Author and speaker Scott Welle will be appearing at the 2025 STN EXPO East conference to help attendees raise their performance to the next level.

Working in the student transportation field brings unique challenges and can sometimes feel like a thankless job. Welle will inspire STN EXPO attendees to challenge the limiting beliefs that could be holding them back from reaching their highest performance potential. He will outline the power in pursuing the person you need to become versus only focusing on job roles. Attendees will receive strategies that high performing individuals use to handle pressure and thrive in unpredictable situations.

Welle will give an exclusive keynote during the Transportation Director’s Summit on Saturday, March 22 at Topgolf Charlotte Southwest. “ELEVATE: How Exceptional Leaders Inspire Peak Performance” will share how to implement successful leadership practices. His keynote session, “Outperform the Norm,” sponsored by Thomas Built Buses, is on Monday, March 24 at the Embassy Suites Charlotte-Concord and will be open to all main conference attendees.

Welle’s background in motivating individuals from professional athletes and CEOs to any person looking to improve spans over 15 years. His master’s degree in sports psychology paired with his commitment to pushing physical limits through completing 30 marathons and five Ironman triathlons shows Welle’s dedication to not only teaching but modeling personal and professional excellence. Welle is the author of the “Outperform the Norm” book series, founder of the Outperform podcast, and has his own Youtube channel.

Save $200 on conference registration with Super Early Bird registration by Dec. 20. Stay tuned for updates on the conference agenda, exhibitor lists, hotel information and registration at stnexpo.com/east.

Related: STN EXPO East Opens Registration for March 2025
Related: WATCH: STN EXPO Indy 2024
Related: (STN Podcast E213) Onsite at STN EXPO Indy: Driver Shortage & School Bus Safety Convos

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FRISCO, Texas — On Sunday evening, attendees and vendors gathered amid food and drink stations for a fun and interactive networking event with a football tailgate theme on the trade show floor. The next day, they returned for more discussions and demos with the innovative products, solutions and services on display.

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Photos by Vince Rios Creative. 

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FRISCO, Texas – The Hands-on School Bus Evacuations for Students with Special Needs & Preschoolers class took place on both Friday and Saturday at Frisco ISD. Instructors included industry veterans and consultants Denny Coughlin and Launi Harden; Aaron Harris, national sales manager for seating manufacturer BESI; and Diandra Neugent, transportation manager for the Community Council of Idaho.

Classroom instruction and quiz time was followed by hands-on practice with fire extinguishers. Fake smoke was used to fill a bus on which were placed hidden dolls representing student riders. Participants braved the smoke to “rescue” the students, with some becoming emotional.

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Photos by Kristine Hannon. 

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The day opened with special education attorney Betsey Helfrich’s keynote on “Avoiding the Bumps and Legal Hazards” in the transportation of special education students, followed by a general session on preventing sexual abuse during transportation led by Christy Schiller, vice president of consulting at Praesidium, Inc.

More sessions were held on technology usage, driver training, risk management, and transporting medically fragile students. The day closed with a tailgate-themed reception and dinner held on the trade show floor, providing attendees and vendors with a casual and interactive networking event.

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The post Gallery: Legal Advice & More on Day 3 of TSD 2024 appeared first on School Transportation News.

FRISCO, Texas — Craig Beaver of Beaverton School District near Portland, Oregon, was awarded the STN Transportation Director of the Year award. Behavior specialist Patrick Mulick presented a morning keynote exploring strategies for helping students with autism bring out the best in themselves every day.

Offsite, the roadeo and training competition and the Hands-on School Bus Evacuations for Students with Special Needs & Preschoolers class took place at Frisco ISD locations.

Sessions continued on topics including positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), parent communication, school bus Wi-Fi, student transition plans, wheelchair crash test research, the impact of driver and budget shortages, understanding the federally recognized 13 disabilities, and more.

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FRISCO, Texas — Consultant Jo Mascorro began day two of the Transporting Students with Disabilities & Special Needs Conference and Trade Show with her four-hour keynote on de-escalation with dignity.

