Bus Driver Joins Classroom to Teach Kids to Read

COURT HOUSE – Mr. Herman Cruse was hired as a bus driver for the Middle Township School District. But getting students to and from school safely isn’t all that he does.
It started in the middle of last school year with a proud moment for one of the school’s teachers, Alexandrea Byron. One of her kindergarten students started reading, and she excitedly shared the news with everyone – including Cruse.  Recognizing what an important milestone this was, he wanted to get involved and get more students excited about reading. Cruse volunteered without hesitation to come read to some of Middle’s littlest learners in the hopes of spreading joy and love of literacy. 
He started coming twice a week to read to a few of Byron’s students and give them some extra one-on-one attention. Cruse wasn’t just listening to them read; he was having conversations with them about life. By the end of the school year, Cruse was at the school four days a week, reading regularly with over a dozen kids from kindergarten through second grade. “When you see me driving around the district, know that I’m more than just the A28 bus,” said Cruse.  
“Mr. Herman was coming all the way from Egg Harbor City,” said Byron. “He told me about how he was looking for something fulfilling to do to make the most of passing the time in between his routes instead of driving home, but he could have never imagined making an impact on these kids the way he does now. We’re so grateful for his compassion.”
“With my experience as a bus driver, we’re done with our routes by 9 AM. We come back to our afternoon route at 1:45. Over the years, I would go to the library, go to the gym, stay at transportation. What began as a means of killing time, turned into something far more rewarding,” said Cruse.  
The father of five offered to Byron, who he referred to as “an angel,” to come to read to Byron’s students, but they started looking to him for much more than just phonics and letter sounds. 
“They looked to Mr. Herman for support,” said Byron. “He’s so humble and so gentle with these kids. He teaches them love and how to work through emotions. This is how he is as a person. He truly is a very selfless and genuine person.” 
At a Middle Township School District Board of Education Meeting, Byron and Elementary #1 Principal Christian Paskalides introduced Mr. Herman to the board and recognized him for his selflessness and being someone within their MTSD family that students look to for much more than just their education.   
“It’s been a tsunami of blessings. I’m so thankful that I was in a position to help kids. In return, they got to know me which created a bounty of relationships throughout the building,” said Cruse. “In a sense, I became part of their family. I became a father figure – a grandfather figure. You see, a lot of children don’t have a male role model in their lives. Reading was my way of tapping into their home structure, getting to know them on a personal level and combining the help with reading. It was a source of encouragement and letting them know that there’s a bus driver out there by the name of Mr. Herman that cares about their well-being and academic success.”  
Both Byron and Cruse have big plans for the future of Mr. Herman’s Kids. The program started up again in early October.  
“To know that when they see me, they literally light up. You can see the light in their face that they trust me,” said Cruse. “It’s a beautiful reward and I’m really thankful. And here’s the best part, Miss Byron and I, we started this at the end of February. Imagine what an entire school year can do. We won’t be waiting to get things started next year. It’s just the tip of the iceberg.”