Christopher Faust said, “Do what you can,” The words Christopher Faust lives by everyday are, “Do what you can.” He started his career in transportation through the public transit industry with the City of Sheboygan, Shoreline Metro. He explained that Sheboygan Area School District has parented with the Shoreline Metro since 2018 to provide free transportation for all students and staff, and the transit agency transports many students who are not eligible for yellow bus transportation.

Faust noted that he started as a transit coordinator with Shoreline Metro before accepting the transportation supervisor position with the Sheboygan Area School District in June of 2022. Two years later, his title was changed to coordinator of transportation.

“Chris is a highly dedicated, driven and success-oriented individual,” Derek Muench, director of transit and parking for the City of Sheboygan, wrote in his nomination. “He genuinely cares for students, families and customers. He is focused on making services more reliable, safer and easier to use. He has demonstrated this during his tenure with SASD and will continue to demonstrate and progress this mission in the years ahead. He is definitely a superstar and rising star and deserves the recognition.”

Muench added that Faust remains a part-time transit coordinator for Shoreline Metro. “He dispatches and coordinates transit services, including service for students utilizing public transit,” he continued. “Chris is an instrumental link between the Sheboygan Area School District and Shoreline Metro, which has an agreement to provide free student and staff transportation on the public transit system.”

Faust said his day-to-day goal during the school year is to be an engaged partner between their school bus contractor Prigge School Bus Service (a contract that’s been in place since 1970), the schools, administration and parents, while ensuring a seamless transportation experience. He added that his day consists of following up on student behaviors on the bus and patterning with principals when incidents arise.

Each year, School Transportation News chooses 10 Rising Stars based on nominations submitted by school districts and companies around the industry. These individuals have shown exemplary commitment and dedication in the student transportation industry and continue to demonstrate innovation in their roles. This year’s Rising Stars are featured in the November magazine issue.

One of those principals, Kathryn McKillip, nominated him for the award. “Christopher has been an invaluable member of our team over the past year at Sheboygan Area School District,” she wrote. “Christopher has played a crucial role in reshaping student transportation within our district and has significantly improved our relations with our contractor and families.”

She noted that during challenging times with the school bus driver shortage and long bus ride times, Faust’s “dedication and innovative thinking have been instrumental in enhancing the technology aspect of student transportation,” she continued.

Taking on Technology

Faust said when he first came to Sheboygan Area School District, school buses were equipped with little technology. He said cameras were installed for the time in 2017, but by 2022 it was clear that the systems were outdated.

“Technology changes were needed and that was clearly defined as a goal for transportation,” Faust said. “We felt that it was critical to take advantage of some of these technology solutions for safety, efficiency, and a better driver experience.”

The first change, he said, was to implement GPS on all buses to be able to know where buses were and when they would arrive at their destination. “Within weeks of that being implemented we realized what [a] game changer that was for us and our contractor,” he said. “To go back and confirm that the drivers were making their stops and waited for students that were not present changed the conversation when calls and emails would come in saying that the bus never came.”

He said that being able to validate those instances, that drivers were doing their job, alleviated the push back from drivers on the GPS systems. As they, too, saw the value in the technology.

After implementing GPS, Faust said the district launched parent app Stopfinder through their routing software, Transfinder. “Stopfinder has been an amazing resource for our parents and is another great product that Transfinder offers,” he said.

Zach Moren, sales engineer at Transfinder who submitted a Rising Star nomination, said Faust is always dedicated in finding ways to improve student transportation and safety.

The district’s latest tech adoption has been school bus Wi-Fi. He said Sheboygan Area School District applied for and received the first round of E-Rate funding for school bus Wi-Fi hotpots. Installation took place in August and service went live at the first day of school.

“Over the past year, Mr. Faust has positively restructured the district’s student transportation while improving the relationship with our contractor,” Clarissa Ramos, principal and mentorship coordinator at the district wrote in her nomination of Faust. “I have witnessed better communication and effective partnerships with principals and administration. Technology-wise GPS has been added on all buses, a parent app with live bus tracking. The SASD application for the FCC E-Rate Bus WI-FI was approved. … This is a huge win for our district the goal is to have reduced unwanted behaviors on the bus.”

Next for technology, Faust said the district is installing driver tablets with Transfinder’s Wayfinder, with the first one going live in October. “I’m very excited about that! Lastly next summer we will be upgrading our camera system on all bus to enhance safety and security,” he added. “We are looking at a camera that [we] will be able to view live and has a wide angle lens that we are able to see into the seats on the bus.”

City of Sheboygan’s Muench said Faust is focused on addressing the school bus driver shortage by implementing strategies that make the job more efficient and safer for drivers. “He is hopeful these changes as well as more forthcoming will lead to reliable staffing, more accountability by students and safer operations,” he wrote. “He is also focused on the parent experience giving them the opportunity to interact with school bus service and trust transportation is safe and reliable.”

