Providing a Special Service
for Special Kids

New York City transportation safety training school owner Maria Sonaly Caro understands the necessities and nature of special needs children

By Stephane Babcock

When Maria Sonaly Caro began working with special needs students as a school bus monitor and then as a driver in the New York City area more than 10 years ago, she began to notice how their conduct at times differed from other students. Some were extremely vocal, while others never made a sound. This broad spectrum of behaviors led her to research some of the disorders listed on the route sheets provided by the board of education and, later, to open MaSca Transportation Safety Training School, the first school in the NYC area to be owned and operated by a Hispanic woman.

“I learned that each child was unique. Yes, they all had some sort of disability, but these children deserved to be an individual because not all of the children had the same disability,” said Sonaly Caro, who used to attend college classes between her school bus runs, at night and on the weekends. “As a result, I returned to work with a whole new outlook. I saw children who needed respect, love and care. I saw my self being an outlet for these children in need.”

Finding Her Own Path
After graduation, Sonaly Caro decided to stay in the school bus industry to try to improve the quality of training. She began looking into becoming a school bus driver instructor, which proved to be more difficult that she imagined. At the time there were only four or five NYC Board of Education–approved training schools, and some of the doors she knocked on were closed in her face.

“They saw me as potential competition. The owner of one of the training sites told me that ‘this is only a white people job,’” recalls Sonaly Caro.

After learning how she could become a school bus driver instructor and certified examiner, Sonaly Caro registered and passed all the necessary courses. Still, with all of her qualifications, it was hard to find a location to properly train the local school bus community.

“As a result, I decided to open my own training site, MaSca Transportation Safety Training School, Inc. The atmosphere in MaSca is all about safety and ways to constantly remind the students, both new and old, about safety,” said Sonaly Caro.
Now, four years later, Sonaly Caro’s school has garnered a reputation as a site that offers excellent training.

“Word gets around in this industry,” said Marian Oliva, who worked with Sonaly Caro when she was the office manager for Kids Bus Service in the Bronx. “You should see her school in comparison to others — I was pretty amazed. She does phenomenal work.”

Ms. Ray Fouche, CEO of Rainbow Transit Inc., has used MaSca to train the drivers of her 450 buses for the last four years.

“The school’s modern classrooms, numerous instructors and interactive training devices have ensured that our employees are provided with all of the tools to provide the best service possible to the students of New York,” said Fouche.

Building Her Team
Frances Caro, Sonaly Caro’s daughter, first started as a her mom’s classroom helper when she was 12 years old. Since then, she has become an instructor at MaSca, teaching CPR and First Aid. Like Sonaly Caro and the rest of the staff, she puts 100 percent into her job every day. She has learned valuable life skills while an instructor, including how to communicate and work with different ethnic groups, as many of the school’s students come from many different backgrounds from all around the world.

“Working here has made me feel complete, in the sense that I am able to make a difference helping others even in the smallest way, whether it be teaching them how to heal a wound or teaching them CPR to save a life,” said Caro.

Yarah Hernandez, a MaSca trainer for the last three years, believes the friendly environment students experience at the school helps them learn important skills in a very positive fashion.

“Training is very important when it comes to school bus safety because we need to know how we are going to help our children in case of an emergency or in case of any accidents,” said Hernandez.

Judy Soto, one of the more recent additions to the MaSca team, agrees.

“You leave us very well prepared and also feeling that you are now part of the MaSca family. That is what makes our school so unique.”

For instructor Sadie Biascochea, MaSca’s uniqueness can be summed up in three words: Maria Sonaly Caro.

“I’m proud of her and proud of how far she has come to build such a great school. She has proved that a woman can do anything no matter what anyone says,” said Biascochea. “I love my job at MaSca. It’s always a good feeling to walk into a place that makes you feel like you’re home.”

The Future of MaSca
Sonaly Caro is very proud of her team, her school and her accomplishments over the past four years, but she has no plans to slow down.

“Every class I teach brings me one step closer to my main goal, which is to put the message in every driver’s and monitor’s heart that these children they transport daily should be treated as their own,” she said. “I have plans to provide constructive ideas to state and local agencies to help improve training to drivers and monitors.”

She also stresses the importance of sensitivity to special needs students, not only by drivers and monitors, but parents as well.

“Each child deserves respect, care and attention, but most importantly these children deserve to be individualized. It is crucial to the child’s bus ride experience.”