Again, greetings and welcome to the citywide council for district 75's busing committee. My name is Christy Angel. I am the president for the citywide white council for district 75. We have our second vice president, Stephanie Bonia, who is the chair of
busing. Tonight, she will be going over a few things. We do have a few updates, and we will leave the floor open for a few questions and answers. and we have some exciting news for you. With that being said, we were supposed to have
translation in Spanish, Mandarin, and Bangla. Unfortunately, we are having a glitch somewhere in the matrix. So, what I can attempt to do is translate what I can in the languages that are in the
chat and then uh Vice President Bonia does speak Spanish so we can try to make this happen one way or the other. With that being said, I will join into helping people into the chat and helping your questions and we'll now turn it
over to our second vice president, Bonia. Are you able to unmut? Wonderful. Thank you so much everyone. My name is Stephanie Bonija. I am your second vice president for CCD75.
I am also your chair for busing committee. [Music] chair. Sorry. So I will try my best to do both but I will try to leave vid for the ending
that way I could um do the slides. I am working on uh downloading to add into the chat the Spanish version of this guide. No problem. Thank you. Oh
Okay. Hello. Good evening everyone. As Miss Christy Angel stated, she will be adding the guide in the chat for everyone to have. This will have different resources on how to advocate for better busing in
district 75, not just for your child, um, but for other students as well. [Music] [Music] Why it matters? The current situation is
we have lack of drivers, lack of power professionals, delays, safety and sensitivity, sorry. Impact on our students. Many of our students thrive on routine and transportation disrupts whether is
delays, missed pickups or changes to routes create unnecessary stress and behavioral changes for them leading to exhaustion and reduce availability to focus in the classroom as well as home. Because we all know
when we get those late afternoon buses, it also alternates what happens in the home. Why parents voice matters? Your voice as a parent matters because it brings urgency, expertise, and accountability to an issue that directly
affects your child's future. By speaking up and advocating for change, you are not only fighting for your child, but also for the rights of every District 75 student to receive the safe, reliable transportation they
deserve. Individuals with disabilities education act idea. It mandates the students with disability to receive a free appropriate public education. FAPE requires related services such as
transportation to be tra provided when necessary uh for accessing education. Section 504 of the rehabilitation act prohibits discrimin discrimination based on disability in federally funded
programs including school transportation. Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, ensures that public transportation is accessible to individuals with disabilities. New York State in educational law mandates transportation
services for students with disabilities as part of their individualized education program, IEP. NYC Department of Education policies guarantees specialized transportation. Example, doortodoor service for allegible
students in district 75 provides protocols for parents to report and resolve transportation issues. Um also as another guarantee of specialized, you could also have a busing par.
These are some of the rights. These are documents issued and steps of actions that you could take. Documents buen foresand [Music] Last
[Music] I cannot Fore mñana. Hey Stephanie, can we take quick moment um not to pause anyone but our um administrative assistant said that we have interpreters on the line. If that is true English I don't need an
interpreter right now. I can speak English. Thank you so much. I can say the same thing in English. What you need for one, we want to make sure, excuse me, we want to make sure that we keep order on the
meeting. So, with that being said, do we have interpreters currently on the line from Department of Education? If so, could you please raise your hand so I can give you co-hosting ability? Because we are not in person, we can say
yes in the test. No, not for you. They said that they're trying to get into the line, but they're not able to. All right. So, let's let's give it one moment. Our AA is getting them on the line now. So, let's take a brief moment.
We're going to let them in. I'm going to make you co-host and then we're going to give the opportunity for you to give your instructions for those who are here who do need services. One moment. I will make you co-host now. Thank you. Good. So, guys, uh thank you so much uh for
being patient. One moment. No pro. Thank you, Fatima, for letting us know. That's what we were trying to figure out. But we were just trying to figure out who's not able to connect to the interpreters lines. Wonderful. So we are about to make this
correct right now. They say um the video interpreters and then we mentioned that the they're connected with video but they're waiting to be admitted. Wonderful. I am making everyone co-host now. Gabrielle is working on teams to
let you guys into your rooms and then we will go ahead and do a quick reset um for equity so everyone does know how to get into their respective places. One moment I am Mandarin I am letting you in
Gabrielle if we can um make sure that we confirm who's who. Okay, I think I've let everyone have co-hosting abilities. If you don't, say I. All right, I think we're all good there.
Gabrielle, let me know who's in and where. And once they're in, we'll go ahead and let them give their instructions. And in the chat, Stephanie, if you can let them know. I don't know why the title doesn't say it in Spanish, but
that is the Spanish guide for advocating for better busing which you are displaying currently. 18 blanket. Okay. Okay. our interpreters
are in your rooms. Could you please lower your hands so that we know that we don't need to add you into your rooms? All right, that looks like all of our interpreters is u Mr. Martinez Don, are you an
interpreter? I I see your hand is still raised. So I wanted to make sure if you are No, no. I I only want to make a question. Okay. One moment. We will get to that.
So for our interpreters, just for equity really quickly. Excuse me. Excuse me. One moment, please. We're two interpreters, Molly Gordy and Fatima Roman, and we're going to be interpreting over a telephone line. Uh, and we are waiting to be led into the telephone line.
To be led into teams still. Okay. I was advised that you may have been in there. So, give me one moment and let's go back and see. Are you waiting on the team's line currently? Yes, I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm waiting to be led into the phone line and after that
I might be able to assist. One moment. Thank you so much. You're welcome. And thank you everyone for your patience um today. Let's see. Thank you so much. Gabrielle, can you unmute in this space?
I do see a few people on the line for Spanish. Okay. Okay. Bangalign, can we double check with you? Are you um situated within your language line on teams? Yes, we're both in the language line.
Thank you. You're welcome. Mandarin, are you both situated on your language line? Yes, we both are. Yeah. All righty. So this now we're in the equity space. So we're going to back it up a little bit again. Um chair uh Bonia
if you don't mind and we will give the interpreters room to give their instructions. So we will start with Spanish. You may now give your instructions. Uh Molly, you are muted. You are a fight. I quit.
I think the audio went out. Can anyone else hear Fatima? No. Quit. We are unable to hear you, Fatima. Molly, are you able to unmute to give the instructions in Spanish? Uh, do you hear me? Say Miss Yes. Yes.
Okay. Okay. Quarent. Gracias. Am I right? Thank you so much. Mandarin interpreters, you now have the floor to give your instructions. Yeah. Do we have Mandarin interpreters that
are able to unmute? Yes, this is I apologize. before that. Thank you so much, Bengali. You now have the floor to give your instructions. Thank you. The following message will be for Bangla participants.
[Music] Conference ID. conference. Thank you. Thank you so much. So once again, we will now hand this meeting back over to uh Vice President Stephanie Bonia.
I'll be I'm sorry if we could make sure that everyone else is muted outside of the presenter until we are in Q&A. Thank you so very much. Uh Vice President Bonia, you have the floor. Um if Miss Walcott can please add um the
English version as well in the in the chat. Thank you. Okay, good evening everyone. Again, these are some steps of actions um that we could take in order when things like relating to busing issues
like no showing up of the bus, no route assigned, early pickup from school, lack of climate control, complaints against the driver, the attendant, the parent, right share, I mean par
share access, medical codes in case your ch your child needs short time travel, long travel time, reimbursement, alternative drop offs.
Some of the things that you could do, documents issue like delays and safety concerns. You could call OPT the same day and it gives you certain guidelines to press. The second one is
communicate with your DOE transportation and school leaders. That would be your DOE transportation. Would that be the parent coordinator? Correct, Miss Angel from the school. There is a uh travel coordinator at the
schools that works with the schools and then you have a burrow liaison who does coordination, a travel coordinator and then you have the different levels at OPT. But you would definitely want to start at the school level with the busing issues at least to inform them and then we can always escalate and
support um in those spaces. No problem. And again coming and joining groups like to amplify voices like this group of the busing committee. Also this um the citywide council for
special education has a busing subcommittee as well where you could voice your um concerns there. There's also piss is a parents to improve student transportation.
um nonprofit I believe. Is she here? Miss Sarah, I will let her speak in a little while in order to give you some information as to how she could be able to help as well.
And engage with representatives by contacting district leaders like you, city council, your senators, your assemblymen because they are not aware of many of these things. If we do not speak up,
These are some advocating tools, an email sample of like how I mention either your legislator on how it could help with getting what you need for your child. This is a small template.
Thank you, Miss Christy Angel. This will be shared in the chat and it will be in English and Spanish. If you need another language, please let us know. Yes, we will put everything in the chat and we will also email it for everyone
that registered for tonight's um workshop presentation. Other forms of contacts is city level contacts. Like I mentioned, you could contact your city council members. You could contact the education
committee of city council where Miss Rita Joseph, we will also be sharing out those meetings. you're if you're not able to attend in person, they're usually in city hall, but if you're not able to attend in person, you're able to attend on Zoom and and write a testimony
and send it in. And um also your public advocate, Jermaine Williams office, and also the department of education with OPT and your chancellor as well.