Principal McKillip added that his technology implementations have not only transformed the school bus into an extension of the classroom but hold the promise of reducing behavioral issues which will create a more conducive learning environment.

“Christoper is so dedicated to our students, he will drive routes on top of all his other job duties, just to ensure they are able to get to school and engage in learning,” she wrote.

Faust confirmed that he drives part-time for their contractor. Like most, Faust said his ongoing challenge has been navigating the school bus driver shortage. “We simply don’t have enough drivers to cover all routes and get our students to and from school within the time frames we would like,” he said, adding they have tired advertising on social media, via direct mailings, billboards, the school district newsletter and even incentivizing coaches to obtain their CDL’s.

Going Forward

Faust said his favorite part of his job is knowing that he’s contributing to student success. “Making sure by what I am doing that they are getting to and from safely, that is the most important to me,” he said.

He noted that at some point in his professional career, he would like to become a director of transportation for a district that runs their own buses. “The goals I have within my current role are to keep incorporating technology into transportation, as well as using it to improve processes and procedures,” he said. “Five years from now I want the Sheboygan Area School District to be known with[in] the state of Wisconsin as a leader with technology on our buses.”

He noted that while the profession is difficult and has many challenges, it’s rewarding. “I wish more people could experience it in one [way] or another,” he said. “When I get the opportunity to be behind the wheel of a bus, it’s like everything I do comes full circle, and I appreciate what drivers do day in and day out so much more.”

Outside of work, Faust said he spends time with his two boys, 5 and 8, both who have special needs. He also has a 10-month-old daughter.

Related: Texas Student Transporter Utilizes Technology to Improve Operations
Related: Missouri Director of Transportation Furthers Safety and Sustainability
Related: Washington Law Provides Contracted Bus Drivers Same Benefits as District Employees

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FRISCO, Texas — School transportation professionals at every level can ease the extreme fear and stress that students with autism experience each day and help them reach their full potential by shifting conventional thinking about service delivery.

That was the message from keynote speaker Patrick Mulick to start Saturday’s session at TSD Conference. Accomplishing those goals are part of the transportation department’s duty but will create a tremendous sense of joy and accomplishment said Mulick, who is also the director of student engagement for the Auburn School District in Washington and a board certified behavior analyst.

“We get to be part of their stories. We get to help shape their worlds and help unlock the autism they carry around with them. I feel such joy when I reflect on the faces that I’ve had a change to impact and I look at the work ahead and I look at the faces we have now,” said Mulick who relayed the stories of students that he played has helped over the years. “For you, you have faces, you have names in front of you every single day. What you do for them matters. So, feel that sense of purpose but that sense of responsibility that we need to step up and do what’s right for these kids that not given everything they need for life. These kids need us to be at our best in supporting them. So, continue to go the extra mile for them. They’re certainly worth it.”

Mulick, a popular speaker delivering his fourth keynote address at a TSD Conference, said one reason his remarks focused on autism was due to its rising prevalence. In 1975, one in 5,000 children. “Today, it’s one in 36. This data is four years old and there’s great variance from state to state. California is one in 26,” he stated.

He encouraged his audience to remember that every person with autism is an individual and they should never have a preconceived based on well-known people on the autism spectrum, such as Elon Musk, or someone they personally know. “If you know one person with autism, you know one person with autism. That’s it,” he added. “We need to be careful not to categorize persons with autism.”

Mulick said that he spent the summer of 2000 working with a non-verbal, 4-year-old girl with autism who had behavioral issues related to her disability. Within weeks, she began to speak three-word sentences. Children with autism “know what they want to say but can’t get the words out,” Mulick said.

“There’s a person in there dying to get out but they do not understand the world and the world does not understand them. When she could speak, it gave her autonomy,” he said. “What I was able to do was unlock autism,” he continued.

The experience convinced him that he wanted to devote his life to helping autistic children succeed.

Mulick explained that the education system has broken down numerous barriers to equality over the decades. However, he added, considerable work remains in the realm of services for children with disabilities and special needs.

“For (them), the conversation goes to the kid as the problem,” he said.

Noting that school buses have been redesigned to accommodate students with accessibility challenges, he insists school transportation needs to be rethought and redesigned to better serve children with special needs, including autism.

Mulick cited a quote from psychologist and author Ross W. Greene, “Behaviorally challenging kids are challenging because they’re lacking the skills to not be challenging.”

He added, “When we think of students with autism on our bus, instead of asking, ‘What’s wrong with them?’ We really need to be asking, ‘What are they experiencing and how can we help them?’”

