The ESProfessionals:
An Action Guide to Help in Your Professional Development

Local Association Success Stories:
Handling Problems In-House

Colonial Transportation Association
New Castle, Delaware

"I've been in this school district for 50 years as a student, a mom, a grandmother, and a bus driver. Don't try to tell me that bus drivers are not professionals. We have a vitally important job to do. We are practically the first people the kids see in the morning and the last they see at night." -Kay Klinger, Bus driver, Colonial School District, New Castle, Delaware

That Was Then

The Colonial Transportation Association (CTA) -- which includes transportation employees and bus aides -- had a disturbing history of personality clashes between members and supervisors, admits Kay Klinger, a veteran bus driver for handicapped children.

And even when a good relationship did exist between an employee and a supervisor, too much time was wasted tracking down the supervisor, filling him in on the details of a challenge, and scheduling time to meet and iron out the problem. According to CTA's contract, grievances are required to be handled within five working days.

"I knew there had to be a better way to work out our problems," Kay says.

This is Now

With the help of the Delaware State Education Association, Kay and other members in CTA found peer mediation -- and a new mentoring program -- to be the answer they were looking for.

Established in the 2002-2003 school year, this pilot program helps CTA members solve challenges at the peer level rather than the management level, saving time and streamlining a sometimes tedious process. A UniServ director who has experience with peer mediation guides the process, which includes role playing. "Now when a problem arises, we listen to each other rather than making immediate decisions," Kay adds. "We have learned to talk a situation out rather than have it handled for us."

The program is also having a positive effect on morale. "We feel more professional by taking control of the situation ourselves, which is helping improve morale and our attitude toward the entire school."

This is How

As a first step, Kay went to the Executive Board and Leadership Team to see if there was any interest in a peer mediation program. Once she saw that there was interest at the leadership level, Kay wondered whether or not there would be enough interest to get the bus drivers themselves to go through a training session. She did not have to wait long to find out. At a general meeting of CTA members, she received a positive reaction to the idea. The consensus was, according to Kay, "We would rather talk to a co-worker than a supervisor about our problems."

Kay did not find it too difficult to set up the initial training session, as the Association, being relatively small, could take advantage of its central location. Initially, 10 members attended the first training session -- under the watchful eye of the school district.

"Management was interested to see how the program was progressing, and they ended up thinking that it would spread throughout the entire district," Kay says. "Three people from management were even invited to one of the training sessions, and district leaders have expressed interest in having some training themselves."

Kay adds that the training series has also helped members deal with student conflicts on the bus. "We have new skills to use with children on the bus, and even our own kids at home," she says. "I've definitely been practicing what I've learned."

Words of Wisdom

"When considering peer mediation as a way to handle difficulties, don't make a decision right off the bat just because it's not the way you've always done things. At least try one training session and see if you can adapt that to your group."

Contact

Kay Klinger, President- Colonial Transportation Association
kfk127@cs.com

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