So these are all just point reference of contacts at city level that you could report all of these issues that I mentioned previously. These are state and federal level contacts. Remember everything is in numbers. So
the more that we report all of our issues to all of these different contacts, the more we will be heard. We have the senators and assembly members. We have the chairs of education committees in Albany,
the New York State Department of Education. Again, the US Sen senators of New York City and US Congressional Representatives. As mentioned before, a lot of this takes a lot of emotional toll on all of us and
stress on our families. Parents are left juggling work commitments and personal responsibilities due to unreliable transportation impact on students. Missing school or arriving late disrupts learning and
social development, especially for students with specialized needs. Systematic issues with the lack of accountability, current oversight of transportation providers is inadequate. allowing repeat failures without
consequences, communication breakdowns, and parents often lack timely updates on delays, route changes, leaving them frustrated and ununiform. This is what this committee is supposed
to do help as well to keep us more uniform when elevating all of these concerns. Inadequate infrastructure, insufficient ining resources and outdated technology
hinder insufficiency of the transportation system. Legal and policy viol violations, violation of IDEA, the individuals of with disabilities education act guarantees transportation as related
service essential for access to education. Delays and miss pickups violate this right. An unmet IEP requires many individualized education programs. IEP specify doortodoor transportation which isn't always
provided. Solutions and demands improve funding. Advocates for increased resources to upgrade buses, train staff, and implement advanced routing technologies. Another reason why we should um go to
the PEP, the panel of education in order to submit our written requests, even if we're not able to go to Queens or go to Brooklyn or Staten Island, submit your concerns to PEP. That way
they know what we are dealing with with our students since they are the ones approving these contracts and funding to companies that are not caring or not showing um
good um they're not showing good transportation like we said with the timely updates or leaving us frustrated with not just show not showing up at all. And now we have to change our way of living with either
our work or appointments that we may have in order to accommodate our child and take them to school. So I just wanted to put that there. Stronger oversight. Enforce stricter accountability measures for
transportation providers to ensure quality service. Transparent communication. Develop real-time tracking and notification systems to keep parents informed about delays and changes.
Um about the stronger oversight. Going back to that educational committee with city council, that's where we could push that bit more about holding them accountable for those stricter measures on the transparent on communication.
That's where we hold DOE accountable because I would like everybody in the chat to please answer. How many of you does the app busing app work? How many of you does the app doesn't
work? Are you able to see your child's driver transportation location or are you not? Hi, I'm a parent and I have two boys and they haven't even been routed yet. Okay,
one moment. We will we definitely want to support you there. I and that is pitiful. Um but we do want to make sure that vice president um Bonia can make it move through her um presentation for you guys and then we're going to take everything that you have. We're going to
give you the updates. Um if you want to move differently, vice president um you may do so. I just want to make sure that you get the information out. Um no, we only have two more slides. Wonderful. Wonderful. and then we could start answering all questions and put your questions in the chat as
well and then we'll facilitate the questions as soon as possible. Thank you. And we will have everyone raise your hand as well. Um because we would like to take some of the questions in the translation interpretations line as well.
But thank you all for joining. These are more resources um that I would just highlight with our email for citywide council CCD75
the um for busing um for CCSC busing committee for PIS miss Sarah Sorry for the school bus bill of rights, the school age bus company
numbers and preschool as well because we know sometimes those also get messed up. Again, this is about taking action and signing up to parent
groups like committees in order to see how we could all support each other and to elevate these concerns in order to get better busing for all of our students in all of our burrows. That way, none of our students is left behind.
And lastly again to please contact your council members. We will put all of this information in the chat. And guys, I do want to say I went to the panel for educational policy meeting recently and um definitely spoke on
behalf of parents for not extending a contract for 5 years for uh vendors who don't get our children to school, no routes late, no drivers and things of that nature. Um I hear you. I I know that you're losing money, you're losing your jobs and things of that nature. in
that space. Um the senior executive director for OPT who actually does help us very much so as we escalate things um on your behalf. I met him in person and we did have a quick chat um this evening. And I wanted to tell you
guys a few things before we jump into um the public comment. When he he wanted you to know a couple of things when people asked why is my child traveling so far? He said five miles is 100 city blocks and they are moving 100 city
blocks within rush hour. I did uplift if there's a way to use some level of technology that can see when the flow of traffic is going and how to route around that. Um they do try to do session times to make it for uh in school in time. We do know that that is not currently
working well. um they are asking us luckily to come in and have a meeting in two weeks with the office of pupil transportation on Vernon Street. So what we're going to be asking of you guys and anyone else that is replaying this on YouTube is to drop
your questions in the chat for uh Gabrielle if you're able to put in the OPT questionnaires. If you could put in the back to school and the overall OPT questionnaire, that would be wonderful because we can take your questions either here or in the survey so that we
can uplift those questions and or issues in two weeks. Now, if you have a real issue and your student isn't in the school, we're going to advocate for that. Now, however, if there are questions that we can ask moving forward within these next two weeks, please do drop that in the chat. They said that
they are working with VIA to basically start routing schools. hopefully in the future uh so that this is something that works within an algorithm and it's logistically better than what we have now. So they are working toward that. Um they did want you to know like the
difference between gened and then our students. Gened students are always within their district so their routes are shorter. So we as a council, we as parents, we as advocates have to figure out how to keep our kids in community, how to keep them closer to home, how to
make sure that they also have equity on the bus. Even though there are 700 routes that they are working on, um that still doesn't mean that there doesn't need to be a space of equity. They are putting pressure on the routers to think
things through a little bit better when they're making the routes. I asked why some children are on buses at 6:30 and still get to school 2 hours late. And they are working with the routers. They have managers and they said that they're working with the burough directors to make these things a little bit better.
We did actually lose 200 um routes at the beginning of the year because a few vendors decided three vendors decided that they did not want to work with the city any longer. So some those are some of the updates that
we have, but we want to find out, you know, why our kids can't be more so in our districts. We know that that's with, you know, the office of district planning and a lot of different things that we need to work on, but I do believe that district planning, OPT needs to work together. I did uplift,
you know, why is not the district and NIXA and OPT working together? So you guys can know if you have a ride share code. So, some of you have been told your child has to wait two weeks for a code when it was already populated and you weren't aware. So, we're trying to
make sure that there's um communication that's happening a little bit better. And then, as I said, we are going to be uplifting your questions and your issues that you do have within the next two weeks in person with the senior executive director of OPT and his full
office. So, we do want you to be engaged in the surveys. Um, at this point I will turn it back over to you, uh, Vice President Bonia. Um, I just wanted to add that I put in the chat the busing
the bushing issues Gmail that way everyone could be able to reach out. Sorry, let me just I think I wrote one letter wrong. And while she's pulling up the flyer, guys, remember, and I'll put it on our
social media for you guys, and we'll send it out. If you're signed up, please go to our website. You can get on our list serve. We need your voices for the panel for educational policy. People need to hear from us. We will always come and advocate on your behalf. If you
can send in your written statement, do that. If not, come in person. You know, I know it's hard. I brought my son with me and it was a struggle. And still we need to let them know this is horrible. It's 47 years old. There needs to be a
lot of different changes to the systems. There are students that are not in school. They deserve a fair appropriate public education. And so we need to put the pressure in the places that we need to and parent voices help us do that. We do amplify your voices and we do still need you accordingly.
We will keep I just want to emphasize if please send us the emails with any concerns or any issues that you're having especially if your child is not routed as of yet. That way we could be able to escalate those
issues starting tomorrow. Um but we need the email that way we could be able to reach out to you one on one for further information on how to assist. If everyone please would raise your hand if you need to speak otherwise please
remain muted so we can this according we'll give everyone a chance to me um Jose please give us one moment uh Miss Bonia can you unmute now. Yes. Okay. Wonderful. Let me know when you want to start taking questions from the
chat and when you want to start with the hand. Okay. Okay. I don't think so. Okay. Okay. Um, let me do the rea
Gonzalez. You don't. Okay. Give me a second. Oh, Kuzma, do you have a question? Yes, I do. I do have a lot of questions about the buses and everything. So, can I talk now
or can I wait to wait still? Yes, you could speak now. Okay, give me a second, Miss Sarah. You're fine. Okay, so my song have never been pick up before 8:00.
Never. literally since the school year started until now. So the first weeks the school was saying it's like that was normal because you know they were getting into it blah blah blah getting normal but still until the day of today
have never been done that the only day that was supposed to be pick up like before or 8:00 that was like um a week and a half ago. Uh we were actually waiting for the call like at 9 after 9
like normal and they say oh we were there in the in front of your house and then nobody was there so we left. So that was the only day and after that we have been waiting every single day have never been picked up before 8:00 that
what is that supposed the the school supposed to start right now today I'm just talking about today it was 9:30 he was never pick up we tried to call
the bus we tried to do that I it wasn't non answer none at all. Now my question is how if the school starts at 8:00, how
the kids are not at school by 8? Second, the first thing that the kids do when they get to the school is to go to breakfast because literally the school taught us not to give breakfasts to the
kids. So they do that as soon as they get there. So the kids is hungry until 9:30. So my kid, I'm talking for my kid, Mateo Gooseman, is supposed to be ready by 7:30. So I wake him up on time and
he's on time by 7:30 in the morning. It's 9:30 and he is not picked up. So he's not just missing breakfasts. That is not a problem because I can fit
him if that is a problem. But I can like he is missing the therapist. He's missing at least two classes because he's getting a school by 10:00. So that means two hours after he's supposed to start school.