Related: (STN Podcast E223) Challenges & Consistency: Patrick Mulick Unlocks Autism on the School Bus
Related: TSD Conference Opens with Message of Empathy for Challenging Behaviors on School Buses
Related: School Districts Explore Ways to Reduce Behavior Problems on School Buses
Related: From Silos to Circles: How to Improve School Bus Rider Behavior

He shared a 12-point strategy to improve the transportation process and everyday life for students with autism:

1. Get out of our silos. School personnel and transportation departments can and should use all appropriate technology tools to communicate proactively and more effectively when problems arise. It is not helpful for drivers to receive a 26-page individualized education program. Instead, drivers need to receive a student transportation plan with the necessary information to help them safely transport students and support positive behavior.

2. Visualize expectations with pictures. Students with autism may miss words but a laminated sheet with pictures of instructions will provide a child with guidance and reassurance day in and day out. Mulick shared the story of a boy with autism who had been hitting himself because of the stress of his daily school bus rides. Individualized instructions for “show safe hands” included a picture of a hand firmly planted on the bus seat. The boy drew an outline of his hand on his usual seat, too. “Yes, that’s graffiti but it’s much better than him hitting himself,” Mulick said.

3. Give voice. “Behavior is communication. If you don’t give your student a voice, then you leave them with no other choice.”

4. Engage. Give children with autism time to process information. Always state their name first and be careful with phrasing.

5. Value the routine. Surprises are scary. “If it is routine, then it is predictable. If it’s predictable, it’s reliable. If it’s reliable then it can be trusted. And if it can be trusted then it’s safe,” he said. For that reason, don’t tell a child on a random day that they have to sit in a different seat.

6. Warn about changes. Let the child with autism know well in advance if the school bus driver is going on vacation or there’s a change of bus number, assigned seat, route or other riders.

7. Get them engaged. The biggest transition and potential anxiety in an autistic child’s day is the ride to and from school. Ensuring they have something to engage with is a source of comfort. “The engaged mind forgets to misbehave.”

8. Be careful with the collaboration at the handoff. Avoid chit chat. If the conversation is about the child, bring them into the conversation. Even if they’re nonverbal, don’t pretend they aren’t there.

9. Be Mindful of unique fears and fixations.

10. Reframe deficits into strengths. Convert lessons into child’s favorite fixation. Mulick shared several effective examples, including creating a “Jedi Tool Kit” that provided a range of de-escalation actions for a child fascinated with “Star Wars.”

11. Use today’s knowledge for today’s challenges. “When we know better, we can do better. There are old ways we need to move away from,” he said. Mulick shared that when he took a job in 2011 there was a 1980s-era cassette tape in his desk. Several in the room gasped when he showed a slide with its title: “Working with Angry, Rage-filled Children.” He noted that the increase in board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) positions – from 780 in 2010 to 65,366 in 2023 – is an example of a new resource that can be accessed.

12. Don’t force it. Forcing a child with autism to do something they don’t want to do will often lead to behavioral outbursts. “If it’s not going to work for the student, it’s not going to work for the student.”)

Mulick offered one final piece of advice: “When you work with kids with autism, you should be learning with them every day.”

The post Mulick Returns to TSD Conference with Keys to Unlocking Autism appeared first on School Transportation News.

FRISCO, Texas — Plano Independent School District located just miles from the TSD Conference this weekend claimed the top two spots in the annual roadeo and training competition as Texas continued its dominance of the event.

The team of Andwain Coleman and Mohmed Omera tied coworkers Mohsen Al Asad and Nabila Audi with scores of 889 out of a possible 1,020 points. Alexandra Robinson, the lead coordinator for the roadeo organizer Women in Transportation. (wit.) group and a TSD Conference Tenured Faculty member, said during a banquet Saturday night hosted by lead sponsor Q’Straint/Sure-Lok that the roadeo judges broke the tie by comparing times for finishing the event.

Coleman and Omera clinched the victory as their time was six minutes faster than that of Al Asad and Audi. Robinson said it was the first time in the roadeo’s 30-year history that such a tiebreaker was needed. It was the fourth consecutive win for a Texas team over the dating back to 2019. The competition was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team of Elizabeth Berninger and Jennifer Gue representing the Washington Association for Pupil Transportation took home third place with a score of 885 points. Ten teams competed at host Frisco ISD in 9 events or stations and also took a written test.

Coleman finished second in last year’s competition and said he partnered with Omera earlier this year after his previous partner was promoted to a different position. It was Coleman’s third consecutive year competing in the event. This was Omera’s second national competition.

When asked about their confidence following the competition, Coleman said, “Ain’t nobody perfect, I know we had some mess ups there, but I know overall we did pretty good.”

