For years, a bus has been parked at the corner of my son's school with a banner attached saying, "BUS DRIVERS NEEDED."

I have no idea why anyone would apply for or want to do that job. Bad/irregular hours, poor pay, no benefits, rush hour traffic, and ill-behaved children do not sound like the makings of a solid professional pathway to me.

Heck, driving my son's carpool is enough experience to know that this is a career pathway I am not willing to explore. It is about kids' safety, more than just personal preference, as I have been known to forget a child in carpool once or twice (or three times).

I understand the constant need for bus drivers. It is an overwhelming and under-valued job that has little upside. But, the pandemic and its economic impact have magnified the problem to unimaginable levels.

And the problem doesn't end at the folding yellow doors either. According to a survey conducted by the EdWeek Research Center, there have been reports of shortages of cafeteria workers, custodians, substitute teachers, and paraprofessionals nationwide. The study stated that "40 percent of district leaders and principals said they were experiencing "severe" or "very severe" staffing shortages." The shortage of bus drivers is part of a more significant, more extended problem in schools — one that extends beyond the school building.

The bus driver shortage isn't just a bus driver shortage — it's an endemic problem resulting from the pandemic. These jobs are about service and care, at pay scales that simply aren't competitive with jobs that use similar skills.

Add to this that amid the pandemic, individual workers make choices for themselves and their families that affect other people's families and jobs in ways nobody quite expected.

Schools are filled with essential workers whose difficult jobs were made more challenging and their ranks even thinner by the pandemic.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and our village is contracting at an alarming rate.

As music teachers, there is little we can do to fix this. But, for one day, we make sure that everyone is seen, heard, and valued.

Years ago, I created an activity that allowed my students to thank those who had helped make my program and students successful. This gratitude note helps foster a sense of gratitude among your students and establishes goodwill among your school colleagues.

The document is attached to this email. All you have to do is print, hand out, and deliver. Keep in mind the following:

Encourage your students to write as many notes as possible. Handwritten is preferred.
I typically would give 20-30 minutes of class time to complete the letters.
Give yourself a day or two to sort and deliver the notes (write this Friday, deliver next Tuesday)
Restrict recipients to people on your physical campus.
Encourage your students to think outside of the box (grounds person/admin/assistants/tech)
Eliminate yourself from receiving notes. It will make it feel more genuine for the kids.
Write some letters yourself.

Trust me, you will be glad you did this activity, and so will your school community!

NOW MORE THAN EVER, MEMBERS OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!