News always travels fast, but it is not always accurate, which led to a Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Cy-Fair ISD) bus driver being incorrectly accused of driving erratically while transporting students via a local news station. The district’s superintendent released a social media statement setting the record straight.
On Monday, KHOU-11 published a news article reporting that the unidentified Cy-Fair ISD bus driver was pulled over by police and administered a field sobriety test after a receiving report from a bystander claiming they “saw the bus driving erratically.”
Cy-Fair Superintendent Doug Killian released a statement Thursday defending the school bus driver and clarifying the events.
“On Monday morning, one of our new drivers hit a curb on a tight turn to avoid a vehicle in the opposite lane,” Killian stated. “A community member reported this to Harris County Precinct 5 Constables. Our team reviewed the video of the route multiple times and can definitively say the driver was not driving erratically, as it was reported.”
Killian confirmed the driver was given a field sobriety test twice by law enforcement, as was shown by KHOU-11, and both tests came back negative. The school bus driver was then taken to a clinic for drug and alcohol testing, per district protocol. Killian confirmed those tests also came back negative.
The school bus driver was reportedly back on route Friday.
In the statement, Killian expressed his disappointment in the “click-bait report” that was released by the news station and said that the district is requesting an on-air retraction and apology to the driver.
“The media story created unnecessary embarrassment for this driver and was released prior to the completion of our full investigation. It painted a negative light on the true professionalism of our CFISD bus drivers and transportation staff,” he said.
He continued that while he does not hold out hope that the retraction and apology will happen, he felt it was his duty as superintendent to publicly release the facts of the incident and that he “cannot in good conscience sit by and watch a staff member be attacked or presented in a poor light when their actions were not poor or negatively impactful to kids.”
He explained that after the school bus driver was pulled over, the students onboard behaved well despite the delay, which he attributed to the “quality of our drivers and the high expectations they set for our riders since the first day of school.”
Killian thanked the driver involved for their service and said he encourages the media to report on positive news stories throughout the school year.
On social media, Kilian’s statement was commended by the community for defending the reputation of the driver. One Facebook commenter noted that following the release of the story, “There were so many hurtful and ugly negative comments,” illustrating how a story shared on social media can quickly garner a strong public reaction, even if the facts have not been verified yet.
“This was truly a fantastic example of leadership, accountability, and standing and speaking directly to the people and FOR the people you serve,” said another Facebook comment.
Meanwhile, KHOU published an updated article Thursday noting Killian’s response and the school bus driver passing all drug and alcohol tests, adding, “That criticism came despite the fact that we reached out to Cy-Fair ISD multiple times throughout the day ahead of our story Tuesday night and shared the district’s statement that noted the driver passed two field sobriety tests and an alcohol test, but had been placed on paid leave pending drug test results.”
The news station also reported it asked Cy-Fair for access to the video exonerating the school bus driver, but the request was denied.
It’s no secret that student transportation staff play critical roles in the daily lives of the students on their routes. At the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference this fall, a new keynote speaker will share with attendees how they can create a positive environment onboard the bus to benefit student behavior outcomes.
Lisa Navarra’s keynote, “The Power of Praise: Shaping Student Behavior and Building Success on the Bus” is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10 at the TSD Conference in Frisco, Texas. She will present research-based strategies for behavior specific praise as an interventional practice that assists students with their transportation routines, based on real-world interactions of school bus drivers with their students. She will discuss the types of praise that encourages student cooperation, how to phrase positive reinforcement phrases, and how all these practices help to shape the emotional and behavioral students and foster resilience.
Navarra has spent nearly three decades working with students with disabilities, not only in a classroom setting, but also transportation with her development of the Launch! School Bus Safety Program, intervention-based training that works with students to maintain behavioral expectations across educational settings and further safety. The New York-based behavior expert has been recognized with national awards for her work to ensure student safety and school-ready behavior and equip school district staff with tools to further student success and inclusion. Navarra was the recipient of the Teacher’s Federal Credit Union grant in 2024, after being voted the first place winner out of 1,500 nominees for the the institution’s national Teacher Appreciation Week contest.
