Recently a number of student transporters from across the country achieved the Special Needs Transportation (SNT) endorsement from the National Association of Pupil Transportation.
The two most recent recipients are Glenn Brooks (No. 68) of Student Transportation of America in Pennsylvania, and Luis A. Rodriguez Vasquez (No. 69) of Transporte Sonnell in Puerto Rico. Rodriguez Vasquez is the first SNT recipient from outside the 50 states and Canada to receive this endorsement. To date, three Canadians have received the endorsement.
Shortly before Brooks and Rodriguez Vasquez, the following had received their SNT endorsements. They are, in order:
- Melissa D. Davis, DeKalb County Schools, Ga. (61)
- Rex Squires, CDPT, Blaine County School District, Idaho (62)
- Randy L. Williams, Student Transportation of America, Calif. (63)
- Adam M. Schwartz, Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, Mo. (64)
- Catherine T. Staggs, Alabama State Department of Education, Ala. (65)
- Dale Gorham, Stafford County Public Schools, Va. (66)
- Regina Hancock, Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, Mo. (67)
The NAPT Special Needs Transportation Training Program provides numerous opportunities for transportation personnel serving students with disabilities to access educational opportunities at both local and national conferences and to gain national recognition for their efforts. A complete list of the program elements is available at naptonline.org.
The program has a core curriculum that consists of six special needs courses in a variety of different settings, including a school bus roadeo and a trade show of school transportation products and services. The core curriculum is supplemented by two courses of elective instruction from the NAPT Professional Development Series (PDS) Program. The syllabus for the core curriculum has been specifically designed to increase an individual’s specific knowledge about transporting students with disabilities.
