Last month, eight student transporters across the nation completed the NAPT Special Needs Training (SNT) Program.
The newest recipients hail from different parts of the country. Two are from Utah, and one is from Canada.
The new recipients, in order, are:
- Lynn Head, director of special education transportation with School District 129 in North Aurora, Ill.
- Debbie Rike, transportation director with Shelby County Schools in Arlington, Tenn. Editor’s note — Rike was a presenter at this year’s 22nd Transporting Students with Disabilities and Preschoolers National Conference in Frisco, Texas.
- Viki Wassink, area supervisor with Granite School District in West Valley City, Utah
- Susan M. Hill-Smith, field coordinator with Salem-Keizer School District, Salem, Ore.
- Molly McDonald, area supervisor with Granite School District in West Valley City, Utah
- Thomas A. Weeks, area safety and compliance supervisor with Student Transportation of America in Buffalo, N.Y.
- Karen Irwin, scheduler/dispatcher with Adams 12 Five Star Schools in Thornton, Colo.
- Doug Drummond, planner with Elk Island Public Schools in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
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.