Navarra was a special education teacher for 20 years and has a master’s degree in special education and certificate in school district administration. She is also an author of multiple behavioral and self-regulation books, including “Henry & Friends: A Bus Voice Adventure,” a children’s book that helps prepare students for their first school bus ride.
For more details on the 2025 TSD speakers, visit tsdconference.com. The TSD Conference will be held November 6-11 at the Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco Hotel and Convention Center. Register by October 3 to save $100 on main conference registration with the Early Bird Discount.
The “Bus Buddies” program returned to Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District in Texas, making the first school bus rides of the new school year a safe and fun experience for students.
An initiative that’s been at Cypress-Fairbanks for over a decade, the Bus Buddies program is designed to help younger students in the district’s 59 elementary campuses who are learning proper school bus safety and the route home from school. The program has one volunteer per school bus to ride with the students and ensure they know which stop to exit the bus. Kayne Smith, Cy-Fair ISD’s transportation director, said that the volunteers come from the community, school administration, and school board members.
The volunteers rode along with the students for the first two days of school to “assist school bus drivers to ensure our youngest riders ride safely, including wearing seatbelts, staying seated, and most importantly, ensuring they know safely exit the bus at the correct stop on the first day of school,” explained Smith.
“This has been a very successful program with hundreds of volunteers in our district. We are very fortunate for this support from our administration, Board, and community for our drivers and our youngest students on these first days of school,” he added.
This interactive event on Friday, Nov. 7, allows for TSD attendees to not only see live demonstrations of the safety technology designed for school buses and vehicles that transport students with disabilities and who are preschoolers but will have the opportunity to ride the buses themselves. There will be a networking reception as part of the event.
The Ride and Drive and Technology Demonstration allows attendees to ride different fuel types of school buses as well as see special needs route specific technology such as wheelchair lifts in action.
“Exploring new technology and special needs transportation options at the TSD Conference is time well spent,” said Tony Corpin, STN president and publisher. “Through the Technology Demonstration and Ride & Drive, attendees gain hands-on experience with innovative solutions from top school bus OEMs and technology suppliers, empowering them to address challenges and enhance the ridership experience.”
The TSD Trade Show begins the evening of Sunday, Nov. 9 with the Trade Show and Tailgate Reception and continues Monday morning. This will be another opportunity for attendees to connect with vendors and find technology and service solutions to further safety and benefit students with unique needs.
Find the full conference agenda at tsdconference.com. Register by Oct. 10 to save $100 with the Early Bird Discount.
Providing the best care for the students, empowering the transportation staff, and building an operational culture of communication and clear policies will be discussed by industry veterans, transportation consultants, and school district and bus company staff members.
In the driver training category, session topics include how to model behavior interventions in transportation settings, training for empathy of children’s needs, providing training for the service of medically fragile riders, and other proactive training educational discussions.
For upholding legal requirements and federal standards, speakers will plan to address topics such as impact of the updated National School Bus Specifications and Procedures on operations, alternative transportation, Medicaid reimbursement funding, and developing policies for proper and safe usage of student restraint and seclusion practices.
To address collaborating with contractors or other resources to aid student transportation, examples of topics include how to avoid one-size-fits-all solutions, how to create successful partnerships between school districts and contractors, and the OT/PT Transporter Forum on multidisciplinary policy development.
In addition to the hands-on training classes that cover wheelchair securement, school bus evacuations and use of child safety restraint systems on school buses, instructors from the Texas School for the Deaf will provide training for student transporters on using American Sign Language to communicate.
For a full list of 2025 TSD conference topics, visit tsdconference.com.
Save $100 on regular conference registration with Early Bird registration by Oct. 3. The TSD Conference will be held November 6-11 in Frisco, Texas at the Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco Hotel and Convention Center. Find more information on daily agenda, unique experiences, hotel and registration at tsdconference.com
STN staff spoke with speakers, training instructors and attendees at the STN EXPO West conference last month to ask them about the educational sessions and trainings as well as their thoughts on the importance of the content as it impacts the student transportation industry.
