people, a big team.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we also have eight substitute bus drivers, um, and and thank goodness for them.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: We have 12 fleet drivers, so we have a fleet of white cars that we call them white cars that can drive, you know, one, two, three students uh when we don't need to send a full bus.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of times they'll deliver kids, uh, maybe pick up students who are in the McKinney Vento homeless program who are out of the area, and it's a little more efficient just to drive a car.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: So 12 fleet drivers, seven substitute fleet drivers, 20 transportation assistants who are uh like the the individuals who assist drivers like Kanika, and then seven substitute transportation assistants.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's just people who drive or or are on the school buses or the cars.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Can you talk about the rest of the team at transportation and all the different roles that people play?
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: So we have our driver trainers, which are the first people to actually meet new, new potential drivers that get us confident and comfortable to be out there to drive.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: We have a wonderful dispatch office that they are tirelessly working all the time on how, and I'm amazed at how they do that.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: Getting students' addresses, finding where the stop is going to be at, routing them to a bus, getting the turn-by-turn directions for us, all while dealing with those same 105 plus drivers on one radio talking to them all the time.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: That is amazing.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: I've had a chance to eavesdrop on that radio system.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, there are TV shows like 911, and you know, it's it it's like that, but like you said, with with 100 bus drivers on the line and uh they're just spectacular how they just direct traffic and keep it organized, and uh it's it's it's very impressive.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we have um great office staff that also assists with them as well.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um Martha and Victoria are pretty awesome.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Jennifer's in the office, and Mr.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: Grad, who is retiring this year, but it was a pleasure I got to work with him.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: My dad spoke really highly of him.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, shout out to Dennis Grad, uh retiring after many, many, many years in the Auburn School District.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, wish you well.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: And kudos to the office staff.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: And then talk about the the back of the operation, the the folks who keep it all running.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: We have some really amazing mechanical staff that have gotten out there and driven with us as well when we have come up short on drivers, um, when we had the flood situation going on, or when a bus has been in an accident or an incident or a windshield wiper falls off.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's, you know, they're consistently out there making sure that we are running our buses smoothly and safely and there to answer any call.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and so for we have 117 buses uh just to put that in perspective, and we have seven mechanics to keep them running.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: And uh they're all in great shape, they're not all new, so it takes a lot of work and and care.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: And then we are held to high standards, so the Washington State Patrol conducts inspections.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: And if I recall, they do one where you know they're coming and then one drop-in.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, is that right?
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, we have a surprise winner inspection.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: And uh so here's just like the amazing fact of the day.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: We have 38 years of consecutive outstanding inspections uh from the state patrol, and that's just awesome.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: And it's like huge kudos uh to the team that work uh in uh the shop keeping the buses rolling.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they do an amazing job.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_01: I'm very proud to be part of this team.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: Good.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: Uh well let's let's talk about what you do again.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and you talked about your typical day uh uh driving kids around.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: In addition to transporting kids to and from school, our drivers also drive to sporting events and for field trips.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so tell us about that side of it, and do you have a favorite sport or activity that you drive for?
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: So I I don't have a favorite sport or activity that I drive for because I don't get a chance to drive for them.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_01: I told you earlier I'm a split route, so 58 is my bus in the morning, and my bus in the afternoon is bus 10, and that is a McKinney-Bento route.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_01: So it is the north side of the state.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I drive to Seattle, West Seattle, I've gone to Ballard, Kent Des Moines, Pacific.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I I rarely get a chance to sign up for those types of trips, but what we is offered, and what's great is that during our midday, when we come back, you have your ECE students that need to be picked up or brought home for their half days of school.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: And that is something that you can sign up for.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: Uh the field trips are great, sporting events, awesome.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_01: I see all the drivers come back and they're so excited about what what school won, um, especially during like wrestling and um the basketball and and football season.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's it gets pretty wild.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I love it.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: Uh often I'll go to an away game uh or like a playoff game somewhere, and there's a driver, and they're right up in the stands, you know, cheering along with everybody else, and they just have a certain pride and a connection and and they get to know the kids.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so I think that's that's cool.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: And and those assignments, you know, like it depends a lot.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: You're you're driving a McKinney Vento route into Seattle, uh, you're maybe not available for some of those uh field trips or sports runs, but um over time maybe your assignment will change, uh some of it's seniority-based and all that.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: So so uh you'll probably have some of those opportunities.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: McKinney Vento, again, is for for students who were an Auburn student, uh, whose family has either relocated temporarily for the various categories of homelessness.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: We want school to be a constant for them.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um it's also federal law, but it's something that we're really invested in.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: And so we'll do those runs.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: And if it's enough students, we'll send a bus.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: I talked about the white cars and everything.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: So uh thanks for shining a light on that.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: So it sounds like you keep busy uh with your routes, doing the McKinney Vento, maybe occasionally picking up a field trip.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: Uh it's a busy enough day, but I understand that you kind of take on another role that's been helpful to our team.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, could you share a little bit about that?
