On Sunday, July 26, PTSI Executive Director Kathy Furneaux joined Denver Public Schools Transportation Executive Director Pauline Gervais to discuss Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIP) at STN Exp 2009.They discussed:
- What is behavior?
- Manifestation of the disability
- How different behaviors affect the bus ride
- The Behavior Intervention Plan
- Thinking outside the box
For more than 12 years, PTSI has sponsored and presented awards during the NYAPT Summer Conference. At the 2009 NYAPT Conference, Kathy Furneaux, Executive Director of PTSI, presented these awards:
SBDI of the Year award went to Chuck Paquette, Assistant Director of Transportation at Syracuse City Schools. For many years, Chuck has been involved in state and local Roadeos, and has taught and chaired Safety Camp. He is a past and current CNYAPT President and teaches Refresher and Basic and Advance Courses. Chuck has been a board member and served on the NYAPT Committee. Theresa Kuss, one of the people who nominated Chuck for the award, said he “carries out the responsibilities of his certification with a clear sense of purpose (and) the safety of all involved in the transportation industry.”
Technician of the Year award was given to Victor Tripp, Head Mechanic at Carthage CSD, who was nominated by his Transportation Supervisor, Brad Killingbeck. “He’s not only professional, he has a down-to-earth, calm attitude and demeanor,” said Brad, who helped surprise Victor at the conference with the help of Mrs. Tripp. “She told me about his strong work ethic and how he cares about and encourages people…and enjoys helping others,” said Brad. “He’s pretty sharp,” Brad continued. “it was hard to pull something over on him” and surprise him at the conference.
PTSI’s SBDI Scholarship went to Jerry Bush, North Syracuse CSD, who was nominated by Donna Benjamin, Operations Supervisor. Transportation Director Mike Janisch said he was happy that the scholarship will allow Jerry to “take the next natural step in his training and his future and become an SBDI. Jerry is very dedicated to the kids and especially students with special needs,” said Mike. “He’s a great asset to us…as soon as he came in our training department you could see by the way he interacted with drivers and attendants that he is very gifted.” Jerry started out as a driver in the District in 1985.
The 19A CE Course Scholarship was awarded to Tracy Berg of Canandaigua CSD. “It was a very good choice…” said Scott Goble, Transportation Director at Canandaigua. “For the past several years Tracy wanted to take her commitment to the industry "up a notch by becoming a certified examiner, but financial difficulties have always gotten in the way. Now, with the assistance of this scholarship award, there will be no stopping her!”
Kathy Furneaux lauds the accomplishments of each recipient and sends her best wishes to each of the deserving transportation professionals who won this year. “It is a personal and professional privilege to give back to an industry with such a noble cause,” said Kathy.
- To nominate someone for a PTSI Scholarship, contact Peter Mannella at NYAPT, and request a nomination form for the John Marchi Scholarship program.
At the 2009 NYAPT Summer Conference, PTSI Executive Director Kathy Furneaux presented three topics:
Travel Training Workshop
Kathy’s presentation went beyond the IDEA traditional concept of transition training to public modes of transportation for students who have “aged out” and explored the many transition points in a student’s school career.
“There are other transition periods in a school child’s career,” said Furneaux. “First, there are preschoolers, who must transition from school bus transportation where everything is considered and done for them to first grade, where a flip is switched and they’re expected to get up and down the stairs, sit down and buckle themselves,” said Furneaux.
Students with disabilities then transition into that ambiguous world of middle school where “all of a sudden you’re expected to be adult enough to not have to be told to stop throwing spit wads on the bus,” Furneaux continued. “Drivers usually react to that age group from the viewpoint that “you’re old enough to know better.”
The next major transition point is into high school where there is an expectation to become a viable member of the safety team and do your part to keep yourself and everyone safe, assist the driver, etc., Furneaux said. Then, of course there is that final transportation transition into community transportation.
Furneaux approached the subject from an operator’s view, and discussed safety issues to consider during different transition times.
NYS District Safety Review Document Workshop
Developed in 2006, the NYS District Safety Review document is not just a tool to measure operational/compliance defects; it can be used as a template to improve operations. Kathy showed participants how to use the Review to as a management tool rather than an assessment tool to set goals and identify projects for steady improvement of operations.
Dispatchers Panel
Kathy facilitated a panel of distinguished dispatchers from across New York State, to discuss three areas of the position: time management, parent relationships and driver relationships. Sitting on the panel were Anne Hamlin, Liverpool CSD Dispatcher, Doreen Slingerland, Bethlehem CSD Dispatcher and Jim Minihan, Katonah-Lewisboro UFSD Transportation Director, who stepped in as a last-minute replacement for his Dispatcher who could not attend due to a family emergency.
Kathy posed three questions about one of the topics to each Dispatcher who addressed the issue and took questions from the audience. There was enthusiastic audience participation throughout the Workshop and during a general question and answer session at the end.
The cost of providing transportation to homeless students and complying with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a challenge for most districts. This one-hour Workshop on Tuesday, July 14, co-presented with NYSTEACHS Assistant Director, Michelle Franks, explained sources of federal and state funding and approved uses of State Aid, Title I funds and McKinney-Vento sub-grants. Attendees also heard practical ways to keep costs down while remaining in compliance and meeting the needs of homeless students.
Faye Stevens: “Communicating With Your Committee on Special Education”
Because transportation is often one of the components usually left out of the IEP process, Faye helped participants understand why it’s important for Transportation Directors to be included in the process, understand their role and what they bring to the table, and how to prepare for a meeting. The goal of the workshop, said Faye, was to “bolster attendees with a sense of their own value and worth and an appreciation of their role.”
She discussed what needs to be communicated, and how to “get your foot in the door,” take initiative, and open those lines of communication between Transportation and Special Education staff.
Just 7 years old, Simone Neivel already has a knack for marketing. When her mom, PTSI graphic designer Chasity Neivel, was creating the cover for a student safety training packet, Executive Director, Kathy Furneaux, felt it would be helpful for a young person to take a look at it to get a reaction, since the packet is designed for that age group.
When Chasity showed the materials to her daughter, Simone gave it a “thumbs up” and immediately gave it a name: “The Bus Rules.” The packet includes a book by the same name, a pencil, sticker and school bus eraser.
On Wednesday, June, 3, Kathy surprised Simone at school with a plaque and cupcakes to share with her classmates. Each student also received a PTSI student safety packet. Simone is a first-grader at Reynolds Elementary School in Baldwinsville, New York.
“Pupil Transportation from all the Angles” will be the topic of a Workshop by PTSI Executive Director Kathy Furneaux, along with attorney Peggy Burns and Mark Hanson, a consultant and human resources expert. They’ll take a look at key areas of pupil transportation such as harassment, bullying, etc. and address each from their own backgrounds – Kathy from an operations viewpoint, Peggy, the legal side and Mark from a human resources perspective. Attendees will see themselves wearing the many different hats they have to wear as transportation professionals when addressing such issues in their own operations.
On Sunday, July 26, PTSI Executive Director Kathy Furneaux joins Denver Public Schools Transportation Executive Director Pauline Gervais to discuss Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIP) at STN Exp 2009.They’ll discuss:
- What is behavior?
- Manifestation of the disability
- How different behaviors affect the bus ride
- The Behavior Intervention Plan
- Thinking outside the box