So I don't really know how this work. It's like should I ask for a different boss? You're right. You're right. Just know like you're not able to provide that for my son that he he does
he he does is able to do that, right? Miss, could you email us the um the D75 councsil at not to interrupt you, I apologize, but d75 councsilschools.nyc.gov. It's in the chat. If you could send us the OSI,
you're just telling me where to complain. I have been complaining too much. If the school is not able, like literally my kid lives like so close. He's supposed to be the first one. like he live like
10 minutes from from the school and we are doing that and why if he like finish school at 2:00 why yesterday he like not yesterday this Monday sorry on Friday he
was brought home at 4:00 2 hours after school when his school is two like 10 minutes away correct we would like to help you fix this ASAP. So, could you just please email the council, give us his name, date of birth?
I did that already. I already to us at all. One moment, everyone, please. Let's everybody, let's we So, everyone, so we're not talking over everyone, could you please confirm where you emailed? What was the email address? Because I
So can you give me the the the real one then? Because I have been complaining since since this started. You had it. Okay. This month we're talking about the emails for our council. So it is the Okay. The one that we put in
DC75 busing. It is uh Can you write that? DC75 council at schools.nyc.gov. Yes. Okay. So, I have been done that like since the beginning. So, what is the next stop if they don't they haven't
attain me not to interrupt you. What we're going to do if you I am looking into the council's email now to see I can say I haven't recognized this name before. That could be my own fault. So, let me apologize. I am looking now. But if you want to bump that email back up
to is your email um based on your name? Is it ke I y in that email as well? Yeah, I do not have that. Can we confirm? If you could if you bump that email back
up to us, we can prioritize it. We want your child to be in school. I can email you one more time. That is not a problem for me. Yes, please. But I would like to actually have answers back. Yes, you will. I I can I can
It's not fair that like it's like today was 9:30 and like sometimes they just call me like oh they're like 3 minutes away when it's 9 912 9 something. Sometimes like 8:50 or something like
that but today I didn't have a call at all. Uh Miss Kimi I am not seeing you in either of our inboxes. Can you uh make sure to email d75ccounschools.ny nyc.gov. I can go ahead if you get that email to me while we're in this chat. I
can go ahead and send the email. I also put my number in the chat. Yes, you're right. I'll write it right now. So, I'm sorry. Can you can you please uh say one more time for me? I have the email. I know. Um there's Can everyone mute please? So,
D75 counsel.nyc.gov does. Now, I want you to know that's the council's email for the busing, and you can still email both. It doesn't matter. CCD75 busing bi issues is sues@gmail.com.
Please send that to me now. If you can bump it up or send the information with the date of birth, the route, the osis number, we will help you out. You do not have to feel like you were unheard. I apologize. Wherever that email went, it didn't come to the right place. Now
you're here. Now you have help. You will not feel unheard. We got you. I promise you that. You also have the phone number of Vice President um Bonia, who is also the chair of the busing committee. This will not go um unheard. Please do email us. If you do it now, if any of you
email the council now, I will start working on these in the background now on your behalf. So uh thank you, Miss Guzman. I apologize. Thank you so much. that that would means that they will be pick up before 8. Yes. I'm going to uplift the issue so
that they can check on what's going on and possibly change the route because you should not be on a bus for more than 90 minutes. It's only over that when you're crossing between worlds. Yeah. My son lives 10 minutes away which is ridiculous. So absolutely we will definitely um uplift this and try
to help you. We apologize that you're going through this. It's unfair. So I just want him to be pick up before A because at 8 the school starts. That's it. If the route that he's taking right now, it doesn't work. Maybe we just change it for another one that is closer
or I don't know how the routes work. I just want him to be pick up on like a normal time on a normal time. And please add your phone number in the email as well. Um yes, in the email. But no personal information in the chat, guys. We want
to make sure to protect you and your children as we are um discussing the help that you need. Um with the next Thank you so much. No problem. Thank you, Mr. Thanks for listening and all your help. I will proceed with that.
Mr. Jose Rodriguez, Mr. Dona, I saw you, Mr. Gonzalez, I saw you once and and Gundo. Okay, Rodriguez. [Music] Fore!
Foreign! Foreign! Fore! Foreign! Foreign! See, Rodriguez. Okay. Okay. Okay. Uhhuh. Okay. Okay.
Okay. Okay. Okay. Sorry. The next person Joel Martinez and then Gonzalez Gonzalez Señor Martinez.
Okay. Okay. Hello everybody. Um first thing I I want to first thing I want to say to all the father and mother in the meeting.
We got to be clear about something. We not fight for I not fight for my children and nobody nobody had to fight for his children. We have to fight for all children. There you go.
Children. We are a system. District 75 is a system. When we are part to this this system and this problem with the B bus school is a big trouble to affect me
and my whole family because we have three kid. The big one is the autistic one. Thank father because he can walk. He can listen a voice command. Thank God for that because if it's not it will be
a great great and complicated problem to my wife and the kid because now the three kids go to school. One go to 3k, one go to the fourth grade and the other one is the big one go to
uh to sixth grade and the district 75 school. And then that mean many time I got to be late on my job or maybe don't go do nothing this day for get my kid to
the school that my responsibility the school is good I know have no problem with the school with the company bus they now they are a union people I think and
that mean now we got to enforce them any movement to make them do his job like they had to do it, not like they want. And we have right and they have right, but his right is bring
the kid to the school, bring it back to the house on time. No excuse because I know when I was in the military forces if I was I was five minute late they complain to me the first time the
second time they put me in the jet for five minute late and I pay for but those people come late and sometime they not come to pick up my son and many other kid they not pick up on time and sometime they not pick up and we bring
them to the school. This is abuse. This is funny in New York City and the great system education system we have. We got to be united. We got to be fighting and we got to be honest, responsible and
respect all of them because we have to ask them respect act. We have to make whatever complaint in the right way. chat, text, email, whatever because it's
like a court. They need a proof. The people represent us need a proof when they go to OP make uh any complaint for us. I want I want you to know that the
council is working to advocate on that aspect about having better sensitivity training for our children on the buses because it's absolutely ridiculous that we're entrusting our children who have no clue with how to manage our children in medical situations or just
understanding period what it means to have a disability or a special need. So we are working on um seeing what that looks like and how it can be translated into one streamlined thing that makes more sense so parents can feel comfortable knowing who is translating I
mean transportating their children um to school and hopefully they are doing it uh with equity, dignity and respect that not hopefully they should be doing it with equity, dignity and respect and that is something that we um are fighting for. So, please know that I am
taking notes as you guys are talking so that we can uplift these things when we do go to speak with OPT. Um, with that being said, I do want to take one more question and then we do have uh Sarah from PIST here. She's one of our great busing advocates. She has a lot of great
information. So, we do want to give her a quick segue to jump in to give you guys some more information that may actually help out with some of the things that are going on. And then we will give the floor back over to the parents. So the next person that has for the next question it will be Mr.
Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez and then we will go over to Mr. Thank you so much. Yeah. Hello. Okay. Uh I'm I'm speaking on behalf of my son. His name is Dani Gonzalez.
Since the beginning of the school year, um it's been so crazy. They don't come and pick up my son at all. My wife got a driving, take him to school. She gets late to her job. We
call OPT. We call the bus company. We do everything and nothing has been done. I'm so frustrated because I went to school to in this country. I know that school start at 8:00, not at 9:00, not 10:00.
So, uh, I don't know what else to do because these people don't care. You know what I mean? So, we got to, especially my wife, she got to pay in transportation over there and you guys are not giving that money back. So, it's very frustrating. I don't know. And I
think the the vice president was talking about the the app. We don't even have the app because we don't know. We don't know what's going on. So, no problem. little bit frustrated. I I don't know what else to do because this is the
first time this happens, you know. Uh I don't know what's going on and I'm seeking for help. I am sorry to interrupt, but I agree with you. We never know what's going on because in my case, they have been changing the driver and the person that
take us the kids a couple times. Yeah. So, it's like we never know what is going on. Sorry I'm just interrupting you, sir. But yeah, but it is really crazy and uh we don't know what to do. I mean,
I added my number in the chat. Um if you give us a call tomorrow and you write a you could write us a email, but you could give me a call and we could see how we could expedite these, especially the ones that are getting
late or that are not getting picked up at all. I would like They don't at all. They don't at all. And when they call my wife and my wife asked them, "Why is that you guys come so late?" Oh, because this is the time that I have. You know, it don't work like that. Correct. I'll say this. Students are
supposed to be in school when school starts. Now, two things. We want to make sure. Please do. You need a place to vent. You need a place to vent. Please do call Vice President Bonia. She will listen to you. I will listen to you. We need you to email us formally so that we
can speak on your behalf. If you email us, we can uplift it and escalate this ASAP. We need it in writing. What is that email? The email is d75 counsel at schools.nyc.gov
and then you can always CC ccd75 busing bi issues suesgmail.com. Uh, Vice President Bonia is monitoring one inbox, I monitor the other one. We can always push this up to the senior
executive director and to higher officials in OPT who will make sure the right people get this in their hands and it gets resolved. We um care greatly about students being in school and as we do uplift these issues to OPT they are
helping us. Now can we make that broader for parents? It absolutely should be broader. However, in this space, we want to say email us, call us. We will expedite this for you. We will escalate it so that this is not a continued issue because no one deserves this. FAPE is
there. You need to be able to be in school before 8:00. We understand these issues are an extreme burden and so we want to make sure that we can expedite this ASAP. So, please make sure both emails guys, d75ccounschools.nyc.gov,
added it in the chat as well. And CCG75 busing issues atgmail. All right. I'm sorry. Um Stephanie, um I'm sorry. I know that you say not taking um anymore. We're going to get a break. My name is Marsha. No, we're taking more questions. We're
letting Miss Sarah speak to you guys first as to more um more resources on what we could do to your questions that you've been asking. So after Miss Sarah, I will let um everyone speak again.
