Thread by @PPSSFBoardWatch

@FaauugaMoliga district staff must seek out more creative options for transportation from bidders. There will be open public meetings to hear out the options from bidders #BoardWatch

District staff must make a selection panel that will give time for a presentation from each bidder #BoardWatch

Open comments on the transportation resolution. One bus driver brings up how this resolution and it's open ended approach allows for ride sharing technology to potentially exploit workers #BoardWatch

Open comments: Another bus driver brings up how the biggest expense is usually the actual equipment, like the buses, and this resolution calls for a new fleet. The current fleet has been in use for only 6 years, when usually buses in SF are in use for 10 years. #BoardWatch

Open comments on transportation resolution: Concerns over safety for students and hoping this will be addressed in the future #BoardWatch

Open comments: Concerned parent with the use of language in the resolution. Technology is used four times in the resolution. No mention of a project labor agreement within this resolution. #BoardWatch

Open comments: School drivers are highly trained and should be supported. #BoardWatch

Open comments: For students with special needs, bus drivers are their first interaction with a school. We need to not only be thinking about physical safety but about a students community #BoardWatch

Open comments: Students with IEPs get travel accommodations, safety is the most important for our schools, students and communities, and having bus drivers that are in a union allow for mental health. Bus drivers have students in our schools too #BoardWatch

Open comments: Bus drivers are incredibly hard working individuals. They set the day up for students, and employing gig workers would do bus drivers a disservice #BoardWatch

Open comments, from a bus driver: Taking away bus drivers takes away part of community, that bus driver is there for them, to get them to school safely and to get them back to school safely. When those students are on my bus they are my children #BoardWatch

Public comments: A teacher stands in solidarity with bus drivers. She has a student that travels across the entire bay to get to and from school. She has their bus drivers number, there is that level of trust #BoardWatch

Public comments: A parent brings up how integral bus drivers are, especially for special education students. Bus drivers are vetted #BoardWatch

@rpnorton thanks @FaauugaMoliga for addressing this problem in a way that is beneficial for the district. No intention to compromise student safety. How did staff collaborate with commissioners when it comes to safety?

@rpnorton does not think of this as union busting and that should not be the result. Dr. O'Keeffe clarifies that bidders are not required to use unionized drivers. They are required to pay them on par with people with similar jobs. #BoardWatch