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, I would love to.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I uh got invited to be a part of your business and equity pro teams and action plan.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: Uh we meet with Miss Cindy Blansfield and six other department heads and Jennifer from transportation, along with Rizwana, who is another bus driver as well as myself.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um we meet once or twice a month and we talk about how to continue the equitable work in the Auburn School District.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: We had some surveys go out to each department all over the district, and that was a climate survey, just seeing how we are received not only as classified and certificated staff, but how can we improve um and make a difference with the work that we're doing departmentally as well as all over for our students?
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: One of the things that uh I don't know that people who are outside of the district think about is our classified staff.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: So these are all of those support roles that help our teachers be able to teach, right?
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: Get our kids to school, get them fed, keep them safe, uh maintain the buildings and and on like that.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um our classified staff are by far our most diverse group.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: We have like diverse languages and culture.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: Many of our custodians uh uh have another primary language, for example.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um our bus drivers are uh increasingly diverse.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: Our security officers, I mean, around that.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: And so your team talks about how we can do a great job of uh building a a welcoming, supportive, inclusive environment.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because it translates down to our students as well when they see faces that look like them um around in each area of what we do for them.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um it it gives them some sense of comfort knowing that um when we had Ramadan just come up and that they that they are welcomed, that their backgrounds are welcomed, um, that the staff participates as well.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: So it's it's just a great area to be involved in.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you for doing that work and sharing that with us here.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: What do you love about being a bus driver?
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_01: Uh what I love about being a bus driver is my current route, actually.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_01: Uh getting to be that consistency, like you said, uh, with students that have had some disruption in their day or in their life.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um I love being a positive, smiling face in the morning because of what I experienced when I was in school and knowing that sometimes home life isn't always great, but you have somebody that shows up and invests in you and takes pride in to seeing you grow and and mature and watching these kids grow is is a great thing for me.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_01: That's really what I do love.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um I love hearing, you know, hey Miss Kay, from other students when I'm not on that route anymore, or they've moved on to a different school and and are no longer taking my route, or their situation has changed and they're not a McKenzie Vento student.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um they've got some stability and back in the Auburn School District, but I still see them and getting to see those faces and having them remember like my name is is pretty cool.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm so glad you said that.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because it's something that I really believe in.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: We talk about explicitly um like our adults make such a difference in the kids' day.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um we like to say we we can create the weather and you can make it a sunny day or cloudy day, and just like all of us want to be acknowledged and you know, known and interested in and cared for, uh our students want and need that.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_00: And for the majority of our students, the very first person that is in the day is a bus driver.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: And so you can set the tone, and I just love the way you explain that.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: And you're usually the last face that they see as well.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you for uh your commitment to our students, and uh we have such a great team.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, just really positive people.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: When I'm out at schools at dismissal, I try to go and say hi to the buses as much as I can and and the drivers, and I'm just constantly impressed how just friendly and welcoming people are.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: So uh kudos to the team.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: What are some challenges you face out on the roads?
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my goodness, the weather.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_01: Weather can be a major challenge.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um and trains.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: I am from the Kent Kent School District, and my introduction to Auburn was from my father, who was a bus driver.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: And he that's cool.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he drove for six years.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: He retired four years ago.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_01: And now five since I started.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_01: And I have never seen so many trains and train tracks in my life.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: We are a railroad town.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: So uh learning the streets were a challenge because.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: like I said I'm I'm not from Auburn but I wanted to you know follow my dad's footsteps once he kept talking to me about it and knows that I have you know a soft spot in my heart for kids and said it was it's great fun and um so I came and checked it out and I really do appreciate him giving me that because I love it but yeah challenging things are uh the weather when we had the floods snow days winds uh we have some great drivers that drive up um uh Green Valley Road and with all of the trees and branches that are constantly falling or in the way and you can't just you know we're not monster trucks you can't run over them you gotta take care of your butts so yeah yeah that's a good way to put it uh our district is so geographically diverse I mean I think it's sixty six square miles and the weather can be very different in the valley or on the hills or you know over by Evergreen Heights or out by Lakeview off of Auburn Black Diamond Road.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: It could be very different conditions and sometimes people say hey why did you know why did you cancel school or or you know well maybe it was fine uh right here downtown by Auburn High but in in another area it could be dangerous.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_00: We obviously prioritize safety and um you know I've it it's a been an area that I've really grown um hearing from drivers uh we had we had a kind of like a a wind and ice storm and I ended up riding along with somebody just to hear about it and see what it was like 'cause you don't really know until you're out there.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um and you guys are doing this in the dark.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_00: You said you leave the bus barn at 6 50, right?