Coleman and Omera both have been driving for Plano ISD for the past six school years, with Coleman previously driving a truck for 20 years.

Looking ahead, Coleman and Omera confirmed they plan to compete at the roadeo competition and training next year, as they already won their Texas district competition. The next step is competing in regionals in March.

When discussing the challenges of their Plano ISD school bus routes, Coleman and Omera cited student behavior and other motorists on the road as the biggest daily challenges they face.

Related: Texas Teams Dominate Roadeo Competition Held at TSD Conference
Related: Texas Team Wins Return of TSD Roadeo from COVID-19 Hiatus
Related: TSD: Texas Team Takes Home First Place in National TSD Roadeo

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FRISCO, Texas – Stressful situations and conflicts involving students with disabilities or special needs are best de-escalated with dignity by “remembering that these children are individuals first” and understanding how the human brain works, consultant Jo Mascorro said.

“I want you to walk out of here seeing and thinking just a little bit differently … about how you’re going to choose to respond to challenging situations,” she added during the Friday opening training session at the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs Conference held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Dallas Frisco Hotel and Convention Center.

Mascorro, a child behavioral expert, explained that the part of the brain known as the amygdala — which is Greek for the word “almond” — is found in all brains. Emphasis was placed on its role as the emotion center when she shared the phrase “screaming almonds” as a reminder of its intense response during challenging behavior demonstrations. “When the brain is anxious or angry, the screaming almonds experience a huge chemical release that results in the executive functioning of the frontal lobe to be highly affected, and it may start to shut down,” she noted.

That result is more acute in children since their frontal lobes are not fully developed, resulting in their thinking and reasoning through the screaming almonds, Mascorro added.

“Why is this such a big deal? Because children are not fully myelinated yet and still learning how to understand the long-term consequences of their behaviors. When you add the complications of a disability, the results can be devastating,” she continued.

She said there was not a brain in the room that doesn’t want to anticipate, to know what is expected, who, what, when, and how. She told the attendees they could count in double digits the things they had control over when they woke up Friday morning.

“Think how important control is to you,” she said.

She shared there are two primary things that, universally, all brains want and need and that is the ability to anticipate and control some aspect of what is happening in our daily lives.

“On the other hand, think about children with special needs. Typically, they don’t get to decide when they’re getting up, what they’re going to wear, what they’re going to have for breakfast,” Mascorro observed. “The second their day begins, an adult is more than likely determining their life choices. What is the one thing they can control? Well of course, It’s their behavior, so why would they want to give that up?”

Because children’s brains are constantly changing, both drivers and educators should have daily conversations with children about expectations for bus behavior. One point to ponder, said Mascorro, would be that when a behavior simply won’t go away, consider giving it a time and place where it CAN happen.

She shared one driver’s successful ploy. He was trying to determine the “loudest group ever” and challenged the children to sit quietly, save their loud voices, and pay attention to traffic along most of the route. They were to watch for a specific cue, and when given the signal, could scream their loudest at a designated spot the driver predetermined each day.

Approximately 80 percent of what we communicate is through nonverbal visual expression, she added, so to assume that a student who is nonspeaking is not communicating efficiently is false. Children who struggle with expressive/receptive language skills are extreme communicators if educators would learn to listen to what their body and/or vocalizations are saying.

“Whenever a student who is nonverbal makes vocalizations, that is a cue for the driver or aide to acknowledge and engage with that student,” Mascorro said. “Perhaps, validate their feelings by saying things like ‘I’m so sorry I need to be so close while I help buckle your seatbelt.’ Or, ‘This will just take a minute. I need to keep you safe” when you’re securing their wheelchair”

“If we get in there and just start manipulating the child with no regard to proximity or not speaking to them first to explain what is happening, we’re just fueling the ‘screaming almonds to release chemistry and elevate the emotional response. You must listen to their behavior because behavior is communication.”

She shared that research bears out that anger is the emotion that humans recognize first and hold onto most firmly. Children who face communication challenges understandably may feel angry when they’re frustrated, resulting in outbursts that may seem baffling but shouldn’t. For example, drivers and aides can contribute to helping students alleviate some of the more stressful moments requiring compliance by clearly communicating to the student what they’re about to do, are doing, when it will almost be over, and when they are done.

“Talk to the student using verbal artistry,” Mascorro recommended.

Every time a child misbehaves, she told her audience to respond as if they see a “Y in the road.” The bottom of the “Y” is the targeted behavior. The middle of the “Y” is the fork in the road. She said some adults choose one way that begs the question of what immediate, negative consequences should the child face as a result of their noncompliance?

“Consider that it should prompt a bigger question. Is there a void in the skills of what the child SHOULD do so they wouldn’t have gotten into trouble in the first place? In other words, I wonder if they know how to … and how do we TEACH to that void?” she said.

