Linda Bluth will bring her decades of expertise in special needs transportation to two sessions at the upcoming Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) National Conference in Frisco, Texas, examining how student transporters should respond when guidance is flawed or absent and what proposed federal changes could mean for Head Start transportation.
A TSD Conference Tenured Faculty member, Bluth has been associated with the training since its inception in 1992, when she delivered one of the inaugural conference’s keynote presentations. Her return continues a commitment to helping transportation professionals understand and meet the needs of students with disabilities and preschoolers.
Bluth’s career spans six decades of work in special education and school transportation. She is a past president of the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), a former chair of its Special Needs Committee and an NAPT Hall of Fame member. Her work has included federal and state education policy, school administration, professional training and extensive writing on transporting students with disabilities.
She also serves as an expert witness in legal cases nationwide involving school transportation safety and compliance, bringing a perspective informed by both daily operational challenges and the consequences when services fall short.
On Friday, Nov. 6, Bluth will moderate the opening general session, “When Guidance is Incorrect or Missing.” Fellow TSD Conference Tenured Faculty members Alexandra Robinson, Launi Harden and Sue Shutrump will join her for the panel discussion.
The session draws from Bluth’s column in the October edition of School Transportation News magazine. It will examine the importance of questioning direction from supervisors when that guidance conflicts with regulations, compliance obligations or best practices. Attendees will hear strategies for addressing these situations rather than simply accepting instructions that could compromise appropriate transportation services.
View the TSD Conference agenda
Bluth will also present “Head Start Transportation at a Crossroads” on Saturday, Nov. 7, addressing the potential implications of a federal notice of proposed rulemaking that would substantially reshape Head Start’s operating requirements.
The proposal, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, would rescind and replace the existing Head Start Program Performance Standards with a more limited federal framework. It would remove detailed requirements, including transportation provisions, while relying more heavily on state and local rules. The agency describes the proposal as an effort to reduce regulatory burdens and give programs greater flexibility while preserving statutory obligations.
Among the proposed transportation changes is eliminating the federal requirement for a bus monitor to be on board vehicles transporting Head Start children, leaving staffing decisions more dependent on local operating practices and applicable state or local requirements. The proposal is not a final rule.
For student transporters, those potential changes raise practical questions about how programs would establish and maintain consistent safety expectations for their youngest passengers. Bluth’s session will provide an opportunity to examine what the proposed shift could mean for Head Start transportation operations.
The TSD Conference takes place Nov. 4–10 at the Embassy Suites in Frisco, Texas.
Attendees can save $100 on Main Conference registration by registering before the Early Bird discount expires Friday, Oct. 2. The Early Bird rate is $499, compared with the $599 standard rate. Main Conference registration includes breakout, general and keynote sessions, networking events and the trade show. Certain special training courses require additional registration or fees. Registration is available through the TSD Conference website.
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