Transportation Services

We're NEA ESPs and Proud of It!

About Us and Our Work

• 89% of us work out of a central facility that provides transportation for our district.
• 53% of us work with special education students.
• 95% of us are responsible for school safety. It is a primary focus for 85% of us.
• 65% of us work full time.
• 12% of us hold second jobs to make ends meet.
• 75% of us are female.
• 76% are married.
• 96% of us have to meet specific requirements in order to qualify for our jobs. 88% are required to have a commercial driver's license. 85% need coursework. 71% are required to have a special certificate.
• 81% of us must pass tests or take coursework on a regular basis.
• Our average age is 51.

We are committed: 10.7 years is the average we have been working in this field. 86% of us plan to stay in the ESP field, and 74% plan to keep our present jobs until we retire.

We are important: Approximately 222,000 transportation services ESPs work in the nation's K-12 public schools. We make up 11% of the NEA K-12 ESP membership and 10% of the ESP workforce in U.S. K-12 public schools.

Our Workplace Conditions and Issues

We need to have our jobs defined more clearly. Among those of us who have a job description, 33% feel it does not accurately describe the amount of work we do, and 11% think it does not accurately describe what we do. 59% of us have no say about changing our job description. 16% of us have no written job description at all.

We are the most worried about privatization and the loss of our jobs. 30% of NEA K-12 ESP members report that school buses are contracted out in their districts.

We are concerned about school safety and student discipline. We need bus monitors, training, and administrative support to help us with students, with the unique needs of special education students, and in some cases, with overcrowded buses.

We are the most likely to work part time among all the ESP job groups, which causes some difficulty in finding additional work to accommodate our split schedule.

We would like a fair system for assigning drivers to regular bus runs and for distributing extra driving, such as for athletic events and field trips.

We appreciate the personal fulfillment we get from our work and the support we get from our supervisors. We would like more job security, better benefits, and more support from teachers. We wish we had more opportunities for promotions and advancement.

How Can We Help Restore Public Confidence in Public Education? Transportation Services Members Speak Out:

"Emphasize that students are our number one priority."

"Do the best job possible. Let the public know the good things we do for students and for the school system."

"Help the public realize what a driver really does: transports their child and 70 other children to and from school, trips, and games in a safe and professional manner every day!"

Transportation Services: Who We Are

• Bus Drivers
• Truck and Van Drivers
• Vehicle Mechanics
• Garage Workers
• Nonmanagerial Supervisors