She recalled the story of a man with autism who explained his emotions when, as a 12-year-old, he got into trouble for throwing rocks after the teacher told him at recess to go out and play. In his mind, and since he had no friends, he was playing, by throwing rocks! She confronted him to stop, he was then confused by the mixed message, and as a result, hit the teacher. “When I asked him, at that moment, what was he thinking, he responded by saying, ‘I didn’t hit the teacher because I was mad at her. I hit her because she didn’t know I couldn’t find my words, She was the adult, she was the teacher, and since she knew I had autism, she should know I couldn’t find the words,” Mascorro recalled, noting that the man provided a profound moment of clarity.

She also recounted the story of adults who had transported a girl for 10 years and emphasized her cognitive impairment instead of recognizing her abilities. In just one bus ride with the child, Mascorro saw that she knew and reacted preemptively to turns on the route and her approaching home, and even raised her feet before the bus reached a set of railroad tracks.

In another case, Mascorro found a solution for a boy with autism who was constantly disciplined for hitting others and running. She learned he was fixated on farm-to-market roads, so she requested a schematic of the school campus, renamed all the hallways farm-to-market roads, then taught the staff to change their directives from “remember, no running” to “head down farm-to-market road such and such to get to music class.”

This resulted in the student imprinting in his brain every day what to do instead of what not to do.
Mascorro said the words chosen during a conflict can make all the difference in whether a difficult situation escalates or is defused, noting that all too often adults, with the best of intentions, make statements where their intent does not match the outcome they wish to experience.

“A lot of the times we make statements that make us the bad guy and we don’t even know it. … When someone’s angry, what in heaven’s name possesses us to say, ‘Calm down?’ Calm down is not a de-escalation phrase. It’s an escalation phrase,” she added. “We’re the adults. We need to have a better understanding of how to step up. We need to land on what we want, not what we don’t want.”

Related: Gallery: Specialized Training, Ride & Drive at TSD 2024
Related: (STN Podcast E227) Talking to a Brain: Expert Addresses Special Needs Student Support on the Bus
Related: School Districts Explore Ways to Reduce Behavior Problems on School Buses

The environment of any human interaction also plays a role in how it plays out.

When it comes to the transportation environment, Mascorro said there are “three guarantees” whenever a driver steps on a bus to transport children. “Every day, you’re always going to be older than the kids on it. By default, you’re smarter. And, third, everybody’s got a brain. … You need to use that information,” she added.

Children, like adults, alter their behavior based on where they are and who they’re with, which means they may act differently on the school bus than elsewhere. “Parents say, ‘They don’t do that at home.’ There’s a remote possibility they don’t, so why are you comparing the two environments?” Mascorro said.

As a result, she said it should come as no surprise that children who come from homes where routines and rituals don’t match those of the school environment, react negatively on the bus when they’re expected to wear a seatbelt, speak quietly and follow the rules. Consequently, a situation with a swearing child may best be dealt with by teaching that “there are school words and non-school words … non-bus behaviors and bus behaviors,” Mascorro added.

Among Mascorro’s other advice:

• Validating an individuals’ feelings first is of paramount importance. (“When a student tries to punch, the adult may attempt to say instead of no hitting, ‘Hitting says you’re really mad right now.’When a student is crying, rather than the adult say stop crying, they may try and say, “I’m so sorry you’re sad. Crying tells me you’re really hurting right now!” Also, she recommended telling students what behavior you want to see happen, rather than what you don’t want or saying things like no, don’t and stop.
• Distraction and disengagement are the greatest methods to defuse a brewing conflict. “The minute you draw your line in the sand and have your Davy Crockett moment, something bad is more than likely going to happen,” she said. “Try instead to say things like, ‘You really need to see this!’ ‘Oh, wow! You’re not going to believe what I have in my office!’ or “’You’re not going to believe what you’ll get to see sitting in this row. Sometimes you can generate distractions by using imagination, music, or mystery moments.”

Jon Boyles, a driver/trainer with the Montana Association for Pupil Transportation, said he learned a number of new ideas from Mascorro’s presentation and looks forward to testing and sharing them with colleagues. “I’ve made a list. I think the best think people can do is implement one thing at a time. Don’t try to change three things at once,” he said. “I’m a bow hunter and when I’m changing the way I shoot, I try one thing at a time. If I change everything at once, how do I know what worked?” he said.

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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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School buses can be rough and tumble environments. Some students enjoy horseplay in the back of the bus, and sometimes a little roughhousing can escalate into a more serious fight. In some cases, parents can even become hostile toward school bus drivers.

Leaders in school transportation say the best approach is to handle the situation firmly with empathy. Students and parents need to know there will be consequences for misconduct.