Also, please look at the bottom of your screens if you're on a computer and there is an icon that says chat. It may have like a number in red so that you can see people talking, you want to click there on your phones or on your computer so that you can see the chat if
you're unable to see the emails that are being typed in. Back to you, Miss Fonia. No problem. I'm g I'm gonna give the floor to Miss Sarah that way then we could continue with everyone that has their hand up. Okay.
Can you hear me? Yes. Oh, great. Okay. I I'm so heartbroken over the just the widpread
problems that we keep hearing. Um, we are Miss Sarah, if you could just give us more introduction as to you and of course my fault. Yes. I'm here as a co-founder of Parents to Improve School
Transportation. We have been trying to organize with each other since 2010. And um at this point uh you know policies that
the school system went with under mayoral control have made the problem much more worse and compounded. um with fewer and fewer people staying
in this workforce um especially the experienced ones. So, as we're fighting for better conditions for the passengers on the bus, um we are
paying attention to what could be done to recruit, what could be done to expose high school and college students to potentially
careers in student transportation. and what could be done to hold on to people um such as there is a state bill um pending in Albany. I'm putting a link
to a petition about that in the chat right now. And um I know that this council last year resolved to support that legislation because not only does it
um give more incentive for people to stay working in this very crucial important workforce that is going to make or break education as we're hearing
now. Um, but it also is a barrier. If they do not have this law, then the only thing that the city can do without provoking a strike and thousands of
layoffs and who knows what other kind of chaos for our children. they will have to continue to renew um sorry extend these contracts with these same you know 52 companies or
whatever. Um sorry you just say that you were talking about high schools. Any of these kids are in high schools. I was talking about we have high schools that help students who are Yeah. any of those kids. So, we know we
need to know about this. Any of these kids are in high school. Miss Booman, um I'm sorry, but you cannot keep interrupting. And I don't know if you're aware, but D75 reaches all the way to high school. So, we cover all the way to high school. We're K
through 12. And I will cover over 60 schools in the whole New York City. I'm so sorry. I just such a big we were talking about the our school and I I
thought that our school is known to up to 12. I don't know it was a couple of schools at this in the same meeting. I thought was just our school like primary school and kindergartens. So, as somebody that's what I saw, I didn't
knew that our school was at 12 and we're gonna listen and learn. We have students one moment. One moment, please. So, let's let's bring this all back together, guys, because we want to give equity. Everyone, every parent is here. We want to give everyone at least
two minutes to have space to speak. So, everyone, if you've already spoken, please do reserve your comments for other parents to be able to ask their questions. With that being said, Sarah, once you do finish, uh, Vice President Bonia, can we go into the translation lines for equity to make sure we are
making sure that if they have questions that would add your questions in the chat as well? Yes. Yes. So, please raise your hands. We will ask answer the questions of the hands that are raised in order. We will go through the chat and we will make sure to have order so that every parent does have a space to speak. Back to you,
Vice President. U Miss Sarah, can you clarify that for the rest of the parents? about our about D75 and that our schools are K to 12. Sure. Yes. Um just because since we're here with the
question, I rather it be clear that way we know if you're in elementary what you going to expect for middle school and what you going to expect for high school. Yeah. Well, we have members of PIST who have an 18-year-old student at uh
Brooklyn transition centers and she has said that they actually train some students to start thinking about becoming a classroom paraprofessional. And so, um, there are there are students
who could probably answer the phones at OPT with more sensitivity than what we get now. Uh, there are people who could ride on the bus and be a bus attendant with, you know, more love for the
children. Um, so we do want this to be a thriving workforce that's growing instead of shrinking. What we're struggling with is that um
the experienced people have to be held on to. If your child is in a school where all the teachers are new except for maybe one who's a veteran who knows some, you know, good
um skills and tricks, that's a different situation than if you have at least half of the people who have 10 years or more. So, we want that and um that's why we're
lobbying for the state school bus ep uh A8440 and S1018. So, that's one advocacy thing. This a week ago, there was a rally at city hall um and some of
you were there and so those kind of things are happening. We are going out and telling the story not just to each other but to the media and the elected and the whole city. We also as was mentioned by Miss Stephanie and Miss
Christie um have a somewhat of a school board. We have the panel for education policy or PEP that meets every month and as these bus contracts are being extended
right now they can do two months at a time. So they've extended it this week and it will be back on that schoolboard agenda November 19th in Brooklyn.
So, please stay in touch and I'm sure there'll be another meeting of this committee. There will be two at least two meetings of parents to improve school transportation prior to that. And
we want to bring parents out. Again, you're not just talking to each other. You're making everybody aware. District 75 is the most uh would say reliant on
school busing and all year round. So these voices are you know born to be the strongest voices about student transportation and making it better. Not everything can be fixed with
the contract between the city and the companies. Um, honestly, if the city owned all of the buses, there would be a lot less chaos and they could control better. I think who, you know, where do the air conditioned buses go and, you
know, where do the buses with car seat capabilities go to the little kids, etc. The training could be more uniform, etc. The city comproller is releasing some kind of audit next month. Um, they have
actually tried to make OPT and the company show how the money is being spent, but it's still pretty mysterious because you guys a billion dollars point whatever and it's still not serving the
kids. It this is outrageous in every possible way. So, um I would save those dates. Uh I will give and I have been giving in the chat some some other links
to our organizing that we always do collaboratively with this council and the president's council and the CCSE. Um but those issues about work uh building
in things like training and things like afterchool service for yellow buses for students to of D75 to enjoy sports or enrichment or tutoring or
socializing those kind of things. Uh, we need to get the um the state laws fixed up and push that through and have them do um have
them, you know, really take it seriously and hire like they care about our kids. So, and not to interrupt, but why it's so important November to go out there and vote. Ah,
right. and yeah, register people. And there's also people trying to register those older district 75 students to vote because there are um accommodations at the polling place. So, if your child is
even like 17 now and they might be 18 in time, you can start registering them. Um and of course those 19, 20, 21, 22 and any of your older correct? Yeah. Um, I want to make sure I didn't forget. Okay,
here's something that you can do as District 75 that some of our other struggling parents cannot do. Um, at that last um, Wow, that's a great question, Marylu. I'm sorry, distracted.
Um, at that at that meeting, somebody from the teachers union spoke and his job at his union office is to receive complaints about special education compliance. Those can be done by a
teacher or some other uft member or by a parent. So, because you're in public school and all of those schools are represented by the United Federation of Teachers, you can fill that out. It's in
the chat. I'll try to put it again. Um, and they will advocate for you. The parents who are saying are who have a pattern that there has not been a bus all year. He said he knew 30 families
who had no bus as of the, you know, day 14 of the school year. And that's just one or two burrows that he works with. So I see more more people in this chat with that situation. And also people who it's not coming
until 9:00 8:30. That's just almost just as bad. you have another uh resource to help you. And I notice people are talking about the um you know the
attitude, the varying attitude. And it's so much better when you have a team on the bus who is has training and respect and some kind of
sense of unity with you as a family that they are also parents and we're also workers and we want you know it to be a good situation for all. But that's why it's important when you have when
you do your complaints um through this council or ourself is that um mention what the company is because not all of these companies even have a strong
fighting union. Some of them, you know, it's like people come in, people come out like it was Burger King. I'm sorry. you know, and so they're being treated not great by the boss and that's
trickling out and it's no excuse. But where they do have that structure, it is a kind of a checks and balance situation where um folks and you can invite them to a meeting, some of the union leaders,
and they can explain certain things that are going on, you know, better than I can. But um that's I'm going to quit there because people I know are like it's burning your heart up and you need to talk about what's was wrong on the bus
and you need to try to get help. We hate that this approach of one route at a time, one bus at a time, one child at a time. It really works best
when you um get other people from your school and your route to be in this kind of email chain. The the the number, the phone call and getting the incident number. That's only step one. It definitely won't solve anything. That's
why we have to go through these hoops and you know get a letter to somebody who can review the route. If your school has two and three routes, maybe they can mix and match and make it make more sense, you know. Um
Sarah, just in the interest of time, I wanted to ask if there's any questions in the interpretation line for you. Oh, good. Let me move. Is there any questions at this time in the interpretation lines?
No questions in the Spanish line. No questions on the men line. No question in Banglad. No problem. Is it okay? One more minute before we start. That way you could answer to see
if there's any other questions on the English. We have a couple of R um raised hands. Okay. Okay. Well, I'm sure some people just want to tell their stories. Uh is have it for me. So, I'll be all right. That's me. Hi.
Um hello. Uh my son is um you know has been in district 75 since uh since well prek actually. Um and he's been uh bust since um the sixth
grade when he started middle school. Uh before that, well actually no before that no he was he was sometimes bus depends on the year and how close we were to the school but um you know this year he effectively doesn't have a bus.
Um the first few days they they had no bus at all. There was just no, you know, no bus. Then they would send the bus around after it had finished its other route at that you
know at the high school times. Um and um you know and and now we're in a situation where um three days a week he can come home kind
of sort of on time because coming home he's the LA we're the first stop. um every single day of the week going into school and the other two days coming home when the high schools let out earlier.