STN EXPO West returned to Reno, Nevada for six days of specialized student transportation training, educational sessions, leadership development, cutting-edge technology demonstrations and unique networking experiences. The conference featured a full agenda, that included the Green Bus Summit, Bus Technology Summit, the Trade Show and the Ride & Drive with Live Technology Demonstrations, all as a catalyst to have the conversations that are making a difference in the industry. Recap the STN EXPO West magic with these videos that captured live moments from Reno.
RENO, Nev. — “Amazement artist” Jon Petz used a dynamic combination of magical entertainment and emotional stories to show STN EXPO West attendees the power of simple moments.
Petz had previously addressed over 100 directors at Saturday’s Transportation Director Summit, where he demonstrated how even the most challenging situations that transportation directors face can be solved through passion driven performance.
He opened the Monday morning keynote with a story about his father, who shared a magic trick with him as a child. He noted for the attendees that one moment changed his entire emotional connection with his father and is a memory he remembers decades later. He also said that he still remembers his school bus driver, Mr. Pope, who he described as the kindest man.
“I think today, in this room, you were supposed to be here. On this exact day, with these exact people, at this exact time,” Petz said.
He proved this sentiment with a magic trick. He asked for numbers from various attendees and performed a math equation. The answer resulted in the exact date of Monday’s keynote and the time of day he was performing the trick.
“Magic is about creating moments,” he said. “And we all do this in what we do and who we are.”
As an “amazement artist,” Petz said he wants to share how to harness the opportunities to create a moment that people will remember. No one talks about average moments.They talk about impactful moments.
“When you perform a diabolically impossible trick as a magician on stage, there are two things that happen. One the whole audience asks, ‘How did you do it?’ But after that, the cool part is they come right up to you and say, ‘Do it again.’ How great would it be if people say that about what you do?”
He explained that our brains literally remember special memories differently with a burst of dopamine and serotonin that plants itself in a unique way in your mind. After performing a trick where he made an attendees’ $100 bill disappear and reappear inside a lemon, Petz noted that even when you think you know what’s going to happen, there is still a moment of anticipation. He said instead of trying to raise the bar, he tries to raise the bar one small bump at a time.
He shared a story of a time he was traveling with his daughters, and the airline pilot created a unique and humorous experience for the passengers. He did this by initially saying that this flight was only his second one, alluding to ever, which created a tense moment with the waiting passengers who had been preoccupied with their cell phones. The captain soon added that it was his second flight of the day, which relieved the anxious passengers and instantly bonded everyone.
Petz said he later asked the pilot, Capt. Denny, why he said what he did. He replied, “I like my aircraft to be different,” which Petz noted was creating a moment out of the mundane.
Despite only having that one meeting, years later, Petz attended Capt. Denny’s retirement party and rode on his final flight. The initial flight made that much of an impact on him. He also noted that Capt. Denny would call the parents of unaccompanied minors on his flights to assure them that he would get them to their destination safely or show passengers who had pets in the cargo hold photos to prove they were alright
“Mutually beneficial relationships are not something we conquer, “he said. “It’s a series of simple moments that matter to those that we serve.”
Petz used the example of school bus drivers smiling at a student, and that the interaction might be the only positive one the student experiences all day. Something so simple, he said, creates trust, loyalty and connection.
He explained as a magician he identifies touchpoints and reimagines these moments. Amid the stress of student transportation, sometimes professionals forget how impactful those roles are. He asked the attendees, “What is your story? What do you want it to be?” He noted that the moment of connection is different for every one of us.
Petz shared an impactful story about a time he was asked by a charity to perform magic tricks at a children’s hospital. One of the children was a very sick 9-year-old boy named Nathan. His dream was to become the most famous magician in the world, but he was battling a serious illness.
The situation made Petz nervous, he recalled, as he felt he was “just Jon.” How would he be able to help the boy?
Petz decided to accept the invitation and experienced a moment of shock when he realized how sick Nathan was and that a priest was present. But when Nathan saw him, his eyes lit up and he excitedly participated in magic tricks. He performed a trick where he conjured up a seven of hearts card with Nathan’s name on it and magically made it stick to the ceiling above the hospital bed. Petz even performed a trick with the priest’s credit card.