Robert Feinberg, the transportation director for Deer Creek Schools in Oklahoma, said he has seen a wide variety of student behaviors on buses, from rough horseplay to significant brawls.

“It is important to set firm procedures and policies; parents must know and understand the rules. These rules must be posted so that everyone can see them,” said Feinberg, whose operation transports about 4,000 students one way, daily, on 53 routes.

Students and their parents should understand that even a minor conflict could lead to consequences. “Many of our physical fights start with horseplay that turns into fights. We tell our students this behavior is not acceptable,” said Feinberg. “We tell our students this is not the Antler (school mascot) way.”

Another critical tool for managing school bus behavior is a sound video system on each bus. “We can pull a video and tell who instigated the fight. We have a good camera system on our buses,” said Feinberg.

However, it’s important to note that while technology can be a useful tool, it should not replace the need for human intervention and understanding in managing student behavior.

Bret Brooks, chief operating officer for school safety and security consulting firm Gray Ram Tactical in Higginsville, Missouri, has extensive experience with school transportation issues. The company offers training programs and physical security assessments to bus companies and school districts.

He said some of the approaches to school transportation are less than desirable and believes some basic approaches should be used.

“The first thing is awareness. People should understand the dangers of being on a school bus and what is most likely to happen. Bus drivers should be trained to deal with potentially violent situations. And there must be community buy-in on the importance of safety measures. School district leaders must be invested in school bus safety,” said Brooks, also an active-duty law enforcement officer.

This community buy-in could involve regular safety meetings with parents, students and local law enforcement, as well as encouraging parents to reinforce the importance of good behavior on the bus at home.

Much of Gray Ram’s training shows school bus drivers and aides how to de-escalate situations. It is important that bus drivers have empathy so they can understand why a young person might react violently. Some young people might have different reactions, ranging from using a gun to fist fighting to taunting.

Brooks said he has found that children and teenagers in a tense situation will follow the possible reactions of others. They might start by name-calling and then some pushing and shoving. Eventually, they might use their fists or even a weapon.

“It is important to watch for the indicators among school bus passengers and then to react appropriately during that testing,” said Brooks. “If drivers fail to act appropriately, there is the potential for violence.”

Other adults can be in the classroom if a teacher can’t handle a situation. A school bus driver often does not have other adults on board to handle the situation, so training is essential.

Guy Grace, vice chairman of the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools and a retired security director from Colorado’s Littleton Public Schools, has 39 years of experience managing behavior on school buses. He said bad bus behavior needs to have consequences. He also recommends that school districts use surveillance systems on their buses because this allows administrators to see exactly what happened during an incident. It is also vital that administrators periodically review the bus surveillance system so they can pick up problems that a driver or aide may not have detected.

“Many times, a bus surveillance system is the only review we have when there is an incident,” said Grace. “We have identified problems the driver is unaware of, and we can leverage our technology. We need to talk with the bus drivers about potential problems.”

Another important element is being proactive by monitoring students who are misbehaving more than most. “There may be significant issues, or maybe they are just nuisances. We watch kids to really be aware of their full situation and safety,” said Grace.

It is also essential to pay attention to what parents are doing, especially amid several recent cases nationwide involving the assault of school bus drivers. Are they lingering in the background at bus stops? One can observe parents or individuals who are doing something before bus drivers know about it, and this awareness is crucial. The climate and culture of a bus situation make it essential to foster a secure and caring culture.

“It is important to have good training and to empower drivers. How does the driver interact with kids and listen to kids and parents?” said Grace.

Route supervisors must be proactive and look for ways to calm a situation when necessary. “One of the biggest missing pieces is the video, which shows what is really going on in the bus and how the driver is behaving and ascertaining behavior. Are they missing external threats?” cautioned Grace.

Meanwhile, Mike Dorn, the former chief of police for Bibb County Schools in Georgia and the executive director of global security analyst Safe Havens International, said he believes a firm and consistent approach to school bus discipline is critical to maintaining bus order and safety. He knows school buses can be rough and hard environments. While drivers and school administrators work to make the bus as safe as possible, some kids misbehave while others fight.

Dorn said he knows some parents who can cause serious safety problems. He believes a public code of conduct should be posted in each school.

Related: Behavior Expert Brings Special Needs De-Escalation Tools to TSD Conference
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Dorn and other professionals have seen a lack of understanding of how to handle difficult situations best. “Don’t just say calm down. There should be evidence-based verbal de-escalation techniques.,” he advised.

It is important that children, teenagers and parents understand that disorderly conduct and violent behavior will not be tolerated and that there will be consequences for poor behavior. The consequences need to be spelled out and enforced. He has found that with a proactive approach to school bus discipline, the level of incidents decreases considerably.