No, because going into school the earliest we we have waited around and we have waited a half we have waited no close to an hour past when the bus is supposed to be dropping kids off at the
school and they have never arrived. Never. Ever. ever. So unless we're willing to let him be at least to arrive at least an hour into the school day, he does not have he effectively doesn't have a ride into school and two days a week coming home.
Um you know finally, you know, at least now it's only two days a week. Um, you know, we we definitely have to pick him up unless we want him to sit at the school for an hour and a half after everyone else has gone home. And we both work,
you know, and we both work. And, you know, we're fortunate enough to live not too far from the school where it's a 15minute subway ride, you know, and and a short walk at each end. We're much luckier
than probably most of the other students on the route who are further out in Queens. Um, you know, but even as it is, I'm, you know, we're spending what is it? $80 a fre $80 a week on uh subway
fair dropping him off, you know, and and bringing him home and sometimes doing, you know, return trips or or continuing on to work. Um, it's absolute craziness. um you know the the teachers, the unit coordinator, every everyone has you know
helped us in trying you know in filing complaints with OPT. I believe now every parent or nearly every parent on that bus, you know, with a student on that bus has filed a ticket with OPT about this. But, you know, nothing can be done
or is done. And I also want to add that this year, given the situation with ICE, I can't in good conscience really complain that this driver sign into the app. um just because of the way
that works, requiring the the drivers to use their personal devices to be tracked, you know, half the day, which is, you know, a bit much to ask for people who aren't necessarily uh you know, US, you know, US-born citizens. Um you know, so so all of this
is is just terrible and a mess and awful. Um, you know, in our case, yeah, you know, the the the the bus attendant has stopped really responding to most most text messages, and I can't really
blame her. Um, because they're never less than, you know, an hour and a half behind schedule. Um, it's just ridiculous. Are you able to get our information from the chat, Mr. Copman? I have Yeah, I have your information. You'll be getting an email from me.
It'll go in the pile with all the other, you know, with all the past emails and with our opt. But I also know that I also know that you guys are powerless to change the fact that these are multi-year contracts awarded to a bunch
of companies, many of whom are owned by the same people. So when two companies get dropped often four more companies owned by the same family get dropped. Definitely definitely true. So I can say Mr. I see that you have
emails to us from 2016 but kick up the ones that are going on now. I don't want you to feel like you're barking up a tree that nobody's answering. We don't move like that in our council. We move on your behalf. So things will move. So, if you would please give us the
opportunity to advocate on your behalf, we would love the opportunity to help you see that um your people that are with glad that you're mentioning about change. Mr. P75 problem will not ever be solved when there's a shortage of drivers and
drivers and attendants either aren't treated well enough or aren't paid well enough to make the job worthwhile for enough people to apply for. Yes. Um that's very true. You know, and as long as that's the case, they are definite. They are always going to have they're always going to drop or
double up small bus routes before big bus routes because big buses carry four times as many students as small buses. And can I ask this? We I put the link for PEP, guys, for the panel for educational policy that Sarah was speaking about for
the November meeting. I put it in the chat. Mr. compliment. I would love if you could show up in person and testify. They need to hear this in real time. I can go there and keep speaking on your behalf. You guys can go and write this um and send
Happy to Happy to. And I hope to get my problem and everyone on this call's problem solved or at least improved this year, but I really don't think anything's going to change without changing this system and possibly the city just taking That's why we keep mentioning over for
all that um for all that don't know mentioning the panel of education because that is where we could take these concerns to ask for change as Mr. Copman said with the contracts on how to
get better contracts for these buses just don't give us any buses just because they're the cheapest or they're the um most also they also the most inadequate
cuz I could go talk to the summer buses. We got a lot of summer buses that don't even have AC. So we have a kid riding for an hour and a half with no AC in the bus as well. That is part of where we fight in those
contract. I also wanted to highlight that PEP is what it used to be a school board. It gets members appointed by the mayor but it's also members appointed by the burough presidents.
So one of the uh point and then there's members are voted in by CEC which is the community education council. Those happen to be parent leaders that are going through the things that we are going through that know our struggles
that they could speak on that table to the things that we are go that we're going through with our families. Like right now it's going to be October and a lot of the things I've heard is some people don't got busing
or their child's busing is going late and that also goes to a IEP mandate. they cannot um act like they don't have a IEP mandate for our kids that they don't need to figure it out and
establish certain things because we have a mandate that is against the law that if they don't follow these certain things for us um for our children. Like another thing that was stated, not only
are they missing busing or not arriving on time, they're also missing their related services. They're missing their educational time. So those are all things that yes, we could be able to rise up. Also, at the
PEP, the chancellor is there. So that is the main person we want to hear all of these issues of that we're going through in order for her to know what our students need because like Miss Angel said our students are here
from K to 12 to their 21 years old. So we if we don't get it some of us been going through this since preK. Some of us is coming out of the system and still going through it. We have Vice President Bon. We do have
seven more hands. Um the next one was Miss Marsha. Um I see Fatima Algamoose. No. Yes, Marsha is here. Miss Fatima. Wonderful. Okay.
Is Marsha you said Mara? You could unmute. Are you hearing me? Okay. Are you hearing me? Yes. Okay. I I could hear me. So, um my child been going to the certified school since
um last year, February. Um he's been using the bus service. Prior to that, he was in in credit school and he was on the bus service. Several things happened where I reported to OPT. They investigate they do investigation and then nothing come out
of it. The latest thing that happened now, which I'm not going to send my child to school tomorrow, um is the bus m on the first and second day of school um the first day, no one want to pick him up. The bus m
um started to ask me um why does my child make so much noise? And I and she said everybody is autistic on the bus. Um and they don't make any noise. I said I don't know what to do about that. He normally don't make noise
on the bus. From there it escalated to when he she come in the morning he will go up on the bus. She would say go up on the bus. Go up on the bus and I will ask her you know um he's not going to respond like that to you if you speak to him like that. She after that she didn't talk to
me at all. She don't talk to my child at all. Nothing. She filed a report that he was making noise on the bus today. She told an ex parent that my child put her daughter here by pointing out my child.
So now I'm not standing on the bus. Quick question. What has the principal um and your busing leazison at the school done and or said? I said everything to them and um um his teacher called me today to let me know that the next parent told her that she told that
parent my child that point to him and say he pulled her here that's dangerous to my child and that that same nation I used to speak to her I just met her and she pointed out my child to that parent that parent tell the teacher what happened right so you putting my child
in danger what that child that child parent was not emotionally like ready to deal with that and be like, who which child attack my child? How does that stay for my child and how is she not being verbal? She's not talking to my child. Silent treatment to me because I
tried to help her to know my child and tell her how we operate. She said they're all the same. So, they're not trained. They're on the bus with our child, no cameras on that bus. So, I have to trust her. The most you could do is put a towel in your child's bag and
stuff like that. and she moved him this morning from the front seat to the back seat. Lock him in his backpack in the seat belt. He's on the bus for an hour and a half to two hours from uh Rushdale to Fresh
Metal to to to school. The bus company don't answer their phone, which is Rich Richie bus company, which owns several other bus company don't even bother trying to switch your bus child, your child bus, right? And they don't answer the phone. I couldn't find my child. One
day I called. They said, "Oh, the driver have a emergency." I said, "On the bus?" She said, "No, not on the bus. She have a she have an emergency before she pick up the child. She would be late." I said, "What happened?" "Oh, that's her personal business. I can't tell you." I said, "Calm down, ma." She hanged out
the phone. The school call, no answer. Let me ask you, Miss Latima, did you file violations on this matron? Oh, this is m I filed violation. I filed last week on the 22nd and they said um behavioral um something I filed today when the teacher called me um after 400
p.m. and they said they're going to look and I requested a change of bus service for my child which is not going to get a bus service right now because look at the situation for other parents. Look on a bus. This is unacceptable. This is extraordinarable. Um
we want my child making noise. Do we need autism? No. We would if you could send us the violation numbers. We can make sure to escalate this um for you. If you want us to speak to the school on your behalf, we can do that as well. This this is utterly ridiculous and there is no way that you should let this matron off. You
should violate her. Whether they move her from the busing route or change busing routes, whether she put my child on the bus, she don't talk to him. She just is she come in the morning or lift her purse to get her. I said good morning. Same way because of course you don't want to get into no argument with the you trying to make sure your
child is safe. That's why some parent don't speak up and that's why some parent tired. Now I have to bring him to school at $50 I have to pay Uber. I have to get a smoke at 9:00 to the city and I have to Uber him to school now because of her. No ma'am
Fatima. No, you should not be going pocket and burning things down because you don't have assistance to get this changed. This is Miss Marshall. Miss Marca, please um forgive me. No, please email us. Please let us help you. This is absolutely utterly ridiculous.