The story wasn’t over, however, as five months later Petz ran into the same priest. When the priest recognized him, he pulled out the credit card that Petz had put his picture on and shared that Nathan had died eight hours after Petz left the hospital. The priest said that Nathan’s family had retrieved the seven of hearts card from the hospital ceiling and placed it in Nathan’s casket, as it represented the last happy moment they had with him as a family.
“Share the things you have,” said Petz.
He continued that emotional experiences are what fuel our passion. He recalled watching motorists illegally pass school buses when he was taking his daughters to school and would reach out to the districts to report the incidents.
Petz encouraged the attendees to reach out and help others find their value. “That’s why you’re here,” he said. “To understand your value.” He encouraged attendees to continue to connect after the show ends, be here next year and expand their network and knowledge.
“You are not just anybody, you are the best at what you do, or you wouldn’t be here,” he told the audience. “We’ve proved that you’re in the right room with the right people at the right time.”
He then prompted attendees to ask themselves the question, “Do I perform to create an amazing moment, or do I perform just enough to get by?”
Petz wrapped up his address by saying that he shares seven of hearts cards at his events, hoping that one day one of the cards will reach Nathan’s family. He asked what could have happened if he had said no to the invitation to see Nathan? He advised attendees to take advantage of the opportunities where they can say yes.
“This room will never happen again. You are here with a purpose,” said Petz. “And STN, it’s showtime.”
When Kara Sands took a job as a school bus driver at the age of 21, she wasn’t sure how she would like working with children. Today, she’s on a mission to further safety and prevent school bus accidents.
Sands, transportation lead trainer and driver at Hanover Community Schools Corporation in Indiana, was selected to receive the inaugural “Dick Fischer School Bus Safety Scholarship,” a continuing education scholarship named for industry veteran Richard “Dick” Fischer, who successfully petitioned President Richard Nixon in 1972 to create the first federal recognition of National School Bus Safety Week. The scholarship provides one safety-oriented student transportation professional the opportunity to attend the STN EXPO West conference in Reno, Nevada.
Kara Sands said she would like to become a school bus consultant one day, following in the footsteps of Dick Fischer
Sands said her introduction to the world of student transportation began with a surprise pregnancy discovered on her 21st birthday while she was in college. She explained that the bus company she applied to in Illinois offered child-care and paid well, which led to her first job driving a school bus. She discovered that she loved working with the students.
“Kids became everything to me,” said Sands. “Just seeing the smiles on their face and knowing that I could teach them something that they might keep with them for the rest of their lives. That’s my favorite part about driving.”
Sands continued that as her career progressed as a driver, she always wanted to further higher education. In between supporting her husband through various health conditions, she tries to further her career and education.
Despite any setbacks she encounters in life, Sands said her mantra remains the same. “Whatever I try to do, I always try to make sure I do it 100 percent. I try to make the best out of whatever I have,” she shared.
When speaking about her passion for school bus safety, Sands said that she has seen a lot of “close calls.” She shared that a pivotal moment for her was when her daughter’s best friend died in a car crash three years ago. She explained that her drive to train for increased safety “was kind of like a tribute to her, in a way. I looked at the whole accident scene and tried to see what the problems were, what happened, how could this have been prevented. It made me train totally different,” she recalled.
“I ended up putting a face with every story, every lesson,” she said.
Sands continuously works to get the message to as many people as possible to prepare for the worst-case scenario. She continued that awareness has always been a hurdle as she tries to convey to school bus drivers how important their job is and that it’s never “just a job.”
In between her time at her first school bus driver job and starting at Hanover in 2017, Sands said she has driven students pretty much everywhere from Chicago to Indiana in a myriad of environments. She shared that there are unique challenges that come from driving in a cityscape to being on roads made of gravel and sand that could sink under you.