“We had middle school kids who got into a fight and were charged for fighting. When kids realized they would get in legal trouble, the number of fights decreased. If kids had a weapon in a fight, they would face legal charges, reducing the number of fights,” said Dorn.

A diversion problem was also set up for kids who got into legal trouble on buses. This got parents involved in reducing the problem of fighting. “We also used statutes like disrupting a public-school bus. If a student threw an object that hit a bus driver in traffic or an adult boarded a school bus and created a problem, we would charge them with disrupting a school bus, which was very effective,” said Dorn.

Herbert Byrd, the assistant director of student transportation for Chesapeake Public Schools in Virginia, said he believes in consistent discipline on school buses. He noted there should be videos on school buses documenting fights or other incidents. Byrd also said accountability is critical and that school administrators should support bus drivers.

“A school bus driver has about 50 kids on a bus and can’t see everything. The driver is usually alone and may not have the support that a teacher in a school would have,” said Byrd. “If a video camera is on a bus, we can see exactly what happened. Driving a school bus is demanding, and it is hard for districts to find qualified bus drivers who want to make it a career.’

Byrd also said school bus drivers should be better supported. If a student on a bus misbehaves, the school bus driver should know that the school administration will back him up, and the student will face consequences, he added.

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A webinar presented by national transportation contractor First Student dove into collaborative ways to reduce student behavior incidents and provide care to students with special needs.

Transportation and education are too often siloed into separate units when they should be a Venn diagram with significant overlap, said William McDermott, head of student services for First Student, during the Thursday conversation hosted by School Transportation News, which had over 100 viewers.

“We need to take the education industry and the transportation industry and mesh them together to create the best bus ride and the best student experience,” he declared. “What you can do in the school, you can do on the bus. It might be modified but it still works.”

Dr. Susan King, special education professor at George Washington University and consultant for CLP Consulting Group, spoke from experience. She said that educators may not give much thought to how students get to and from school but noted that they should because students may require time to calm down after a suboptimal experience on the bus and lose out on learning time.

Laura Greene-Halley, First Student’s senior director of safety, performance and improvement, explained that the contractor’s behavior improvement and special needs student support program called First Serves focuses on collaboration, intervention and accommodations.

“We need to make sure the transportation team’s efforts mirror the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) efforts,” she said. “Those communications, when we’re inclusive and we bring all of those critical groups together, are purposeful and designed to meet the individual needs of each child.”

The school bus ride isn’t just about physical safety but also getting students to school ready to learn, she pointed out. She agreed with McDermott’s Venn diagram assessment, adding that information should not be siloed. Instead, the same techniques and language used by teachers in the classroom should also be used on the school bus. Additionally, school bus staff knowing about a student’s diagnosis isn’t as important as knowing details on what their individual likes and dislikes are.

Reducing Behavior Incidents

Greene-Halley addressed the commonly echoed sentiments of school bus drivers that student behavior incidents are increasing while they feel unsupported by district administration. King said that this trend spiked in classrooms and general education school buses following COVID-19, thus making it not just a special needs issue anymore.

School bus drivers and aides must be trained to respond rather than react, Greene-Halley said. While reaction to student behavior is a normal human response, King added that often escalates the behavior. She said that she doesn’t believe in crisis management, but in preventing the escalation that would lead to a crisis.

“The best intervention is the driver and attendant’s healthy and appropriate relationship with the students,” McDermott said.

Sometimes the best interventions are simple, like providing students with books to read or color, he said. He shared the story of Battle Ground Public Schools in Washington state, which discovered that math flashcards were the key to calming a student with challenging behaviors who was previously refused transportation services.

Greene-Halley said this is why it’s important to learn from parents what their child likes. Parental perspective and knowledge are crucial parts of the transportation picture, King concurred.

Data collection from school bus drivers, students, parents and district administration helps everyone stay on the same page. McDermott added that digital data collection is more useful than paper forms that get filed away.

King advised constant appraisal to ensure the necessary components of collaboration, communication and cooperation are being utilized.

McDermott agreed, noting that continual re-evaluation is needed to ensure all school bus drivers and aides are trained and equipped so bus rides are smoother, student educational goals are supported and staff retention is increased.

McDermott explained that First Student uses a variety of school bus and vehicle sizes, with and without aides, to provide the least restrictive environment for students on their rides to and from school while also remaining budget-conscious.

First Student’s scale and numerous bus routes completed every day create learning opportunities and scenarios ripe for training, Greene-Halley added.

Watch the webinar on demand. 

Learn more about student behavior, staff training and related topics at the Transporting Students with Disabilities & Special Needs Conference and Trade Show held in Frisco, Texas from Nov. 7-12.