Specialized hands-on training that day included: the NHTSA Child Passenger Safety on School Bus Training, the Wheelchair Securement Boot Camp Training & Certification hosted by AMF-Bruns of America, and the Wheelchair Securement Training plus Special Needs Roadeo presented by Q-Straint. Classes on driver and aide training as well as the foundations of special needs transportation were led by industry veterans Launi Harden and Alexandra Robinson, respectively.

The day closed with a Safety & Technology Product Demonstration and Special Needs Ride & Drive where attendees got up close and personal with buses and technology that could help in their operations.

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Images by Vince Rios Creative and Claudia Newton. 

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FRISCO, Texas — The Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs Conference officially opened Thursday with registration followed by a Welcome Party at Topgolf the Colony, sponsored by AMF-Bruns, IC Bus and Longhorn Bus Sales.

TSD Conference continues Friday morning with a keynote and workshop titled “De-escalation with Dignity …” by behavioralist Jo Mascorro. The NHTSA eight-hour Child Passenger Safety on School Buses hands-on seminar is also held at Frisco ISD.

The Propane Education & Research Council presents the Lunch and Learn session “Do Quieter Buses Really Have an Effect on Special Needs Students?” Two-three hour seminars feature The Foundations of Special Needs Transportation and Best Practices for the Training of School Bus Monitors & Aides.

Meanwhile, wheelchair securement training is offered for special needs roadeo contestants as well as TSD Conference attendees during the AMF-Bruns Wheelchair Securement Boot Camp & Certification and Q’Straint-Sure-Lok Wheelchair Securement Training.

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The official app sponsored by Transfinder gives attendees of TSD Conference all the event information they need, as well as a place to make connections.

Download the app using this link, or visit the App Store on your iPhone or the Google Play Store on your Android device and search for “Cvent Events.” After downloading the app, search for ”TSD.” Sign in using your name and the email address used to register for the conference. A code will be sent to continue with the log in process. 

Editor’s note: Be sure to delete any previous STN conference app on Cvent prior to downloading. 

Below are videos detailing processes on the conference app:

The five icons at the bottom of the screen allow quick access to the home menu, schedules, discussions and connections, attendee profiles, and more information on the event.

Use the Schedule tab to see all the available sessions and add selected ones to create personalized schedules for the week.

From the homepage, access lists of attendees and Trade Show exhibitors. Send connection requests to other attendees or vendors who you meet and chat with to keep the conversations flowing even after the conference. Download directions on setting Appointments via the app.

Watch the Conversations tab for chats that open ahead of their corresponding sessions. This is a great way to weigh on the topics discussed and trade insights with other attendees.

Explore the app and its features to move up in the Game Center leaderboard, accessed from the “More” menu item on the right.

As always, stay tuned at stnonline.com and social media channels for extensive conference and trade show coverage, including articles, photo galleries, videos and more.

Related: TSD Conference Sessions to Push Attendees to Uncover Innovative Solutions
Related: Roadeo Returns to Texas for Hands-On Emergency Training at TSD Conference
Related: Behavior Expert Brings Special Needs De-Escalation Tools to TSD Conference
Related: Mulick Returns to TSD Conference to Help Student Transporters Better Understand Autism

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Registration is now open for the 2025 STN EXPO East conference and trade show, which makes its debut appearance North Carolina’s Charlotte metro area.

Following last year’s announcement that STN EXPO East would be leaving its former host city of Indianapolis, STN has been building the new conference agenda to take advantage of its location next to the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord. STN EXPO East will continue to feature unique experiences, networking events, hands-on training and vendor interactions that attendees have seen at previous STN conferences while bringing a new aspect to the Green Bus Summit Ride and Drive as well as an expansion of Bus Technology Summit.