Sands said a resource she has relied on for about six years is Fischer’s email newsletter sent daily throughout the school year to provide news and commentary on safety issues affecting student transportation. She added she appreciated Fischer’s meticulous record keeping and started attending local conferences where she was taught his training. She explained that she hadn’t been interested in some of the more recent conference options, so she emailed Fischer to inquire about potential opportunities. He pointed her to the STN EXPO website, where she discovered the scholarship opportunity and said the education offered was “right up her alley.”
She continued that she has filled every available window of time for her time STN EXPO West, saying she wants to learn “anything and everything” she can. She said she’s looking to share resources and ideas as well as discuss challenging training situations, such as getting through to someone who might have a personality that is hesitant to accept instruction.
“I try to keep an open mind. I try to take it all in, you know, whether someone has got more experience at something than me or not. There’s always something I learn new every day. But sometimes people just don’t see that way…For me that is something I would like to discuss with [other] trainers,” she explained.
In her application for the scholarship, Sands stated that she was specifically looking forward to the “School Bus Accident Investigation: Be Prepared for a Lawsuit” presentation on Friday, July 11 taught by Fischer and Pete Baxter, a former president of both the National Association for Pupil Transportation and National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services as well as an NAPT Hall of Fame inductee. While she said she’s been very fortunate that she has not personally had to handle a school bus crash, she understands that there is a lot to learn in that realm of preparedness. She also noted that she’s interested in seeing different technology and hardware options, such as new stop-arms and equipment for buses used on special needs routes, which will be on display at the Trade Show in Reno.
Sands shared that she would like to see herself step into a safety consultant role like Fischer’s one day. She recalled attending one of Fischer’s classes early on in her career. She laughed remembering that she was 30 seconds late for the class and that Fischer “really let me have it.” But after the class, she called him, and he spent 45 minutes on the phone with her answering her questions.
“Nobody does that. I don’t know anybody that does that.” she said. “I’ll never forget that.”
Registration remains open on-site for the STN EXPO West conference in Reno, Nevada at the Peppermill Resort. Find the conference agenda, speaker information, trade show vendor lists at stnexpo.com/west.
Six school districts are being recognized at STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada next month as part of the 2025 Top Transportation Teams.
Launched in 2023, the Top Transportation Teams program by Transfinder spotlights the country’s outstanding student transportation departments and gives them a platform to share their success strategies with others. The winners were chosen based on the results of anonymous surveys that were sent to the teams that applied, asking questions about leadership, career development, resources and incentives.
The winners are divided into two categories, the first being 100 or more team members. Winners in this category are Hoover City Schools in Alabama, Prosper Independent School District in Texas and Goddard Public Schools in Kansas. In the 100 team members or less category are Pembroke Central School District in New York, Wa-Nee Community Schools in Indiana and Franklin Square Union Free School District in New York.
STN EXPO attendees will recognize some returning districts among the winners. Wa-nee took home the award in 2024 and Pembroke CSD in 2023.
Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella noted an increased number of applicants this year. “The Top Transportation Teams program continues to grow, a sign that there was a void that needed filling,” he stated. “Hearing the stories from districts on how they work together, build culture and go beyond the call of duty has been inspiring to so many. We know this program is not just giving these teams the recognition they deserve but also is playing a role in helping transportation operations improve how they serve their communities.”
Following an awards presentation ceremony on July 14 at STN EXPO West, representatives from each winning team will join a panel discussion where they will discuss with Civitella the leadership decisions and operational procedures that create a successful transportation team.
“The Top Transportation Teams Award is a prestigious honor recognizing exceptional school districts and private school bus contractors,” said STN Publisher and President Tony Corpin. “In partnership with Transfinder, this award highlights exemplary teamwork and operational excellence, inspiring the pupil transportation industry to achieve higher standards of safety, operational excellence and highlighting the importance of company culture. We are honored to host these awards and thank President and CEO Antonio Civitella for his vision to recognize industry leaders and their teams!”
STN EXPO West will be held in Reno, Nevada July 11-16. Register at stnexpo.com/west.
The STN EXPO West Ride and Drive event will be expanding to include an immersive technology experience in Reno, Nevada.
