St. Paul school bus initiative targets rowdy riders — and their parents

Cynthia Albrecht had her suspicions after a route driving a school bus suddenly opened up on St. Paul's East Side about two weeks ago. But even a veteran driver like Albrecht was taken aback by the chaos she encountered in her first week behind the wheel.

Kids fighting. Others laughing as she tried to exert control. Sunflower seeds everywhere. Albrecht was determined to be patient, she said, but things only got worse.

"I had the craziest day there's ever been on Friday," she recalled last week during a meeting with district transportation officials.

In St. Paul, behavioral concerns over the past year, much of it involving misdeeds in the district's middle schools, extend beyond the classroom to the buses, too, leading the district to call upon everyone — students, parents, drivers — to work to make the rides safer.

Since February, as part of a districtwide bus behavior initiative, drivers have been receiving tips on how to handle rowdy kids and given opportunities to sound off on the challenges — as occurred during last week's meeting at Hazel Park Preparatory Academy. Students can erase suspensions or fend them off by attending classes on how to be safe, responsible and respectful, but with an added catch: Each must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

So far, the strategy seems to be working.

St. Paul's bus discipline referrals are down 37 percent this fall from a year ago, said Tom Meyer, a district security and emergency management official who oversees the bus behavior work.

At some schools, rewards also are being given to kids who behave well — either as an individual or part of a group. That puts St. Paul among a growing number of districts embracing positive messaging and restorative justice methods to improve bus behavior, said Shelly Jonas, executive director of the Minnesota School Bus Operators Association, who cited the Annandale school district's use of "catch you being good" cards as another example.

What distinguishes St. Paul's program, Jonas said, is the parental component, a feature that she says bears watching for replication elsewhere.

At a recent class at Harding High, Samantha Criss, a parent aware that all district buses now have security cameras, bristled at being unable to see video evidence of her child misbehaving, a common complaint. But she, like the other parents in attendance, eventually signed a school bus safety contract pledging to help curb the mischief.

A few of the elementary-aged children who attended the Harding class exhibited the behavior that got them in trouble. They couldn't sit still. But as Norm Bell, a district behavior intervention specialist, worked his way through the hourlong lesson, they grew more engaged, and by the time he asked for examples of school bus rules, they were eager to participate.

"Don't put your hands on your friends," said a boy named Hamilton.

"Never jump out the window," added Romeo McLane.

Behavioral focus

As part of its initiative, the district is making clear to parents and drivers that the school day begins at the bus stop. But unlike suspensions resulting from actions at school, a student who is suspended from his or her bus still is expected to report to class.

Discipline, in recent years, has become a volatile issue for administrators and board members. They are committed to reducing suspensions, which disproportionately affect students of color. But that has led to criticism, such as that leveled last week by Michelle Atlas, a parent volunteer at Ramsey Middle School, that some children feel they can act out without consequences.

Ramsey's ongoing behavioral issues follow a turbulent 2013-14 school year — the first to see the district move from two-year junior highs to three-year middle schools. According to year-end numbers, suspensions for students in grades 6-8 were up 63 percent, from 1,071 to 1,748, in 2013-14, compared with the previous year.

Middle school students are known to act up on buses, too, Meyer said. But elementary students are the ones most prone to unsafe riding behavior, he said, making prekindergarteners to fifth-graders the primary focus of the behavior initiative.

The districtwide effort, now in its first full year, costs the district about $150,000 annually. Seventy-four students have attended the eight classes offered so far.

Drivers at Hazel Park Preparatory Academy learned last week about a new reward program requiring them to fill out "pride tickets" for kids on their bus who exhibit good behavior. Students can get longer recess in return, said Doua Vang, a school administrative intern.

Tom Burr, the district's transportation director, had this advice for Albrecht on how to handle her troublemakers: "Start with one," he said. "Find who's generally in charge."

G. Todd Smith, a district behavior intervention specialist, reviewed the steps a bus driver should take before writing up a student for unsafe behavior, including delivering a verbal warning, and if unheeded, intervening, perhaps by pulling the bus over and talking to a kid.

The star of the hour, however, was a driver, Abdisalan Hassan, 24, an electrical engineering student at St. Paul College, who spoke of easing tensions with some kids by asking to speak with them privately. Behavior on his bus improved, he said, when he awarded certificates for good behavior. One went to a kid who had been suspended before.

"He is the best on my bus today," Hassan said.

Anthony Lonetree • 651-925-5036