GOLDIE

It was about 2:00 p.m. the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the last day of school before our Thanksgiving break when Goldie came to my office to see me. It was obvious by her demeanor and her body language that she was upset and had a mission on her mind.

The morning hours had brought a light rain which had frozen on the roads because the temperature was dropping as the day worn on. I wondered to myself if I was to receive one of my regular bad weather lectures. It was still early in my career as a school Superintendent, and I had found that the decision on whether to run the buses on snow or icy days was the toughest and most stressful decision that I had to make.

This was a decision that pleased essentially no one. Nearly everyone applauded when school was called off, but the applause turned sour when it was announced that the day would have to be “made up to meet state requirements”

Last year I had received a call from Lillian, a long time family friend, that the decision to “run the bus on a particularly icy day, was one of the dumbest decisions that anyone could possibly make”. (and that was a long time friend----on the other hand , it was quite slick and after the fact the decision did not really look that good)

Well, I just as well “face the music” so I stepped to the door of my office and asked Goldie to come in. I asked how she was and how the family was doing----and was advised fine, but that she had a problem. Trying to prolong the inevitable, I tried to make small talk about the early cool spell, and the fact that we were going into a four day Thanksgiving break.

Goldie however, was to have none of the small talk, her mission was too important for that-----”L. D. I have a problem, and you have to do something about it.” she said. (a funny thing about being a Superintendent, when someone has a problem, I have to do something about it. The fact that they have the problem, and in most cases, they hold the solution to the problem does not change the fact that I have to do something about it.)

My usual response came out --(still figuring that I was to face the music), I am sorry to hear that, what is the problem?

“Well” Goldie stated, “ as you know, I drive a kindergarten bus route for the Bartlett, Ellis, Fairview attendance center, and I drove down to pick up Russ today for the afternoon Kindergarten, and June would not put him on the bus. She informed me that the roads were too slick, and that she was not going to send him out on a day like this.”

“Goldie, that is no problem,” I said “as you recall, our policy says that the Parent has the final say as to whether they will put the child on the bus in bad weather. You recall, our policy charges the Superintendent with the decision on whether or not to hold school, and whether or not to run the buses. The policy also allows any driver, who feels that the road conditions are such that they (the driver) does not feel safe, to call all students on their route and not run the route. The Parent then has the final say the as to whether or not they will put the student on the bus.

Besides, I thought that June was your best friend. (I knew that Goldie’s family and June’s family were together a lot---for meals, to play cards, to visit, to attend games and that they apparently enjoyed the fellowship).”

Goldie’s responses was, “I don’t care, June would not put Russ on the bus, which tells me that she does not trust me. Therefore, I will not haul Russ to school.”

“But Goldie, we have to haul Russ to school, that is the law, and since you are the bus driver, you will need to pick him up.” I advised.

“Will I am not going to haul him, If she does not trust me to take him to school today, then she does not trust me, and I will not haul anyone’s child who does not trust me.” Goldie shot back.

I advised, “Goldie, I am sure that June was just concerned about the weather today, after all Russ is just in Kindergarten and June has had little experience with buses in bad weather. We do have to transport Russ to and from school, so lets just let this matter set over the vacation and proceed Monday as if it never happened.”

“I won’t haul him.” was Goldie’s heated response.

I had learned early in my career that one never “won” by making others appear
foolish or ridiculous. I had found that in every situation when dealing with people, one needs to leave everyone a way “to save face”----including oneself.

I could see that “indeed, we did have a problem”. Here I sat with an unhappy bus driver, who had had her feelings hurt by one of her best friends. It may not have been “my” problem when Goldie came in, but it was now my problem. Certainly we had to transport the student, there was no reason to upset the Parent who was correct in this matter, and neither did I want to “belittle” the driver even if it was a ridiculous
position.

I decided to use my “best Superintendent authority position” and settle this matter. “Goldie, “ I said, “let me explain something to you. We have to transport Russ to and from school, you are his bus driver, he is on your route, I can not route another bus to the Taylor home, therefore, you have to transport him”

“I won’t haul the child of someone who does not trust me”. She maintained.

“Then you leave me no choice, if you refuse to pick up the student, I will have to fire you as a bus driver, hire a new driver who will then go to the Taylor’s house and pick up Russ”. I advised her.

I was not ready for Goldie”s response------”That’s OK with me, that will teach her a lesson!”

“Wait a minute,” I said, “Let me get this straight----you won’t pick up Russ, I will fire you and hire another driver who will pick up Russ, and that will teach June a lesson? I don’t understand how that will teach her a lesson?”

“Well,” Goldie said, “It will be her fault that I got fired, and she will have to live with that”.

Now, I knew for a fact that Goldie needed this job, that the small salary that she drew for driving the kindergarten bus was important to the family----besides, we were on top of Thanksgiving, and Christmas was only four or five weeks away------there was no way that I wanted to fire Goldie. Hoping for some kind of ( perhaps divine) intervention, I said, “ Goldie do something for me, go home, think this over, if you get a chance talk it over with June, come in Monday morning and give me your answer”.

The buses all came in safe and sound on that afternoon, with no more complaints on the particular day. Monday morning to my relief, Goldie call me and advised me “that she had thought it over, had discussed it with June, and that everything was OK and she would continue to pick up Russ”.

To this day, when either Stan (my assistant Superintendent) or I take a ridiculous stand or position, the other refers to him as “OK Goldie”.

ldc