LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 10, 2008) — Even without Horshack and Vinnie Barbarino, Jo Mascorro drew laughs as she kicked off the first official day of the 17th Annual Transporting Students With Disabilities and Preschoolers Conference and Exhibition with the theme song from "Welcome Back, Kotter."

Mascorro, a communication consultant and mother, reminded the packed ballroom that being a pupil transportation professional is not a job, but a journey. Pupil transportation professionals are both transporters and teachers and often the first person to see children each day, Mascorro said. How they communicate with the students on their bus makes a difference in the children’s lives.

"It’s more than a job. It’s big," Mascorro said.

To help pupil transporters with their big challenge, Mascorro shared the tools to better communicate with all students, reminding the crowd that if they didn’t put anything into reaching out to students, they wouldn’t get anything out.

As the day ramped up, speakers armed attendees with the tools they need to do their job better, tapping into the theme of this year’s show: "It takes grit to get it done. Get grit here."

The all-star team of Peggy Burns, Pauline Gervais, Linda Bluth, Cheryl Wolf and Jean Zimmerman stepped in front of an imaginary news camera to show how to avoid a media meltdown, keeping the audience laughing and learning. Others shared tips on everything from wheelchair securement to building a high-performing team.

During his session on bullies and diffusing abusive behavior, consultant Bill Hoosty reminded pupil transportation professionals how much had changed for the industry over the years and how much was to be gained by learning how to do one’s job better.

"We’ve heard ‘When I was a kid…’ a lot this weekend," Hoosty said. "It’s not sticks and stones anymore. Today, it’s a federal case against sexual harassment."