Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools leaders welcomed members of the media to the Cable 2 studio on Tuesday morning to shed some light on the district’s new R.I.D.E.S. bus conduct initiative.
R.I.D.E.S., which stands for Responsibility, Integrity, Discipline, Excellence, and Safety, is launching a refreshed set of behavioral expectations for students, parents, educators, and bus drivers. The expectations feature a discipline matrix and a rewards system that are in line with the district’s general Code of Character, Conduct, and Support, but adapted to a mobile environment. District leaders understand that being in a moving vehicle makes it more difficult for bus drivers to keep order, and they hope that R.I.D.E.S. will help things run smoother.
“We recognize that the bus is a moving vehicle,” said Director of Behavior and Support Shannon Dobson. “We have to be aware that our bus drivers can only do so much to continue supporting the safety of our students. In response to behavior challenges, we want to not only help them intervene but also help them recognize and promote positive behavior on the bus.”
Even as the press conference was going on, bus drivers were in the Education Building training to respond to behavioral challenges with de-escalation and depersonalization strategies. Bus drivers played a key role in defining the challenges that need to be addressed on buses and what rules needed to be prominently featured in the R.I.D.E.S. initiative. Chief Operations Officer Lauren Richards said that employees at all levels were doing well collaborating on the plan.
“We have a bus advocacy group that our director meets with on a regular basis, and they were a key part in working on sharing feedback about what they see and what supports they’d like to use to be able to develop the matrix,” Richards said. “So far, the feedback has been really good.”
As students and teachers cover lesson plans regarding the new expectations and bus drivers complete their training, the district asks that parents watch the R.I.D.E.S. informational video, review the discipline matrix, and sign the agreement. Superintendent Tricia McManus emphasized that getting the best results out of the R.I.D.E.S. program would require all kinds of stakeholders to participate.
“We need parents, students, administrators, and actually everyone in our school district,” McManus said. “We cannot do it alone.”
For more information on the R.I.D.E.S. initiative and what to do next, go online to https://winstonsalemforsythcsnc.sites.thrillshare.com/page/bus-rules-and-behavior-expectations.