The post From Silos to Circles: How to Improve School Bus Rider Behavior appeared first on School Transportation News.

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.

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The post Behavior Expert Brings Special Needs De-Escalation Tools to TSD Conference appeared first on School Transportation News.

Join us for an exciting webinar introducing a groundbreaking approach to improving student experience and reducing behavior incidents on the school bus! This webinar will focus on implementing positive interventions and support strategies used in schools to provide consistency and bridge the gap between the classroom and the ride to school.

We’ll introduce the First Serves program, designed to support students and prepare staff to respond appropriately rather than react to behavior. You’ll learn about the LRE Transportation Model, the critical connection between training and support, and practical strategies to improve transportation experiences for students.

Brought to you by First Student

Register Below:

Presenters:

William McDermott
Head of Student Services
First Student

Will McDermott started his career as a special education teacher in 2002. In 2006, McDermott wrote the program description for and received approval from the Illinois State Board of Education to start Hopewell Career Academy, a non-public special education school located in New Lenox, IL. At the time, Hopewell Career Academy was an innovative approach to alternative education, it was one of the first private therapeutic schools that integrated academic standards, social-emotional learning, and career development for students with emotional disabilities.

During his tenure at Hopewell Career Academy, McDermott also started Bridgepoint Academy, another Illinois State Board of Education approved program that focused on students who have met graduation requirements but needed transition services to successfully meet their IEP transition goals and achieve their post-secondary outcomes. In 2013, while serving as principal of Hopewell Career Academy and Bridgepoint Academy, McDermott saw a need to provide better transportation services for students with disabilities and he co-founded Hopewell Transportation. Hopewell Transportation provided special transportation to students with disabilities by integrating simple research-based interventions on the bus by training, bus drivers and bus attendants, and implementing intervention creating a stronger public and private partnership with transportation companies and school districts.

On November 1, 2019, Hopewell Transportation was acquired by First Student and McDermott continues to happily work there focusing his research and efforts on delivering students to school and back home emotionally ready to engage. McDermott currently is the Chairman of the Board at Connect Academy, a K-8 school he founded that is a true public/private partnership with early intervention and support for students as they reintegration to the Least Restrictive Environment desired outcomes.

Dr. Susan King
Special Education Professor & Consultant
George Washington University & CLP Consulting Group

Dr. Susan King is an experienced special educator, researcher, and professor based in the Washington, D.C area. Prior to obtaining her doctoral degree, Dr. King was a special educator in one of the largest school districts in the Washington, D.C. area. Dr. King has been an assistant professor at Juniata College and faculty member at The George Washington University. Her expertise is in assessment, teacher training, behavior management and working with families of students with special needs. She recently completed post-doctoral education at Harvard University in “Making Change.”

Dr. King has consulted with public and private schools, served as an expert witness in legal cases, and conducted independent educational evaluations. She has served as the Chair of The National Advisory Committee for the HEATH Resource Center, National Clearing House on Post-Secondary Education for Individuals with Disabilities (Washington, D.C.) and currently serves as a member of the FirstServes National Advisory Board (Cincinnati, Ohio) and the Committee of Disabilities Awareness in Baltimore -Washington Conference.

Recent Presentations for Dr. King:

• Operation STEER – Student Transportation Emergency Education and Response. Region 6 Huntsville, TX, Keynote – “Responding to Students When an Unpredictable Situation Arises” March 2024.
• AASA – The School Superintendents Association. February 2024.ISSEA – Illinois State Special Education Administrators Conference. February 2024. CASE – Pittsburgh, PA., November 2023.CEC- Florida, October 2023

Laura Greene-Halley
Senior Director, Safety, Performance and Improvement
First Student

Laura Greene-Halley is a critical member of First Student’s safety leadership and FirstServes teams, and in her current role as Senior Director of Safety Performance and Improvement, she develops and implements ground-breaking innovation, safety strategies, and sustainable plans for over 440 locations across the United States and Canada. She has presented internationally to safety leadership coaches on becoming influential advocates for safety.

As a 2015 National School Transportation Association Golden Merit Award winner, Greene-Halley has been an industry-recognized driving force in student transportation for over 30 years. She has served two consecutive three-year terms on the Advisory Board for School Bus Driver Instructor/Master Instructor with the New York State Education Department (NYSED). She also holds numerous professional certifications including NYSED Master Instructor and Safety Leadership Instructor and Coach certified by Aubrey Daniels International and is Certified in Special Needs Transportation by NAPT.

Greene-Halley is an intentional role model, motivating others to become safety leaders and inspiring them to embrace safety as their core operating value. She is a passionate professional who gains personal fulfillment from ensuring the safety of our students, employees and the general public in our partner communities.

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