WORKSHOPS ADDRESS CURRENT TOPICS, INDUSTRY PRACTICES
Attendees had more than three-doz-
en workshops to choose from during the conference that included the essential “gold standard” session, “Beyond Pizza and Politics: Best Ideas for IEP Team Building,” presented by Diana Rose-Gates, physical therapist and special needs transportation liaison for Caddo Parish Schools in Shreve- port, La., and Henkensiefken, transporta- tion coordinator for Brainerd Public School District and president of the Minnesota Association for Pupil Transportation. Tey shared ideas on fostering better com-
munication and teamwork among special ed, transportation, parents and other stakehold- ers when determining transportation services called for by a student’s Individualized Edu- cation Program. Te workshop aimed to deal with frustrations felt by transporters who always seem to be the last to know when a service is agreed upon that might prove to be extremely challenging, costly or even impos- sible. Federal law, however, puts the onus on getting the job done, which requires a perfect blend of quick thinking, problem solving and nimble maneuvering. Tey also discussed tips for keeping student information confidential, such as coding data, storing it in locked boxes or bags on the bus during routes, and then re- moving them to a safe location and keeping a route book on the bus that stays with the driver at all times. Another prevalent topic in special needs
transportation that is not so easy to discuss or address is identifying potential sexual abuse cases. In the workshop “Are Your Eyes Open to Sexual Abuse?” Linda Bluth offered insight into identifying certain social behaviors and other patterns among student riders who might be victims. During her career, she has personally
served as an expert witness on some 65 legal cases that involved sexual abuse of school bus riders. She said the topic makes people feel uncomfortable but must be discussed. Special needs students are three times
more susceptible to abuse, according to a March 2013 report from the VERA Insti-
60 School Transportation News April 2014
Many workshop sessions challenged attendees to think about how they would approach certain scenarios, address issues to appropriate staff members and utilize various resources outside of transportation to run a safe operation.
tute of Justice. Bluth also said that about eight in 10 cases that occur on the bus are during regular route service. Often school bus drivers don’t feel com-
fortable reporting suspicions that a student may be being abused, especially if he or she has no documentation a crime has occurred and only has a “gut feeling.” Bluth said transportation managers should encourage all their employees to speak up, and at that point management should involve a prin- cipal, school administrator, social worker or even law enforcement to investigate. Tey should also train staff to be especially watchful, for example, when students gather in a cluster at the back of the bus. “Know your state laws for your obligation
to report,” she advised. Safety and training is synonymous with student transportation, and the workshop “Best of the Best: Tips From Safety Train- ers” offered special transportation proce- dures and child-specific training procedures
beyond basic first aid and CPR that would help better engage trainees. Led by George Horne, president of Horne Enterprises and a former educator and student transpor- tation director, and Mark Weaver, trans- portation-training coordinator for Clark County School District in Athens, Ga., they discussed innovative ways they have trained their drivers that also let them know that the drivers were active participants and listeners during the training. “Like a meal, training should be nour-
ishing, flavorful and temptingly presented,” Horne said. Weaver noted training should be based on different experiences and educa- tional levels, as well as different job require- ments, such as when school athletic coaches drive school buses. Tey also said giving drivers access to resources is important. “Put it in their hands, making them
more accountable,” said Horne. “Not only are you telling them, but you’re showing them the law.”
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