You should not feel like your child is unsafe or feel these kind of ways around a bus matron. You should have her penalized. They get penalized. They get fined. Don't let people children inappropriately and get away from it. Yes. And I found the first report before she left a report on my child to the
school that like a write a report saying that he's doing something. Miss Marcia, our schools are not looking to put our babies off the bus. don't know that even if they do complain district 75 does not look like oo let's get the babies off the bus we know I don't trust her I don't trust her so
that feeling what I keep on saying praying and going with God now I don't trust her because I can't see what's happening in the bus and she's not speaking to him he's six he's six what kind of people are they hiring to be with our children what kind we know it's sharp we know everything is sharp
but how is it safe for us to go to work and leave our child wor about him now when I didn't have to worry about him for because this bus company is unprofessional. The people are rude. He had them for summer and I couldn't get in contact those bus driver and m were
good. Those two and then they changed his bus company from umbrella bus service to little Richie which oh lender little Lisa. So you you liing a pot. No, this is um Miss uh Miss Maria email us or call us tomorrow. That way
we can follow up. Honestly, email you can email us right now. Anybody can email us. Anybody could just email us now. We could but we'll call everyone tomorrow. Yeah. And we're trying to show up to all these things, but now we out of a job. We have to show up to meeting. We're
losing pay. But we're trying to make it at 6:00 and stuff. That way you guys could come cuz I know my working parents and we don't I'm not because of her. No. I want to quit my job just because of the system. No ma'am we don't we don't
want like you don't have dignity like people are rude they're disrespectful that they are insensitive money out your pocket because they know the bi is short that's why they behave like that they be like oh they can't replace because they short anyways no if you could please send us the email
yes and we will follow up um just in the interest of time don't worry about how people feel we don't care about how people feel we care about our children file the complaints let us help you. Yes. Yeah, I did. Just in the interest of time that we
could go to the next speaker. No problem. Thank you, Miss Marshall, for sharing your story. No, baby. Miss Fatima. Yes. Good evening. How are you guys? All good.
Um, I have two boys. Like, they've been on buses since prek, since pre preschool, and they're in high school now. And I've seen my fair share of situations. So, but my situation right now is that
they are not routed yet. And I've been taking them to school and back to school cuz I have two younger kids that are in elementary school that I have to drop off first. So, by the time that I get to their school, it's already 9:00.
Then I got to go pick them up at like 12 cuz it's like a 30 minute ride and I have to be home before my other two get off from elementary. So, they're only in school for like from 9 to 12.
And at the at the beginning, I was paying for the Ubers because I don't have a car. So, I was Ubering it back and forth. So that for like a good two weeks. So I kept complaining. Then they gave me ride share. But even though it pays for the trip, it's still very inconvenient and I can't keep doing it.
So I only take them like three days a week. I've made complaints. I call OPT all the time. I have a bunch of like complaints down, but like nothing is being done about it.
And you forward us your complaints? I have I have it. I just got the email and I came into the meeting. So, I'm going to be emailing you. Please forward Yeah, if you could please forward us all the complaints that you've made up to date. That way then tomorrow we could follow
up with you as to next step on your case. Okay. And then like with all due respect like what do you guys do like will I see something happen in the next week or two or I'm going to tell you what we do. So
when you email us, we keep you on copy. That's one. You will always see what's happening in real time. For myself, um I reach out to the senior executive director and his team and then they push it back down to the appropriate people who respond in real time. Will I say
this is fair? No, it's not. We we do get feedback quicker than you guys do. That's why we say let us advocate for you. You will see in real time. you will be able to respond to them as well as we do, but we will uplift this to you. Um,
on our CCD75 website, I do have some emails of people you guys can reach out to as well. We want to empower you to be able to advocate, but what we do is we bump it to the top of OPT and they move on it immediately because it has been
expedited. So, that's a little bit of a difference. We get to get behind the red rope to help you guys um on your behalf. Okay. Cuz so I hope that answers a little bit. Yeah. But like I've I've spoken to the the person in the school that that deals
with the busing. Well, this is these are the people that are over OPT. This is above school level, district level. This is at the top of OPT that we're moving to to help you with. Okay. Like we we got to speak to like the directors or how she said the senior
executive like especially when there's no route in order that way they could put a route to see what route your child will fit in. Yeah. Cuz they told me it was going to take seven to 10 business days. That was in the beginning of school.
So that's how we could follow up as to what has been done since you already did complaints. we could follow up as to what has been done because it has not been resolved yet. That's how we're able to also expedite it up
with those channels that Miss um Angel mentioned. Just please make sure to email us as soon as possible and we will get on that with you on copy so you know that we are moving um on your behalf. The biggest part is our students need to be in school and that's what we're fighting
for and you guys don't need to be burdened with our children being in school. That is a part of what you know federal government and better supposed to do. So we'll work for faith and I would just like to highlight on Wednesday October 1st it is our citywide
council D75 meeting. In that meeting we will be there with superintendent office for district 75. We are able to also mention things in the chat in that meeting. That way they are aware as to what's going on in sense
of attendance. That way they know like one of the parents was saying you know they could take them certain times but you're not able to afford to take them every day in a cab if you don't have right share in place. So those are um another place where
you're able to go as well. That will be Wednesday at 6:30. The next person is Miss Jovana. Hi, good evening everybody. Um,
my son has been in with the IEP since he was in um in preK. He's always been bust. Um, I've never had a problem like this before. I mean, they pick him up a quarter to 7 and he
just gets dropped off at school at 9:00. So, he's been on the bus and and also plus he's in high school. So, that he gets busted in a big bus. That's the other thing is on a big bus as well and when he gets picked up is like the third
is like the fourth person on the bus. So, I don't I mean and he also has um some issues. So, he's got to take medication in the morning and I want to then at the evening he's got to take another one, but then I don't want him to get too aggravated cuz that's not good for him either. So, I don't know
what to do. I mean, I did Are you able do you have short time travel in your IEP? Um, no. I think it's I mean it's never been changed. You have a pair of professional in the IEP? No.
Then then I'm glad like following what uh Vice President Bonia is saying, we need to um get you some medical paperwork so that you can get limited time travel and that you can get a pair professional to ride with your student on the bus. Um we can look at if you email us, we can speak with you with
your IEP, look at some things and try to help you um get that ball moving so that you can have the appropriate accommodations um on the bus and have a mini bus, a mini wagon so that he's not on the bigger bus. those things can be um added into the IEP.
Yeah. Because he also does summer school and since they put him on the big bus, there's no air conditioning. And last time I called, they told me I need to have my doctor write them a note, right? I mean, because he also has he has also
asthma. So, that's the other thing. So, like Miss Angel said, if you could email us, we're able to help you with that paperwork. And listen, we we hear you. We hear you. And we know it is stressful. Is all get out. We know it is
a lot. It's a lot. And you don't have to feel like you're alone. I'm giving you a virtual hug because I feel your energy through the phone. Please know we're going to help you out. This will not be your forever. Um we are trying to fight as a council to change policies and better. But as of right now, you are our
community member. We are going to work on each and every one of your behalfs. You're not alone in this fight. It will not stay this way. Okay. Okay. Thank you. You're more than welcome. No problem. Uh the next one is Miss Tamika Mills.
Hi. Good evening. Actually, it's her husband, Kelvin. We have a shared account, so that's why it says that. Hello, Mr. Kelvin. Um, good evening. Thank you for all the information. Really appreciate it. Um, it's been pretty harrowing to listen to everyone's situation. Um, our son David
um was busted last year when he was in three of 3K and we've had issues with the drivers showing up really late causing issues with us getting to work like everyone else has experienced. This year um he's in kindergarten and the bus is telling us to pick him up at 6:25
a.m. for an 8:20 a.m. drop off. Our son is four and I can't imagine being on the bus that's not even going more than 2 miles for several hours. And then I arrived to the school. My wife and I have been dropping him off for the last few weeks since school started. And I've noticed I've been getting there and the
buses have been sitting outside the school for an unknown amount of time. And I'm just curious like what's going on on these buses? What's happening with the children in these buses? I'm standing there with my son waiting for the doors to open. And and I I I feel like we can't trust to put him on these buses because we don't know what's going
to happen. Is he just sitting there forever or what are these other children doing? You know, they won't open the doors at his school until 8:20 on the dot. And I met another father today dropping off his son for the first time, asking me, "Hey, where's the door? When is it open?" They he was told to get
there for 7:55. That's wrong. It's 8:20. I had the same experience on the first day of school. They will never open the door for our children when they get there on the bus early. And I don't understand. When I was in school, we at least went to the yard. We went inside if it was cold. I
don't know what's going to happen when the weather changes. Um, our son also has ABA services that we pay for out of pocket after school and it's been really successful for him, but we can't get him there in time based on the bus having a 2-hour route. And uh, I just discovered
today calling the bus company that there are three or four other schools on his route. So, I I am under the impression that, okay, your bus is coming from your school to where you need to go, not just dropping off at other schools. I had no idea that a bus can do that. And I'm not sure if that's normal or that's a new
thing where one bus can go to several different schools. Small a small bus or No, he's on he's on a large bus. But we're you know that's the issue with the larger bus. They are doing that. That's something that we finding out that they are putting more than one
route on the larger bus. Yeah, I wasn't aware of that until today because we never he was on a small bus last year when he was going to school and this year we're like, well, the large bus may take some time, but we didn't realize that. Yeah, he's I don't understand why he's on a big bus.
So, we did talk to his doctor. We had some we were told to go to our doctor, get some paperwork filled out for this cuz he can't really communicate his needs. Yes, we don't know what'll happen on this bus. The bus doesn't seem to have any kind of climate control. I'm looking at the bus. I'm like, I know buses from my experience of being on buses. and like
that's not going to work when the the weather has been like crazy lately and we don't really see like how this would be working. So now we're just taking that making that sacrifice and putting our jobs at risk just to get him back and forth to school and to his after school programs and you know we just
don't we called my wife has called the bus company they've hung up on her they've been really rude to her and I I just don't know what's going to happen like going forward with this violations for these hang-ups and being rude. I mean, not yet because it's only been a week or two. We haven't yet.
