SPECIAL REPORT
school bus ride. When an incident occurs where the stu- dent has broken a rule or violated a policy, a foundation already exists to address and solve the issue.
Technology While technology can most certainly assist trans-
portation departments in tracking bullying incidents, procedures are needed to ensures video footage, for example, is reviewed in a timely manner by the appro- priate school officials. Eric Watkins, transportation and school safety director
at Stewart County Schools in Tennessee, said his district reviews footage from the onboard bus cameras once a month, if any issues have been reported or not. “If a bus driver is going to do a student write-up, and
it is something that we think [warrants] it, we review the incident and make a clip for the school administrators, or the parents to watch (if they request it),” said Watkins. “The video footage stays with the transportation office and needs a court subpoena to leave our facility.” Stewart County began implementing the procedures following the murder of school bus driver Joyce Gregory
by one of her students in March 2004. With 95 percent of teens being on social media plat-
forms, explained Meghan Whittaker, special assistant to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, it is also impera- tive to ensure that students are receiving education on how to appropriately use social media. Often, incidents of bullying are captured and released on social media before the district or transportation department is even aware the incident took place. Rose emphasized that is it crucial that districts should
not only be teaching academic curricula but also the concepts of safety, choice and permanence in their on- line activities, which would translate to students having better decisions making skills. “It’s [about] consistency,” Rose concluded. “If we really
want to address bullying in our schools, our buses, our playgrounds, our athletics, in our clubs, part of the solu- tion is making sure everyone is trained and on the same page. The other part is making sure we are consistent in the way we are communicating with youth.” ●
18 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2023
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