please note, schedule subject to change
Sunday, July 22
1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
“Communication - Too Much, Too Little; Either Way Can Cost You”
Panelists: Sue Shutrump, Launi Schmutz, Pete Meslin
Communication is vital to any school transportation operation. How much is enough? How much is too much? Timely communication is a two-way street, giving and receiving. When problems are not addressed they don't go away; they grow, and that can cost you.
2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
“Documentation for the Transportation Environment”
Presenter: Marisa Weisinger
Are you spending 90% of your time on 10% of the people? Is your desk cluttered with good intentioned Post It Notes? Attend this session to learn the Who, What When, Where, Why and How of effective transportation documentation.
Monday, July 23
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
“Your Real Buying Power”
Panelists: Michael Shields, Mike Kenney, Tim Ammon
Should we buy, lease or lease to own? This class will discuss options for acquiring capital equipment such as school buses, white fleet vehicles, computers, etc.
11 a.m. – Noon
“How to Control Your Routing Plan Rather than Letting it Control You”
Panelists: Launi Schmutz, Charlie Hood, Michelle Drorbaugh
We've all heard the prayer "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Transportation program cost centers such as driver salaries, outsourced services, bus purchases, parts and fuel all come with relatively fixed costs. While critical to manage these areas efficiently, it is very difficult to rely on any one of them for major economies. But factors such as student assignment plans, transportation eligibility, bus stop locations, bell times, ride times, load parameters, loading runs onto buses and managing deadhead are all within local control. Our panelists will share their experience at assessing and controlling these factors to achieve efficiencies in their areas of responsibility.
1:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
“Writing a Feasibility Study for Contracting Operations”
Panelists: John Benish, Michael Shields, Tim Ammon
Tuesday, July 24
8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
“Strategies for Planning Successful Presentations”
Presenter: Ted Finlayson-Schueler
You've been asked to give a talk to your staff, the PTA, the Board of Education. How can you meet your goals and your boss' expectations? We'll talk about what the essential pieces are for any presentation and you'll learn the phrase that MUST be a part of any successful talk.
Wednesday, July 25
8 a.m. – 9 a.m.
“Connecting the Dots Between Complimentary KPIs”
Panelists: Pete Meslin, Denny Coughlin, Tim Ammon
It is generally agreed that KPIs are best used for learning. The primary role of KPIs should be to provide information to help move towards a desired result. In furtherance of this concept, this presentation will explore the concept of how KPIs are interrelated and influencing of each other. For example, mechanics per bus, average age of fleet, out of service rate and inspection first time pass rate are all closely related and impact on each other. If your mechanics per bus ratio rises, does your inspection first time pass rate drop? Our panelists will share their thoughts and suggestions on how your KPIs can be viewed as interrelated groups to enable a greater understanding of your program's performance.
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
“The Transportation Director's Customer Service”
Presenters: Denny Coughlin, Tania Kaylor
This presentation will explore how what we do affects everyone in the transportation industry, and how what everyone else does affects us.
