Special
education attorney
Vickie L. Coe speaks to TSD Conference
attendees on Nov. 10, 2022.
Looping In School Bus Drivers As school buses are extensions of the school campus
and a related service under the Individuals With Dis- abilities Act (IDEA), Coe advised that school bus drivers are in need of certain information about their students’ disabilities so they are prepared to look out for, interact with, and respond to issues that may arise during routes. “While the IDEA does not specifically speak to re-
movals and/or suspensions from the bus, if a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team has determined that specialized transportation is necessary, the IDEA’s disciplinary protections apply when those students are removed or suspended from the bus,” she commented. “To ensure that students with disabilities are afforded their disciplinary protections under the IDEA, it is critical that school bus personnel keep build- ing administrators in the loop whenever a student with a disability is removed and/or suspended from the bus.” Jocelyn Taylor, Ed.D., a former speech pathologist and
autism education specialist at the Utah Department of Education and Jordan School District near Salt Lake City, emphasized the value of open communication between schools and bus drivers during two sessions at the TSD Conference. She discussed working with students who
are on the autism spectrum and how to successfully mainstream high-functioning students with special needs. Keeping communication lines open is of upmost importance, especially when bus drivers either don’t have or don’t use email to communicate with the school staff. For example, it is not ideal for a bus driver to have to rely on locating a school administrator at the bus loop when they need to focus on student safety. Most drivers relay information to the transportation supervisor, who then passes it on. “If there is no way for a driver to easily communicate
with a teacher or the principal, there is a big systemic problem,” said Taylor, owner of The Experts in Education Consortium. “The school bus is a very important part of the educational system, and the bus driver should be able to easily access the people they need to get help with their students.” Taylor has over 30 years of experience both as an administrator and a practitioner in the field of special needs education, especially when it comes to students on the spectrum. As far as not violating FAPE, Taylor noted that a child acting out on the school bus means they are likely also acting out in the classroom. “The school should already have developed a plan for manag-
Read more about Vickie L. Coe’s keynote address at the TSD Conference and for a more in-depth look on the ins and outs of transporting students with special needs and the related legalities at
stnonline.com/go/e5.
44 School Transportation News • JANUARY 2023
PHOTO BY VINCENT RIOS CREATIVE
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