here. We will also be hosting four information sessions.
NSBA Educational Sessions (75 minutes)
- Student Behavior and the School Bus – Integrating Student Behavior Expectation from the Classroom into Your Transportation System: Sunday, March 26th from 8:30-9:45AM Location: Room 304 Speakers: Kathy Guthman (Wausau School District PBIS Coordinator), Andy Place (Wausau Principal), Teresa Cole (Sr. Dir. of Safety, First Student), Gary Catapano (SVP of Safety, First Student) School districts across the country struggle with student behavior management both in the classroom and on the bus. In this session, learn how one school district is achieving success within its school-wide behavior support program by providing students with a consistent set of expectations — whether in school or on the bus. Drivers and administrators are working together to apply positive reinforcement methods that are proving to enhance communication and develop mutual respect.
- The Multiple Dimensions of Transportation Safety – Panel Discussion: Sunday, March 26th from 3:45-5PM Location Room: Mile High 4A Facilitator: Anthony Huey (President, Reputation Management) Panelists: Gary Catapano (SVP of Safety for First Student), Kathy Furneaux (Executive Director of the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute), Dr. Kathleen Williams (Superintendent of Wausau School District), Leslie Kilgore (VP of Engineering for Thomas Built Bus) This year, yellow school buses will carry approximately 25 million students to and from school – making school bus transportation the largest form of mass transit in the U.S. As an industry, we dedicate everything we do to keeping our student passengers safe. Safe school transportation is always the result of a partnership across various stakeholders including school districts, students, parents, communities, school transportation service providers and equipment manufacturers. Join a panel discussion that explores the multiple dimensions of school transportation safety. Panel members will explore various dimensions of transportation safety including Culture; Administrative Policy and Procedures; Equipment/Operating Practices; and Community Engagement. A variety of best practices will be explored via examples, discussions and a question-and-answer session. A professional facilitator will invite full panel participation and encourage a robust dialogue, while ensuring that various key dimensions are presented and discussed.
NSBA Study Halls (30 minutes)
- Tips to Maximize Your Routing Investment Saturday, March 25th from 3-3:30PM Location: Study Hall 3 Speaker: Dean Suhre (SVP of Performance Improvement for First Student) Routing is a critical element of student transportation operations and community service. The effectiveness and communication (or lack thereof) of routing can have a dramatic impact on cost, safety and relationships between your district and the communities you serve. This session will give you an understanding of how school board decisions affect routing and will provide tips for ensuring that your choices positively impact transportation cost, safety and community service.
- Today’s Transportation Contracting: Innovation, Analysis and RFP Writing Sunday, March 26th from 12-12:30PM Location: Study Hall 3 Speakers: Todd Steele (VP of Business Development and Growth for First Student), Nathan Baguio (Sr. Dir. of Conversion Sales for First Student) Contracting your transportation starts with understanding; an understanding of where your transportation operation stands and where you want it to go. In this session, we will walk you through the realities of contracting today, how to analyze your transportation operation, and how to get the most of out of the entire contracting process whether that’s goal setting or RFP writing.