The event held Sunday, July 13 kicks off the Green Bus Summit and Bus Technology Summit. Attendees will have the opportunity to ride low- and zero-emission school buses from leading school bus manufacturers, including Blue Bird, IC Bus, MicroBird, RIDE, and from the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC).
In addition to the Ride and Drive, attendees will experience the Bus Technology Showcase. Representatives from student transportation companies Zonar, Tyler Technologies, Transfinder, and Zum will provide live demos of their technology offerings, allowing attendees a unique chance for hands-on interaction, and an opportunity to ask questions and explore solutions that will benefit their operations.
Held at the Peppermill Resort parking lot, this summer evening event will provide a vibrant atmosphere for attendees and vendors to network while enjoying local food trucks, drinks and a live DJ.
The Bus Technology Summit and Green Bus Summit continue Monday, July 14 with educational sessions, interactive technology labs and demos, and discussions with leaders in the green bus market.
Don’t miss the STN EXPO West experience, July 11-16, in Reno, Nevada. Register now.
Each year, student transportation professionals gather in Frisco, Texas, for a transformative event designed to inspire and equip attendees with practical solutions that enhance safety for students with disabilities and for preschoolers. This year’s conference will feature inspiring keynotes, engaging educational sessions, opportunities for hands-on training, and networking events.
The conference will open with a Welcome Party at Topgolf the Colony on Nov. 6. Over the course of the next five days, attendees will hear from industry experts on various aspects of safely transporting students with disabilities as well as preschoolers and how to empower transportation staff to care for their most vulnerable student riders.
Three keynote sessions are currently planned. “Developmentally Appropriate Safety Education” presented by Michele Gay, co-founder of Safe and Sound Schools and the mother of Sandy Hook shooting victim Josephine Grace Gay, opens the education on Friday, Nov. 7. Special education attorney Betsey Helfrich will share recent and pertinent legal information and summaries of case law Saturday, Nov. 8. Sunday, Nov. 9, will feature the presentation “Fostering Inclusive Practices & Support Accessibility in Education” by Glenna Wright-Gallo, who was the assistant secretary of education for special education and rehabilitative services at the U.S. Department of Education in 2023 and 2024 and is now a vice president of policy for education technology company Everway.
Training classes include the eight-hour, NHTSA-sponsored Child Passenger Safety on School Bus seminar, the Wheelchair Securement Boot Camp Training & Certification by AMF-Bruns, the Hands-on School Bus Evacuations for Students with Special Needs & Preschoolers Training, and the roadeo competition sponsored by Q’Straint/Sure-Lok, which also provides wheelchair securement training to roadeo contestants as well as conference attendees before the competition on Saturday.
The Safety & Technology Product Demonstration/Special Needs Ride & Drive also returns this year as does the Trade Show and Tailgate Reception, featuring vendors showcasing their technology offerings to benefit transportation operations.
Register by Aug. 8 to save $200 on main conference registration with Super Early Bird Savings. Find conference dates, hotel information and exhibitor list at tsdconference.com.
With an ever-growing array of new technology, making the right purchasing choices for a student transportation fleet is a monumental process.
A panel discussion at STN EXPO West looks to provide attendees with a big picture view of student transportation technology purchases and how to make sure it’s being utilized, to provide all the benefits possible.
The “Technology Adoption: The Promise of AI” session will be held on July 14, a day that will also include multiple product demonstration labs as part of the Bus Technology Summit. Panelists look to provide insights on various phases of technology implementation, including initial research, diagnosis of transportation needs and crafting a request for proposal.
They will also discuss how to approach the big questions such as, “Why did we choose this technology?” “What are our expectations?” and “How can we ensure this purchase is being used most effectively to improve student transportation operations?” Attendees will not only hear diverse perspectives from public school districts and suppliers on technology implementation and the role artificial intelligence can play but learn how to avoid potential pitfalls that often negatively impact the process.
Join us for this in-depth discussion, moderated by STN Publisher and President Tony Corpin. The panelists will represent the School District of Philadelphia, Denver Public Schools, student transportation contractor Beacon Mobility, and transportation technology vendor, CI Solutions.
