APS bus driver recognized during congressional hearing

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A recent Washington, D.C. congressional hearing recognized an Albuquerque bus driver for helping students while they were on lockdown during the pandemic.

This was as a GOP oversight committee grilled Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers.

“School bus drivers drove their routes to drop off meals and learning materials, like Lisa Rogers from Albuquerque,” Weingarten said.

Standing before lawmakers in our nation’s capitol, Lisa Rogers received applause as they called her name.

“To be able to take a trip like that and be able to represent bus drivers across the country was pretty cool,” Rogers said.

Lisa Rogers is retired but has worked her “retirement job” as an Albuquerque Public Schools bus driver for five years now.

As classrooms pumped the brakes on in-person learning and students stayed home during the pandemic, Rogers and other bus drivers kept on working.

Members of the GOP-led House oversight committee on the COVID-19 pandemic accused the American Federation of Teachers of pushing for classrooms to stay closed.

Weingarten says that’s not true.

“Teachers worked creatively, often past the point of exhaustion, to teach and reach their students,” she said.

Rogers encourages more people to consider taking on the job of being a bus driver. She says driver shortages are slowing down routes, which is causing kids to get home later.

“We give support for some kids who confide in us in different scenarios,” Rogers said.