The Transportation Director’s Summit will be held on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22, where pre-registered attendees will be taken to the local Topgolf for an exclusive leadership training and networking experience. Keynote speaker and author Scott Welle will be presenting at the Transportation Director’s Summit as well as addressing all attendees on Monday, March 24 for his “OUTPERFORM THE NORM: Raise Your Game” presentation. Welle looks to bring a dynamic and high energy outlook that will encourage attendees in pursuing excellence and thriving through unpredictable challenges.

The Bus Technology Summit will be presented in coordination with the Green Bus Summit to provide attendees with information on the latest technology trends and offerings, as well as connecting with transportation professionals who are championing green leadership at their operations. The ride and drive and technology demonstration will be held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Attendees will further connect with vendors at the Trade Show Reception plus Networking Madness Reception on Monday night, March 24, a themed event in the spirit of the college basketball post-season tournaments, which will be a fun and lively evening on the trade show floor.

There will also be an opportunity to take a tour of the Thomas Built Buses C2 Plant in High Point, North Carolina, on Tuesday, March 25. Space is limited for these unique experiences, so make sure to secure your registration soon.

STN EXPO East will be held March 21-25, 2025, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Concord Golf Resort & Spa next to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Save $200 on registration by Dec. 20.

For conference agenda, exhibitor lists, hotel information and to register, visit stnexpo.com/east.

Related: STN EXPO East Moving to North Carolina in 2025
Related: TSD Conference Sessions to Push Attendees to Uncover Innovative Solutions
Related: WATCH: STN EXPO Indy 2024

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From new school bus monitor training best-practices to workshopping real-life transportation and management scenarios, next month’s TSD Conference in Frisco, Texas, offers transporters of students with disabilities and special needs the latest in innovative solutions and ideas.

The agenda highlights tried-and-true topics such as the Foundations of Special Need Transportation seminar on Friday, Nov. 8, which provides both new and experienced student transporters with vital information on the Individuals with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act as well as the necessary operational considerations necessary of both school districts and vehicle contractors.

Best Practices for the Training of School Bus Monitors & Aides seminar, also on Nov. 8, is new this year. It defines the critical roles and responsibilities aides and monitors have during commutes in school buses and other vehicles, and it explores how to pull all the information together into a handbook for training and oversight.

Praesidium, a leading training organization that seeks to prevent abuse, makes its inaugural appearance at TSD Conference this year. A representative will present Preventing Sexual Abuse During Transportation. The general session, which immediately follow’s special education attorney Betsey Helfrich’s Avoiding the Bumps and Legal Hazards session, will address how abuse happens, current trends, and best practices for mitigating this risk with updated policies, training on boundaries and red-flag behaviors, and supervision strategies.

Related: (STN Podcast E229) October Updates: Green Funding, Cellphone Bans & Special Needs Legalities

Several sessions pinpoint the collaboration needed between school districts and contractors for either traditional school bus routes or non-traditional alternative vehicles. A general session on Monday, Nov. 11 features a discussion ahead of the National Congress on School Transportation, where state delegations will weigh standardized verbiage for guiding how student transporters weigh the different services available and provide oversight.

One of the closing general sessions on Tuesday, Nov. 12, is What’s the Worst That Could Happen? On-the-Spot Decision Making. The panel discussion will present four real-life scenarios to attendees split into groups can develop solutions in a matter of minutes with only the information they have at the time.

Meanwhile, collaboration between school districts and school bus contractors returns as a much-needed topic during breakout sessions on Sunday, Nov. 10. It will expand on information that attendees will receive during Foundations of Special Needs to start the weekend.

Another scheduled session on Sunday will look at the intricacies of transporting medically fragile students and the training that school bus drivers and aides need as well as the information sharing required with health care providers. The topic of risk management of follows, as Joanie Arnott, the risk manager for the Texas Association of School Boards, fields a panel discussion about everyday operational issues that can create headaches for student transporters.

The 2024 Transportation Director of the Year selected by School Transportation News will also be honored during a special presentation Saturday morning, Nov. 9, sponsored by Blue Bird.