Hear me. Hear me clearly when I say it. There is no pass. There is no pass. If you're rude, if you're hanging up, if you're disrespectful, these people are getting contracts. If you're not violating them on every single turn that they do, it's looking like they're doing a good job. There is no pass. There
should be no, oh, it's the beginning of the school year. I'm not going to give you a pass for being rude and hanging up on me. No, no, no. There's absolutely not. you know, valid for them to do that. That's not right at all. Last year, we did file complaints of I guess other bus company when they were when we had a complaint our our
grandmother who's helping us got a pneumonia for waiting for the bus for so long outside of the cold. And when we made the complaint to make you stop talking to my wife and you know, we filed a complaint, got a different driver and everything like that. But for someone to get so sick just because you can't get there on time, it's kind of
crazy, you know. Um, so we're just trying to figure out like what's the process here because listening to everyone else's story here and I'm like I haven't even engaged this yet for this semester because it seems like it's been broken for a while. Like we don't know if this is even, you know, we I'm happy
to personally be part of the process and complain and kind of give you everyone my point of view on this, but a two-hour turnaround time just to get from a kid from one school one place to another who's four years old is actually unacceptable. I I can't even do that. Extraordinarily unacceptable. And I I want to tell you guys like there's
levels to how they would like us to move where you let your administration know, your principles know, they then let the busing liaison know, and there's a different level that happens at the school level. There's a different space that happens at the district level, and then there's some things at the district level where they can help us escalate to
OPT, and then we just shoot up to OPT. We do want to always ask, is your principal engaged? Is your busing liaison engaged? because there's some things that they can nip in the butt at the at the school level. If you're if they're waiting outside or something's going wonky or you see what's happening,
they can nip those things in the butt at the school level if you give them the opportunity. If you ask them and they've done nothing or you don't know what's happening and you would like assistance to escalate, we can always jump in and escalate. Period. However, you guys do need help to make sure your students are
in school and that you're being heard with what's happening. Okay. Well, okay, great. I'll, you know, we'll probably follow up in the email. My wife and I are on the call. She's on the other phone. Um, we'll probably just reach back out with any other questions we have, but it's just that's my all I had to really say. I think think that
they'll there should be a limit to how long a child can be on the bus. They shouldn't be a 2hour ride. I'm going to screenshot them and put them into the chat. Give me one second. And that also goes to that paperwork that they gave you. So, those limits have to be put in with the doctor.
Yeah, that's what we're saying. um for the um doctor in order to fill out those paperworks and then they able to add it into the IEP. Regarding the IEP, we did request that it get reopened because of the placement he has, but we were told that a
psychologist we need to do an evaluation, but the psychologist that his school has been out since last semester and we can't even get an ETA for when this person will return for that. Is that really part of the process that they have to have an evaluation by a DOE psychologist to have an adjustment
for turning five? What you said, Sarah? Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm ignore me. I'm writing something in the chat. I'm just getting upset with with everything.
Um, you do not need just a DOE evaluation. You could actually have an outside evaluation for your child and take it and ask them for a reconvene meeting or to open up the IEP. And you could bring in those outside evaluations. It
could be either from other agencies like YAI, AHRC, um the Kennedy Center. Those are places that do psychological and psychocial evaluations and they could give you more
of of what it consideration of considerations for for the school to take considerations of the things that they um they assess. So if you able to email the 375 council email, Miss Angel and I could assist you
with that as well. And your and Miss Mills Oh, thank you. No problem. I have a quick question really quick. I'm not inter I'm just interrupting. I send the email send the email and ticket number that I have to up the email that
you guys share in the chat. Yes, please. So councilschools.nyc.gov and ccd75 busing issues atgmail.com. Thank you. You're welcome. For the last two um
questions is going to be Miss Jarvis and then Miss Burnout Shaltia Jarvis. Yes. Hello. Thank you. No problem. Hello. Hello everyone. Um
I would just like to speak on behalf of my son. Um, he is a teenager. He is 15 years old. And the bus that he rides has other teenagers on the bus. I just found
out two weeks ago that his bus is overcrowded. I did not know that this is what was going on. Um, the matron informed me, and I honestly feel like she only even
informed me just in case there was a safety issue because of how overcrowded it is. And again, I stated they're all teenagers, so they are of a bigger stature. The bus itself, because I was allowed to step onto the bus and see
what was going on. They wanted me to see the seating. One side had a set seat of one-seaters. The opposite side had a set seat of two seaters and at least one seat had three kids in one squeezed in
trying to make it work. The matron literally had to ask a child to get up and move somewhere else to make room for my son for that particular day. I immediately called OPT. I called his school and OPT just took down my
information. I got the incident numbers and I called the bus company. I'm like, "What's going on?" The lady literally told me that she told the bus driver how to seat the kids in the bus. If there's two skinny kids, have two skinny kids sit together and so forth and so forth.
And I'm like, "They're not Jenga pieces. What are you talking about?" And she told me all she can do is have um excuse me, I'm sorry. All she can do is have me call OPT and have his bus rerouted. But
that is the bus for his school and there is no other option. I also found out that there are three schools on his bus route. My son is in a mini wagon. And last week, being that they didn't have space for him,
she told me at the bus company the only other option was for them to take the kids that are on the bus before him to school and come back for my son. My son is the last pickup. They did that one day last week because, of course, like everyone else, we want our kids to be
able to go to school. They came for my son at 8:00. School starts at 8. My son didn't get to school until 9:30 that day. And that's just ridiculous. Nothing has been done to change this.
And of course, if you try to get the bus rerouted, that's a waiting period as well. And then in the meantime, he doesn't have busing to go to school. And then it's like, "Oh, you're a bad parent." Because obviously I can't bring him in there at 9:30. that wouldn't be acceptable. But yet, I'm supposed to
stand here and deal with the busing. You're absolutely right. You're absolutely right. Um a thousand%. Um I I you're right. Um I think that it's ridiculous that the bus is overcrowded and no one is doing anything about it.
Um we don't want that to be the space that you're sitting in. like one seaters, two seaters, three kids in a seat, and just the safety aspect. We want our children to feel safe and our parents to feel safe with their children on the bus. So, I know I sound like a broken record, but please guys, please
send these, please forward your emails, send us the date of birth, the routes, the OSIS, your student ID number. Send us that information and and send us the complaints, send us the violations. We absolutely will make sure to advocate on your behalf. Um, if you want us to
speak to your principles or anybody else, wherever you need us to jump in this to try to assist, hush, Christian to jump in and assist, we absolutely will um do that on your behalf. Again, I'm I'm really sorry to hear this. This this this um
we we have a lot of work to do. And guys, please know that we're doing it, but we also need your voices. If there's spaces, we're going to email you guys know this, the guides in English and Spanish, we're going to send out to you everything that we told you. um the website we're going to send out to you
um the rallying information um and how we can help support we're going to send to you Kofi stop we're going to send to you guys Miss Sarah please make sure any information that we can forward all of the attendees and um those who registered that we have that so we can send it out and we'll share the list
with you as well so that they can continue to get additional busing support so that they know that we are a community um of support. Thank you for your time. Thank you as well, Miss Jarvis, for sharing.
Next, Miss Jadira Bernau. Hello everyone. Good evening. Um, I just Sorry, I just want to emphas that I had two messages that I didn't see. So, I have two last questions. Miss Sarah, you still have your hand up
as well to speak or that was from earlier. Okay, thank you. Okay, thank you Mr. Chie. Can you guys hear me? Okay. Yes. Okay. Um, so I had uh two questions. I don't
think it was a um asked yet. Um well, one was regarding the the busing app. Um I use it on the web. I was told that it's better um it is less glitchy, but I don't obviously think it's effective
um when it comes to live time in the morning or the afternoon. Um I'm not sure what can be done with it if they can try to perfect it better. So at least we have a sense of that the busing is on a is on a good timing.
um you know heading to school or being dropped off at my child's after school uh program. And um my last question was regarding when a driver calls out last minute, it seems like there's no plan B
on on a recoverable driver to be able to take the route the kids to their schools in the morning or in the afternoon. That's something very well because there is a shortage of drivers. There's a shortage of pair of professionals.
There's a shortage of drivers. And that's what a lot of people and legislators are trying to figure out. What can we do? What what incentives can we give? You know, what can we do to make people want to drive? And our council is working with the pipeline with CUNI in regard to, you know, pair of professionals and things of that
nature. And we're still trying to fight side by side to figure out what's what what is going on with the drivers? Why do people not want to drive? Why is there a shortage? What can we do to incentivize people um to drive? But that's that's a big um sticking point right now there that they have a
shortage of drivers. The next one is Nasimi Fida Fidi. Sorry if I said your name wrong. Hi everyone, my name is Fedaya. Um, I want to talk about a couple things. So, sorry I said it wrong.
Oh, it's okay. It's not it's not an easy name. Um, but I have just my son has just joined District 75 and there's a huge discrepancy on support uh for D31 and D75. I'm sure most of you know that, but I'm getting to experience it now.
