Driving a school bus takes hard work and sacrifice. Aside from ensuring the safety of students, bus drivers must deal with noise, repetitive stress injuries, impatient motorists and — often — disrespectful students. No bus driver ever sacrificed more than Joyce Gregory, a Tennessee driver and mother who was shot to death by a student in 2005.

NYSUT School-Related Professionals are working to honor Gregory and the hard work of her colleagues nationwide through a U.S. postage stamp honoring school bus drivers.

Gregory, who was also a former teaching assistant, was driving her route 50 miles north of Nashville in March 2005 when she opened her doors for a 14-year-old student who pulled out a handgun and shot her.

Gregory had been having problems with students dipping snuff on her bus, and after several warnings she reported the students to the administration. Her assailant was one of those students.

Gregory's death made national news. The Tennessee Association of Pupil Transportation launched a letter-writing campaign to get a stamp made commemorating the hard work of school bus drivers.

The Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, which recommends which stamps should be printed, is often targeted by letter-writing campaigns.

Postage stamps have been printed to honor teachers, students and even parent-teacher organizations, but never bus drivers.

SRPs are joining the letter-writing campaign, hoping NYSUT's 575,000 members can generate enough mail to get the committee to take notice.

"NYSUT SRPs will work hard to make this happen, but we do not want them to work alone," said NYSUT Vice President Kathleen Donahue. "If all of NYSUT's teachers, SRPs, health care workers and higher ed professionals take the time to send a letter, we really can make a difference."

To learn more, visit www.busdriverstamp.com. The Web site has a sample letter you can print and send.

— Kevin Hart