STN EXPO West will be held July 11-16 in Reno, Nevada at the Peppermill Resort. Find registration and hotel details, conference agenda, exhibitor lists, and more information on this and other training opportunities at stnexpo.com/west.
In a world of digitization, circuit diagnosis using wiring schematics and digital multimeter data enables technicians to quickly and accurately solve electrical issues in their buses. Vehicle electrical systems are an inescapable facet of daily life for school bus technicians, especially with the addition of electric school buses. New training at STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada next month will equip student transportation professionals to be prepared for a wide variety of scenarios involving electrical systems and diagnostics.
The “Electric Circuitry Training” course led by David Roper, a veteran automotive instructor who works with Clean Cities, will be held on Sunday, July 13. This one-day course follows the National School Bus Inspection Training, which begins on Friday, July 11 with classroom instruction and a written exam at the Peppermill Resort, and continues Saturday, July 12 with hands-on training at Washoe County School District.
This vehicle electrical systems diagnosis training prepares participants for working on high voltage buses through a deeper understanding of electrical systems in vehicles, with the added benefit that this training equips technicians to diagnose electrical issues on vehicles no matter the fuel. Hands-on training with electric circuitry boards will allow for instruction on basic electrical principles, common electrical components, circuit construction and testing, wiring schematics, circuit tracing and troubleshooting of common circuit malfunctions.
The diagnostics section of the training will help attendees learn how to recognize if an issue is being caused by a faulty part or a wiring connection problem, a distinction that could save significant amounts of money in parts for transportation operations.
This training is available to technicians who sign up for National School Bus Inspection Training only and space is limited, so secure your spot today.
June 6 is the Early Bird Registration deadline to save $100 on regular conference registration for STN EXPO West, held July 11-16 in Reno, Nevada at the Peppermill Resort. Find registration and hotel details, conference agenda, exhibitor lists, and more information on this and other training opportunities at stnexpo.com/west.
While attending the STN EXPO East conference in March, School Transportation News connected with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools student transportation professionals in North Carolina. One of these individuals is Monique Jackson, an education veteran who recently wrote a children’s book focused on school bus safety.
Jackson is an area manager for Charlotte-Mecklenburg, the second largest school district in the state. One of 14 area managers, Jackson oversees services for over 5,000 families across 12 different schools. Jackson recalled her time as president of her senior class in high school, where in the yearbook she had said that she would like to be a kindergarten teacher. Little did she know, that would only be the start of her over 25-year career working with students.
Her educational career began at Crispus Attucks Children’s Center, a non-profit childcare center in Roxbury, Massachusetts as a preschool teacher. Jackson transitioned from early childhood care to a program director in Boston that led to her education advocacy work with a group that she described as a “inner city network of childcare provider professionals.”
She later became the president of this group, serving for three years. Her job included working on legislative bills to provide quality and affordable child-care for all the children in the community. She also led the Dorchester Neighborhood Cluster, an organization that utilized funding from the state’s Department of Education for parent advocacy, continuing education for educators, training and workforce development.
Additionally, she was the director of court child-care, where she helped to provide a safe and therapeutic environment for children whose parents were in the courtroom, so they would not be exposed to all the things being discussed in courts.
“I’ve been around for quite some time in terms of the education field,” said Jackson. “I have worked in diverse programs, that are traditional and nontraditional.”
After moving to North Carolina in 2004, Jackson continued her educational journey in after-school care programs and later as a teacher for another five years before entering the world of student transportation.
As a young child, Jackson shared that her mother would walk her to school. However, she rode the school bus for one year during middle school.
“One of the things that we were dealing with at the time, which is really sad, was some issues around racism, because they integrated the schools, and we were basically bused into areas [where] people that look like me did not live,” she recounted.
She described a traumatic incident when someone outside the bus threw a glass soda bottle that struck her black school bus driver in the face.
“I have never forgotten that as a child on the bus and seeing that happen,” she said, adding she believes that everything happens for a reason and there was a silver lining to witnessing the shocking event.
“I think for me, it helped me to realize I still want to work in education and work with children and families. However, it made me realize the importance of cultivating and fostering an environment that is inclusive and inviting for all, and then, of course, focusing on the component of safety as a core value,” she said.