A ride and drive event is joined Friday night, Nov. 8 by a technology demonstration. The TSD Trade Show opens Sunday evening and continues Monday morning following the general session panel on alternative transportation choices.

The full agenda and registration instructions are online.

Related: Roadeo Returns to Texas for Hands-On Emergency Training at TSD Conference
Related: Behavior Expert Brings Special Needs De-Escalation Tools to TSD Conference
Related: Mulick Returns to TSD Conference to Help Student Transporters Better Understand Autism

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Special education attorney Betsey Helfrich returns to Texas for the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference in November with an eye on providing the legal landscape to attendees so they can avoid figurative hazards in the road.

Helfrich has been bringing her legal expertise to TSD Conference attendees since 2019. With increasing diagnoses of students with disabilities, Helfrich aims to equip student transporters the knowledge necessary to determine exactly what they need in their toolboxes to safely transport these students to their destinations. She will be sharing analysis and impacts of recent case law as well as practical day-to-day procedures that can protect transportation departments, minimize liability, and provide the safest care for students.

Helfrich’s keynote “Transportation of Special Education Students: Avoiding the Bumps and Legal Hazards” will be held on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 9 a.m.

While analyzing the complex world of navigating federal regulations such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for students with disabilities or special needs, bus schedules, driver shortages and substitutes, and the individual needs of the students, Helfrich will break down case law, providing real-life scenarios and rising challenges to provide attendees with the tools and knowledge they need to connect the dots between legalities and their day-to day operations.

Helfrich owns her own practice after formerly serving as the special education department lead for law firm Mickes O’Toole, LLC in St. Louis. She has experience representing school districts in state and federal courts and provides counsel and training on special needs matters, including legal precedents such as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Save $100 on conference registration with the Early Bird Discount, valid through Oct. 4. Visit tsdconference.com to register and view the conference agenda. The TSD Conference will be held in Frisco, Texas, Nov. 9 through Nov. 12.

Related: Mulick Returns to TSD Conference to Help Student Transporters Better Understand Autism
Related: Behavior Expert Brings Special Needs De-Escalation Tools to TSD Conference
Related: Roadeo Returns to Texas for Hands-On Emergency Training at TSD Conference

The post Special Education Attorney to Discuss Avoiding Legal Hazards of Student Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.

Registration is open for the annual roadeo training and competition held during the Transporting Students with Special Needs and Disabilities (TSD) Conference.

Presented by School Transportation News and Women in Transportation (wit.), and sponsored by Q’Straint/Sure-Lok, the event invites any transportation teams of drivers and attendants from across North America to participate, even if they have never participated in a previous state, provincial or national roadeo competition. The only pre-requisite is that participating teams download and complete the Roadeo Competition Knowledge Test and bring it with them to the event.

The roadeo competition will begin on Friday, Nov. 8 with a Hands-On Securement Training provided by Q’Straint/SURE-LOK. On Saturday, Nov. 9, roadeo teams will be transported to Frisco Independent School District for the competition, which will be followed by an evening Roadeo Competition Banquet & Awards ceremony.

The teams will conduct real passenger pickups, railroad crossing, parking in a confined space, and handling an unauthorized parent boarding the school bus. The student passengers are played by adult volunteers portraying various special needs or disabilities such as visual or hearing impairment or intellectual disabilities. Teams will be judged based on factors such as pre-check inspection, wheelchair loading and securement, child safety restraint securement, and the handling of simulated emergency events.

Read more about the 2023 Roadeo Competition Winners

Teams will attend a Sunday, Nov. 10 debriefing meeting with roadeo judges.

All roadeo teams are invited to attend the TSD Trade Show Tailgate Reception as well as the trade show on Monday. They will also receive entry to any educational sessions and events held Friday through Sunday, including the “De-escalation with Dignity” workshop as well as the Lunch and Learn, afternoon educational sessions and the Safety & Technology Product Demonstration & Special Needs Ride & Drive.

A full schedule and list of other conference sessions that roadeo-only registrants may attend is available at www.tsdconference.com/roadeo.

