I just defended my dissertation. Successfully.
TL;DR—We need to do a better job supporting our Transportation Supervisors and their departments of dedicated bus drivers, who make school possible every day.
Here’s why I spent two years examining organizational support for school transportation and the perceptions surrounding that support—from the central office to a district’s transportation supervisor.
And here’s where I stand as a researcher, educational leader, and, more importantly, someone who’s gonna do something about it.
As the researcher in this qualitative research study, Perceived Organizational Support in School Transportation, I recognized that my personal and professional background had significantly shaped the study’s focus, design, and interpretation.
My career in public education at the central office or cabinet level has included serving as Director of Technology Integration and Curriculum in one district and later assuming the role of Director of Technology and, subsequently, Director of Operations in another.
And now, as Superintendent – I am responsible for the whole organization.
In those early roles, I oversaw departments central to non-instructional operations—including transportation, maintenance, custodial services, food service, campus safety, and district-wide technology infrastructure.
My lived experience in school transportation leadership was not abstract or administrative—it was direct and deeply personal.
When I took over leadership of the transportation department, I was thrust into the operational realities of that role with no formal handoff or preparation.
I often began my day before 5 a.m. and worked well past standard hours to ensure the transportation system functioned safely and reliably.
I am still a licensed school bus driver and have performed every task expected of transportation staff and supervisors, from completing morning and afternoon routes to navigating contract management, hiring challenges, and mechanical issues.
This immersion in day-to-day transportation work gave me a rare and comprehensive understanding of the intense demands and emotional labor embedded in these roles.
This professional trajectory profoundly influenced the inception of the study. I chose to focus on school transportation supervisors because I had lived their experiences and had witnessed, both personally and professionally, how these individuals were undervalued and unsupported.
Despite being responsible for the safe daily transportation of thousands of students, these leaders often operate on the margins of organizational awareness and receive little formal support, mentorship, or recognition.
Their work only becomes visible when problems arise, yet they are foundational to the daily functioning of school districts.
My epistemological stance was, and still is, grounded in constructivism. I believe that knowledge is constructed through experience, language, and social interaction and that the perceptions of those living and working in a system are essential to understanding it.
This worldview shaped my methodological decisions, leading me to employ a qualitative research approach that privileged participant voice and allowed for deep narrative exploration.
I sought to understand not only what transportation supervisors experienced but also how they interpreted, internalized, and navigated the systems around them.
I acknowledge the complex power dynamics inherent in my role as a researcher. At the time of data collection, I was serving as Director of Operations, not yet a superintendent, and participants were aware of my professional background.
While this familiarity could have introduced a power imbalance, I found it instead fostered a strong sense of trust and empathy.
Participants often expressed relief that I “understood” the work, and several shared deeply emotional stories, including moments of crisis, exhaustion, and personal vulnerability.
All six participants became emotional during the interview, which I believe is an indicator of both the weight of their professional burdens and the trust they placed in the research context.
To reduce bias and ensure ethical rigor, I employed multiple strategies, including anonymizing data, sharing transcripts with participants for verification, and removing identifying district information.
Throughout the study, I remained aware that my insider knowledge, while valuable for context, could also skew interpretation. As such, I continually reflected on my assumptions and allowed participant voices to guide theme development.
I continue to reflect on the intricacies of research and leadership and on how we can drive change by better understanding how those we lead interpret their own surroundings.
This study was not just a scholarly inquiry; it was a professional and moral imperative. I see myself as an advocate for operational leaders—particularly those whose work is critical yet often invisible.
The transportation supervisors who participated in the study perform essential functions that enable schools to open their doors each day.
By amplifying their voices, I hope to influence educational leadership practices, broaden the discourse on organizational support, and ultimately contribute to a more equitable and holistic understanding of school leadership that includes those outside the instructional realm.
I am forever grateful to those who participated in this endeavor and helped me grow professionally.
Andreas Johansson, PhD