Similar to the crawler before me, um, my son is 15, high school, first year in high school, and he is 6 feet, 170 lb, and he is being forced to sit in a seat that is for one person. He's literally hanging off the seat. He can't
close his seat belt. I've got all the complaints in. I've got the school involved, but it's just interesting to see um that there just there's no recourse. There's no like, oh, so the seat belt doesn't close. Oh, well. You know, and then today the the bus attendant who was very nice and kind,
she's like, oh, by the way, today we have a new kid on on board on the way home. So, technically my son, because it's D75, his school shuts down earlier than the high schools. So, they they start busing at 1:40 p.m. and the district's 31 and the same school starts
busing at 2:20. So, it's a 40-minute discrepancy. So, they're picking up 14 district 75 children, you know, the ones that matter less, obviously, higher needs, having them wait in the bus for this one child from district 31 40 minutes later and then starting the
route. Luckily for us, we do have, you know, limited time travel, which is 60 minutes. My son is the first drop off, but with that 40 minutes plus his 30-minute ride, he passes the the 60 minutes, um, which I put a complaint in for. So I just I I besides and beyond
the fact that you can have 14 kids wait in a bus for one child that's 40 minutes later because it's the same school. So I am dealing with it. I I had a question about specifics on who took over like for example who took over for Kevin Moran. Would you know that to the
president of this of this committee? Um I can look it up. They did actually tell us that in our last meeting with the chancellor. So I can find that out for you cuz I go straight up when you say I deal with the assistant director because I've got a bunch of emails about to go out tonight. Who would
Glenn Risbrook Glenn Risbrook is the senior executive director? That's who we'll be meeting with. That's who you're dealing with. Yeah, this is just I mean get it out. And then for you for district uh 31, Christy Monttovon, uh she's a former uh
member for CCD75. She was vice president here for uh she was here for four four years or more. She's actually your D75 representative. You're in Staten Island. Yeah, I saw her on the last call. I remember Christie. Christie is someone that absolutely will fight on your behalf. We
will continue to support her. Um and see what is going on with this. This is um ridiculous. I've heard this before where students need more space on the bus, but they're not getting that. And then actually and he was coded so that so what I thought to make it better, I had him
coded for two seats, right? Perfect. and the matron the bus 10's like I'm sorry we can't do it I have five kids coded for two seats so your kid has to share so for the first week he sat next to her which I actually preferred because you know I just don't want him to get in a situation where touching talking
whatever it is and there's a behavior that comes about I don't want him to be involved in a behavior against him or him against the other person so yeah it just it's the smallest mini bus made for elementary school children they're one-seaters throughout And they're
pushing two kids in each one. And I have a picture of him if I show you. It'll break your heart. He's literally hanging off. His knees are jammed in on the left side. Would you would you be comfortable? Um, I'm going to forward it. I'm going to forward it cuz they have the wrong one. I've never had an issue with OPT. I deal
with them directly all the way to Kevin, but I would love to hear who his replacement is. I'm still going to email Kevin um and just get this out there. And my heart breaks for the people on this call who don't speak English as a first language. I can't even imagine how they're getting through this. And it's
such a disgrace. I wish I could speak Spanish and advocate for everyone. I'm glad you guys are doing it because it is it's just heart-wrenching to hear this, you know, and I think the more it's very important to actually put those complaints in so you have those numbers cuz once you put that in, once I put that complaint in, it's like, "Oh,
Joseph Sodto, oh, guess what? We took a kid off. So tomorrow your son will have his own seat. I'm like I don't care about that. How about the waiting for 40 minutes? And then I'll tell you I I think that Kevin is the acting deputy chancellor for operations. So you still may be able to reach
the big he's still up there. I just curious, you know, you said Glenn You said Glenn Whizbbrook is under him. He is the senior executive director for the OP for OPT. Okay, got it. So I have him on my email chain. Yeah, they're they're going to hear it. I usually actually send um
before district 75 I used to send thank you emails because they were so different and now my email is very different about higher needs populations children with more support maybe some are can't speak and that's the issue my son told me by the way I had to wait for
39 minutes because he has like OCD about time I'm like where did you wait for 39 because I was wondering and also for half of you on here if you can get the angel sense that's what I have on my son's book bag yes and pay for it. Yeah, pay for it through pay for it through self-direction budget. I actually am a broker, by the way. And you could pay
for it through the budget, the monthly fee. And then you can track every single place they stop. If they stop for longer than 5 minutes, it alerts you and says your child is in the wrong. Forget the app of the VIA app. Have your own app and just really, you know, I would I
just track where my son is. I snap the picture when it's taking too long. I snap the picture if they're going too fast. Um I don't use it for listening in. I just use it for tracking uh because you got to be careful. You know, there's other students there. Um it's it's turned off the listening in feature for me. I just do it to know where he
is. Sometimes they decide to stop, you know, for five minutes to go get something at a corner store. I kid you not, they do. And it shows you in real time where they are. So, it's important to try to get that if you can. It's very expensive, but if you do have self-direction, it will pay for it through the budget,
which is really great. or you can put one of those Apple things on it that's cheaper, you know, I don't know what they're called. But I just wanted to, you know, I'm actually going to email you guys because I really think this is a big issue and much worse for D district 75 children and I don't I
can't stand for that. That's not And I want to say just because I know that you guys are fighting a lot with us. Please, you you parents can become members of this committee. You absolutely can do the work with us and we would love for you to do that. So if you do want to be a consistent part of this committee and do work even outside
of this specific meeting, please do let us know and email vice president and chair of this busing committee Bonia at ccd75 busing issuesgmail.com. Um back to you vice president Bonia. Please do thank you miss so much. I look
forward to the pictures in the email so we can um you further. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Antonio Ramos on the chat. The last question will be Marilu Sadalan. Just for the interest of time as we have also interpreters
and we will have to let them go. But yes, Miss Antonio Ramos. It is ache. classes. And says [Music] Okay. Okay. See
Okay. Okay. Okay, the last question. Mariluan Marilu sack Dalan. Hello. Hello. Yes. Um, good evening everyone. My name
is Kandals and I'm Mary Lou's companion and um we share a child together that is a part of um of 75. Uh just um I don't know the logistics of of anything but um
just thinking out loud about the shortage of drivers. Um, the city usually keeps a list of those candidates that are pending higher and that list could run anywhere from a year or more.
Is there any way that we could tap into the city's list of potential upandcoming bus drivers that may want to do do this and for the interim until they're actually hired by the city to drive that
city bus? Is there any way we can link with them? And that way we're assured drivers and also we we um uh we'll have like a bullpen of drivers to pull from in case you know there's um a illness or
an emergency. Is that does that sound doable? Does that sound reasonable? Does it sound like maybe? That sounds like a great suggestion that I got to tag Miss Sarah in. Miss Sarah, are you available?
I'm I'm excited about that. Yes. Because we've been brainstorming with like everything we can think of, but didn't think of that one. So, it just goes to show you, like we said from the very beginning, the wrong people
run this system and make decisions that they do not have to live with that we have to live with and the children and the workers. Um, so yeah, we have seen like the state also has a list of people
with that CDL license. Okay. Um, and you know, we have, we started to talk about it earlier. There's your district 79. You have adult education even from um the public school system.
So, please, let's keep brainstorming. Um, the the school board made some kind of commission. and I'm going tomorrow to find out if there's really anything to it, but if so, at the end of next month,
they're having a hearing for public comment. Um, yeah, it's it Thank you. And and you know, this is why we put our heads together and it's not one person's problem, it's the whole community's
problem. Yeah, I would think that they would have a waiting list pending and that um and someone might be grateful to like do this in the interim and as an incentive you could probably probably move them up
on the list as an incentive if they did this type of work, you know, so they go up on the list. It gives them an edge and it will give them an incentive to to do this. they already probably have the training, they have the demeanor, and so
it's just a matter of, you know, kind of putting them in place and again having, you know, a bullpen in case you need a substitute because um, you know, you never know. Okay. Thank you.
Thank you as well for your time. As we move into wrapping up the the meeting, guys, I know we've been here for a couple of hours and we two hours and 22 minutes. I believe in synchronicity. Um, we want you to know that we're here to support you. Um, we do want to check in before we go, guys,
with Did we check in with interpretation, Stephanie? No, we were going to do that now. Okay. If we can check to see if we have any questions in Mandarin, Spanish, and or Bangla. And while we do so, guys, please do
remember October 1st, 6 pm, we do have our meeting at 400 1st Avenue. It's in person and virtual. If you do choose to come in person, we do have food and we do have child care. Just let us know um if that is what your plan is.
We are here to support you um in any manner that we can. Do we have any questions in the interpretation rooms? No questions on the Spanish line. Uh, no, no questions on the men line.
No question in Bangalore. With that being said, do you have any other um follow-ups that you want to give, Vice President Bonia? No, just want to say thank you all again for joining us today and sharing your
stories and your concerns, your suggestions as to how we can work better um in advocating in order for all of our babies to get the transportation that they need.
I also encourage you all, even if you did not get to speak and you have a concern, you're dealing with a situation with busing, you heard many stories as to what are we helping with, please reach out to us in the emails. Please
reach out in the cell phone number as well. I receive text messages as well and voicemails and I could get back to you. That way we could expedite all of these concerns, especially the kids that are not being routed or that are
arriving late um for school and arriving home. All right, thank you all again for joining us and I appreciate your time. Also guys, don't forget CCD75 outreach
on YouTube. This meeting will be it is recorded. It will be posted. You will be able to rewind, press play, or jump back into anything that you've missed. We're going to try to have this up on tomorrow. Um, do you want to time stamp us out, Vice President?
Yes, it is 8:25 p.m. We are now releasing interpreters. Everyone, have a great night. And if anything happens tomorrow, make those violations. Email us the violations. Let us stand in the gap to support you. sleep well and have a great tomorrow.
Yes.