Back to School Double-Header: Bus Drivers
All Things Considered, June 19, 2005 · Irene Winstead has been driving a school bus for 20 years in Maryland's Montgomery County. This year she and her fiance Kenneth Lee, who is also a school bus driver, are retiring. We listen in to her last day on the bus and hear from parents about why she made their life so special.
All Things Considered, March 8, 2005 · In rural areas, school bus drivers may spend a couple of hours a day with the students at the end of their route. As a first-time parent, commentator Julie Zickefoose quickly learned that a good bus driver is a rare and wonderful find.
These Driveway Moments were suggested by...
Kyle, who listens to WSUI in Iowa; and Traci, who listens to WBEZ in Chicago.
Kyle on "Stop the Bus, She's Getting Off": "I was struck by the way the segment captured Irene's warmth and the bond she had created with both students and teachers alike. In particular, it made me think of my own mother, who is retiring this year from the job of principal and elementary school after 20 years of loving and dedicated service. It is the lives of people like Irene and my mom who make this country unique and insure its bright future. Thanks for sharing her last day with us!"
Traci on "Sue's Bus": "One evening on my way home from work I heard the story of the caring bus driver who fought cancer to return to driving the schoolchildren she loved, and it moved me greatly. As a mom, what I want most is to send my son into a world where others act with concern for his well-being. So I am heartened that someone like Sue the bus driver exists. I can only hope that my child will have as caring a shepherd when he journeys into the world."
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