This sentiment is highlighted in Jackson’s first children’s book, “Mommy, Why is Everyone So Mad?” Published in 2020, Jackson shared the book unfolds the feelings surrounding the lack of acceptance that many people face in today’s world and, despite that, how we can all model respect and kindness in our interactions.
“You know, children have a squabble in the sandbox. They go back to being friends again. They forgive each other. They give second chances,” said Jackson. “And sometimes as adults, we lose that softness and that ability to be forgiving and to realize that guess what, we’re human beings. We’re not perfect, we’re going to make mistakes, you know, different things are going to happen. But we have to remember that it’s all about building community and supporting each other.
“We need to breathe,” she continued. “Recognize our humanity. That’s the piece that’s missing. Because when you look at humanity, it doesn’t matter about color, race, politics, religion, socioeconomic background. It matters about people, and what people need to thrive and grow and be successful and happy in our lives.”
Before joining student transportation, Jackson went back to graduate school to obtain a master’s degree in school administration with the goal of becoming a principal. She expressed that she was looking for something different, and a friend recommended that she apply for an open position of transportation manager for the Hopewell area. She was hired and she has stayed in the transportation arena since 2018.
Monique Jackson poses with her book “Gus the Talking Safety Bus,” at the 2025 STN EXPO East conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Jackson channeled her love of storytelling, education and safety into her latest children’s book, “Gus the Talking Safety Bus.” The two characters are based on her own twin granddaughters, Ava and Libby, who know all about Gus, a robot used by CMS to train students in kindergarten and first grade about school bus safety.
Jackson said Gus served as her inspiration to use a familiar face to teach children about the importance of safety in the Danger Zone at bus stops and onboard the bus.
She explained that it’s important for students to know what is expected of them from a safety perspective before they get on the school bus. She outlines five safety basics in her book, which she hopes is used as a teaching tool. Her advice is to confirm the expectations, restate them to students, and develop a routine so that they know exactly what to do. This ranges from waiting until the bus has come to a complete stop to how to sit securely in the school bus seats.
Of course, school bus safety doesn’t rely simply on the students but also the school bus drivers. Jackson said she considers her drivers to be “rockstars.”
“Drivers do a lot behind the wheel and then also keep those students safe every day. This is a tough job, and I tell people the same way teachers have a tough job, school bus drivers do too,” she said. “Who knows what it’s like to get behind the wheel of a one-ton machine, and you have precious cargo on board? They don’t realize the things that drivers face and what they run into every day in order to keep those children safe and to get them to school and get them back home every day.”
She said she tries to provide a strong safety foundation by encouraging her drivers to keep in mind that it takes 21 days to form a habit. She encourages them to start the new school year by reinforcing safety rules consistently with the students and modeling them. This sets the tone for the year and can be adjusted to developmental age with each route.
Jackson said she makes sure to let her drivers know that they are fully supported by her, which means following up on behavioral incidents that may require action from school administration. She said she makes sure to follow due process, which includes reporting incidents as referrals to lead drivers and forwarding to school administration. If a resolution isn’t reached, she said she can pull evidence of past referrals as well as videos of the infractions to ensure that the driver is best equipped to handle the school bus and students safely.
As she shared on Episode 254 of the School Transportation Nation podcast, Jackson said she supports a multi-prong approach to school bus and Danger Zone safety, an effort that includes transportation leadership, the drivers, the students and their families and educational material.
Jackson’s passion for educational access and transportation safety is evident to anyone who interacts with her. “I love children and families, and I think that it’s important that all children have access to a quality education, whether it’s before school, after school, of course for our daily school routines as well,” she said.
To add to her ever-growing list of accomplishments, Jackson is also the founder of Kingdom at Work, an online faith platform that she created during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide support for people struggling during a time of isolation. She said of transportation “when there’s a crisis, we transform,” and that the group assisted in transporting educational materials, devices and meals to students.
Jackson said she is excited to continue her journey as an author and has plans for future writing projects. Her books are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and directly from her website.
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