The beginning of the year marks a time for people to start fresh, set new goals, and achieve new successes. What is your New Year ritual? Do you write goals? Do you reflect on the past year? Studies show that people who write their goals are more likely to achieve those goals.

Take a moment to reflect on 2014 and set the tone for a positive 2015. WRITE A GOAL and work to achieve it!

If NAPT can help in any way, whether with training, networking, advice, or guidance, please let us know.

What type of traffic conditions do you consider safe for students to walk through each day to get to school? Rob Doss, Director of Transportation for the Escambia County School District in Florida, believes the current law is “woefully inadequate” and puts the safety of many students in danger.

Doss would like for the state to redefine what constitutes hazardous walking conditions and has even written his own bill that redefines the terms. There are no restrictions for middle and high school students, as the current law only applies to elementary students, and few parents would consider the standards safe. As it stands now, the school district does not receive funding from the state for transporting the students that don’t meet the state’s criteria. But Doss is not willing to put these children in danger and picks them up anyway, forcing the school district to foot the bill for these students.

From drawing up and submitting his own bill to legislature to picking up the roughly 6,500 “ineligible riders” each day, Doss is doing what it takes to keep our students safe.

Read the full article in the Pensacola News Journal here.

Conflict Resolution for Adults, Non-Profit Style
by Andrew Metzger

My first-hand and ongoing experience in conflict resolution stems from my years of service as a member of the board of directors for a Pensacola-based performing arts organization. The non-profit arena shares much in common with the business world, but there are also some differences. The primary difference stems from the reality that a fairly large group of volunteer board members serves as a non-profit’s ultimate authority—a kind of multi-headed boss, as it were. Staff and other volunteers answer to and function according to the dictates of the board and all major decisions are made through collaborative agreements reached among board members, generally at monthly board meetings.

In my experience, there are two primary kinds of conflicts that arise within non-profit organizations, both of which are detailed in the STS course.

The first of these conflict areas is described as “goals and aspirations.” When creating an artistic product for public consumption, a non-profit’s goals and aspirations incorporate such elements as programming decisions, performance standards, hiring of guest artists, collaborations and venue considerations. These elements must weave their way into and somehow find a balance with fiscal goals and realities, as well as an organization’s long-term mission. I don’t think it takes much imagination to visualize conflicts arising over these issues when fifteen volunteers are required to make timely decisions at monthly board meetings. Let me tell you – arise they do!

The second of these conflicts is described in the STS course with the single word “personalities.” Ah, personalities! The board on which I serve consists of members who serve primarily because they take part in the performing arts events themselves and those who serve primarily because they are members of the local business community. It’s amazing how, in the course of discussions, so many people can be “right” and “wrong” in so many different ways at the same time! Things can get somewhat tense and emotional, especially when people feel they must defend their turf and/or stand their ground.

So, just how do we survive these moments of conflict that threaten to derail progress and could even jeopardize the future of the organization?

Enter the best darn board president with whom I’ve ever had the pleasure of working. This highly intelligent, confident woman is both a performer and a member of the local professional community. She exhibits that deft touch as a leader that enables her to both participate in board discussions and simultaneously serve in that all-important mediator’s role when conflicts arise that cannot otherwise be resolved. She has the ability to impress her calm demeanor on the room and pull everyone together in ways that bring about compromise, agreement and resolution. I’ve watched her do it over and over again. Sooner or later, every non-profit organization needs someone like this.

I suspect our board president has never read the STS Conflict Resolution for Adults course, but I’d swear sometimes she has!

Andrew Metzger
Guest blogger
School Training Solutions

Discounted Course: Conflict Resolution for Adults This course defines conflict and conflict resolution. It identifies conflict sources and their components. It discusses workplace conflicts and identifies problem-solving tools and techniques used to resolve them. Communication skills required in managing and resolving conflict are addressed.Regularly $15.00 / Now $10.00

At this joyous time of year, School Training Solutions would like to thank you for the opportunity to serve you this year. It has been a pleasure helping you reach your training goals, and we look forward to contributing to your success in 2015. We wish you Happy Holidays and a prosperous, safe, and happy New Year!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Each year on average, more than 10,000 people die on our roadways due to drunk driving. Drunk driving is one of the deadliest and most often committed crimes, yet it is preventable. In a nationwide effort to end drunk driving and save lives, police will be aggressively targeting drunk drivers through New Year’s Day, as part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

This campaign aims to increase public awareness and provide highly visible enforcement, in order to decrease the number of drunk drivers on the road. School Training Solutions (STS) urges you to spread the message, and take some simple steps to prevent a tragedy. Plan ahead and designate a sober driver.

For more information, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website at www.nhtsa.gov.

Stay Safe.