Teachers find convenience, cost savings and good company in carpooling

 

When the sun has yet to peak over the Santa Cruz Mountains and darkness still swallows Highway 17, three of the thousands of commuters on the road are Suzanne Herzman, Amy Keys and Natasha Ritchie, teaching and carpool partners who use the time to relax but also discuss upcoming lessons and issues they’re dealing with at school. 

The three English 11 Honors teachers all live on the west side of Santa Cruz and formed a carpool out of convenience several years ago. 

“We save a little mileage and it’s good for the environment; it’s one instead of three cars on the road,” Ritchie said. 

The drive each morning can be anywhere from 35 minutes to an hour and a half in bad traffic, so in order to make it to the school on time, they try to be on the road around 6:15. 

The trio often stops to grab coffee on the way and uses the long commute to get some of their school work and collective course discussions done. 

“It’s super productive. It is a roaming teachers’ lounge, we get stuff done. We get a lot of stuff done,” Herzman said.