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_00: So we think about in wintertime when most of this weather happens, that most of that morning route is in the dark.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: And like when we had the floods, we ended up doing five consecutive two hour late starts and my number one priority was I didn't want our school buses and our parents and our staff and our student drivers but especially our buses having to drive through water when you couldn't see it in the dark.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: So that was something that I learned this year.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: I think I overruled Dennis once a long time ago and I really try not to do that now because I I get it and it's it's been a really really good process and I think we've we've been really good at uh working through those weather decisions as best as possible.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_00: Certainly in the last few years I I feel good about that.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_00: But there no no two storms are the same too and if it hits in that you know between like five and nine a it can be a little chaotic and our drivers like they're amazing.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: They they just keep our kids safe and I'm so grateful.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_00: So those are good challenges.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna I'm gonna slip in a uh one other question that's that's the challenge that I think people who are listening to this podcast might think and that is we all drive and we know that that can be challenging just in our cars.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: But you're driving a massive machine that is it's just huge.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be hard to do that.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: And you are doing that with dozens many dozens of kids in the back and you know I think about some of my most challenging drives were with my own two kids in the back seat, right?
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_00: And how do you do that with 20 or 30 or 50 behind you and be so safe?
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: Well it starts with good training.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: We have some great trainers that you know fully prepare you for these challenges of of lab students and potential fights and screaming and the age difference where somebody might be crying because it's their first day and you know they don't want to leave their mom or their dad um and you have to follow your route sheets and watch the road and look for cars and make sure you're hitting all your buttons.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: It it that can definitely be a challenge but we learn to be focused, take a breath, have some patience you gotta look at your mirrors you know that's one thing that has always stuck out with me when I first got behind a wheel is like check your mirrors, check your mirrors, check your mirrors and um you know the safety of the students is is the priority.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so you're always making sure that you're looking at those kids and you got we've we've got radios on the bus and the speakers and so you can communicate with them when you see them doing things that they're pretty much not supposed to be doing but also you know you we've got some great kids that are are your ambassadors that will help you kind of keep the rowdy ones under control.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so you can focus and drive but I think also connecting with your students and you know let them know you're more than just just their 15 minute trip taxi to and from school that yeah if you show them you care and they see that then they'll respond differently.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_01: I know that's been my personal experience but yeah training is a big part of it.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: You go through some good training while you're not in school and then when school starts and you have the opportunity to get kids on your bus, you're not thrown to the wolves you get a ride along with you and you have a great team out there that'll get on that radio and support you if you're struggling and give you you know hey hang in there good job we've all been there that's been my experience as well and you just get through it you know but it's it can be challenging but I you know one one moment at a time one turn at a time and if you miss a turn because you were focused on something else you just radio in for help or you you you hit that next block and make your way back.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_00: Great answer.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_00: I love that and I suspect it might bleed into my next question.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_00: So let's just uh transition to my next question.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_00: Would you recommend this job to others?
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_01: And if so why I would absolutely recommend this job to others especially if you love kids.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_01: They are um comical they're fun they're loving you can learn so much from them I mean it just they can be hard at times as well you know it's not everything's always unicorns and rainbows but for the most part if you have a passion to be involved in our future generations lives this is a great place to start if you don't know where to start.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_01: Just getting your foot in the door if you if you love to drive I love to drive I love kids I mean it was a win-win for me so I would definitely recommend this this job to somebody I've even told my my daughter about it.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: Oh we could have three generations yeah I'm hoping so that would be sweet.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah I think it's a great job for all the reasons that you you listed I'll I'll add one more uh we have quite a number of drivers who have taken to driving as a second career or maybe they've quote unquote retired from whatever job they did for most of their life but they want to do something helpful and productive or different they're looking for benefits as well as opportunity to make a difference in their community.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_00: And so I love that you know we have people who this is their career.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_00: We've had drivers do it for 40 years uh and we've had drivers who will say you know what I'm gonna do that for 10 years uh after I retired from UPS or Boeing or some other pursuit.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_00: And uh we we love all of that uh kind of entry points into the job.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah family members as well like when if you're if you have family and you want to be able to have summers off or breaks off with your kids as because they're young and you know they're in school still that's always a great bonus as well because you get that school schedule and breaks with them.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_01: So you know it might cut on your child care bill.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_00: Excellent point so if you're listening you know somebody who are like gosh that sounds like me or that sounds like my friend or my son or daughter please send them this podcast and and uh we'd love to have them.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, we're gonna wrap up uh I'm gonna do it with my fun question I ask every guest what was your favorite thing to do at recess?
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_01: My favorite thing to do at recess was play four square.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah um I loved that and softball it it was pretty it was pretty fun um running around at recess um meeting new friends trying to I love a challenge and I like to win so did some things that I was good at.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_00: That sounds really fun um you've been a great interview thank you for joining me.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having me thank you for representing our bus drivers and our transportation team you guys do awesome work.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_00: We're really proud of you and uh I'm glad that we could you know for a half an hour shed a little light on what it looks like and what the day is like and how we do these these really difficult jobs with with grace and a lot of uh success.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_00: So uh my guest has been Kanika Spicer a bus driver in our transportation department.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: Kanika thank you so much.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for having me.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_00: And this has been the Recess Podcast uh production of the Auburn School District once again uh we're really trying to get the word out about the great work our transportation does and the great careers that are available.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_00: So if you know somebody would be interested please please share this link with uh somebody else that'll do it for this episode and we are just cruising along through the school year but we will be back in two weeks for another episode of the Recess Podcast.