In addition to the roadeo, this year’s TSD Conference will feature over two dozen educational sessions and workshops, hands-on wheelchair and child securement training, product demonstrations, a trade show and other networking opportunities with peers and vendors.

Save $100 on main conference registration with the Early Bird Discount, available through Oct.4. Visit tsdconference.com to register and view the conference agenda. The TSD Conference will be held Nov. 7 through Nov. 12.

Related: Behavior Expert Brings Special Needs De-Escalation Tools to TSD Conference
Related: Mulick Returns to TSD Conference to Help Student Transporters Better Understand Autism
Related: Emotions Run High During TSD Conference School Bus Evacuation Class

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Behavior consultant Jo Mascorro is returning to the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference stage to share insights on how student transporters can use empathy better serve students with behavior issues on the school bus.

Mascorro last spoke at the 2018 TSD conference, where she discussed the importance of protecting students’ ‘emotional health and approaching behavioral challenges from a place of understanding. This year, she will be addressing attendees in Frisco, Texas during a four-hour keynote and workshop on the do’s and don’ts of de-escalation with students who have special needs. Mascorro will use real-life scenarios from her extensive career to demonstrate how the student transportation industry can restructure the way it approaches behavioral challenges and the care of students with special needs.

Her 46-year background in education began at Texas Tech University. Early on in her career, she was recruited to work in a program for students who were deaf and blind. Her role expanded to students with behavioral disorders where she learned how to navigate the often emotionally difficult world of working with students with disabilities and providing the best care possible that also protects the emotional health and dignity of the children.

Since then, she has been closely monitoring the increase of behavioral challenges that educators face and her keynote will problem-solve, open dialogue and equip attendees to leave with tools they can implement at their operations. Mascorro will highlight factors such as parental involvement, technology and communication between schools and transportation departments, all which affect the role of student transporters.

Mascorro’s keynote “De-escalation with Dignity” will be held on Friday, Nov. 8 from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Save $100 on conference registration with the Early Bird Discount, valid through Oct. 4. Visit tsdconference.com to register and view the conference agenda. The TSD Conference will be held Nov. 9 through Nov. 12.

Related: Mulick Returns to TSD Conference to Help Student Transporters Better Understand Autism
Related: TSD Foundation Class Provides Basics to Transporting Students with Special Needs
Related: TSD Speakers Share Positive Student Engagement Tips

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The Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference returns this fall to Frisco, Texas, where industry professionals will gain insight on the unique aspects of transporting students with special needs.

Behavioral analyst and educational consultant Patrick Mulick has been a fan-favorite at the School Transportation News conferences, most recently presenting at the STN EXPO East Conference in 2023 and the 2021 TSD Conference.

Mulick’s keynote address at the TSD Conference this year will focus on students with autism and how to best support them onboard the school bus and equip student transportation professionals to provide that support. With the rising number of autism diagnoses among students, this session will contain timely information for all school districts. Mulick, whose day job is the director of student engagement for the Auburn School District in Washington State, will address common triggers and challenging areas such as transitions, environmental stimulation, creating routines and substitutions.

During a recent episode of the School Transportation Nation podcast, he said he is looking to unlock autism for student transporters. He will also be addressing communication discrepancies between transportation and school administration, linking the school bus to the classroom as a key part of the student’s educational day.

Mulick’s educational background is in special education and behavior analysis, leading to his time as a teacher for a variety of ages, from pre-K to high school. He has continued to be an advocate for students with disabilities and special needs through his nationwide speaking engagements and trainings.

Save $100 on conference registration with the Early Bird Discount, valid through Oct. 4. Visit tsdconference.com to register and view the conference agenda. The TSD Conference will be held Nov. 9 through Nov. 12.

Related: Fan Favorite Mulick Provides Student Transporters Tips for De-Escalation
Related: TSD Conference Opening Keynote Prompts Attendees to Cheer for Themselves, Students
Related: TSD2023: Recap in Video

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