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Tech specialist takes the wheel

Where there's a need (bus driver, trip planner, chaperone), this Stewart Middle school teacher is ready to jump in.

By JESSICA BRADY Times Staff Writer
Published September 28, 2007

Wehust high-fives John Dominici, a fifth-grader from Dunbar Elementary Magnet School. Dunbar students joined those at Stewart for a trip to Crystal Springs Nature Preserve last week.
	[Carrie Pratt | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Carrie Pratt | Times] John Wehust helps eighth-grader Adam Rain prepare for the morning show at Stewart Middle Magnet School on Monday morning.

The children line up single file outside the yellow school bus where John Wehust sits behind the large steering wheel. As they board, he greets each of them with a warm smile and slight nod. A man of few words, he lets his actions speak for themselves.

But technically, Wehust is not a school bus driver. He's the technology specialist at Garland V. Stewart Middle Magnet School.

In the summer of 2002, without telling anyone, Wehust took a class to get a commercial driver's license, so he could drive a school bus.

Why? Because if the school didn't have to hire drivers, the kids could take more field trips.

Wehust, 51, became Stewart's technology specialist nine years ago and has made it his goal to help students succeed, even if it means he has to volunteer his own time and money.

"Everybody, even the kids, know the impact he's made. He may be in the background, but there's nothing he can't do," Baretta Wilson, Stewart principal, said.

* * *

Wehust was ready for his first field trip when the school year started in the fall of 2002. It was the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and school lasted only a half-day. He drove a group of students to a memorial on Bayshore Boulevard.

"Since it was a half-day, there were no buses available, so if I wasn't able to drive, the students would have never been a part of the memorial," Wehust said.

But convenience is only part of the equation. His ability to transport students saves the school and students money, and allows for more time to enjoy trips.

"Normally, it costs around $300 for a bus, but with John, it runs about half that," Lynn McDaniel, lead teacher at Stewart, said. "He gives us more flexibility, so the children have more time to learn and enjoy the trips."

Without Wehust, administrators say, students would go on fewer trips and their parents would sometimes be charged more to help pay.

Wehust, who has won several awards for his work at the school, does a lot more than drive the bus. He also helps plan most field trips and acts as both a chaperone and teacher.

He spearheaded a plan that involves taking every child on an interesting field trip. Sixth-graders visit Tampa International Airport, seventh-graders experience the Challenger Center at MOSI and eighth-graders explore Kennedy Space Center. All of which compliment Stewart's math, science and technology magnet theme.

With his ability to drive a school bus, Wehust has also helped hundreds of students prepare for the FCAT. The month prior to the FCAT, he devotes his Saturdays to transporting and tutoring students for the exam. He learns the bus route and picks up students who would otherwise not be able to attend the FCAT study days. He doesn't get paid extra for his time.

"We have at least a hundred kids who wouldn't usually come, but do because he picks them up," Wilson said.

* * *

It's about a 45-minute drive to Crystal Springs Preserve in Zephyrhills and the fifth- and sixth-graders gave Wehust a round of applause, thanking him in advance as they left.

The trip is part of an ongoing project titled From the Source to the Sea that allows students to test water samples from local bodies of water. Once they arrived, Wehust waited for the students to exit the bus, then followed them into the learning center.

As the children settled in their seats for the presentation, Wehust pulled out his camcorder, in search of perfect shots for the school's morning news show. His face was expressionless, but his excitement was apparent as he walked around the room.

"It never gets old watching kids and seeing their faces light up when they are learning," Wehust said.

The children headed outside to test water samples, and Wehust followed. More than 6 feet 5 inches tall, he almost had to duck to get through the door. He observed them grabbing their nets and swiping creatures in the spring, never raising his voice when things got a little out of hand. A gentle reprimand and his large stature seemed to be enough.

He gathered four volunteers to take off their shoes and step into the spring. He wanted them to know what it felt like to stand in a sand boil. While he videotaped, he told them what it was like when he swam in the springs as a kid.

"This is rewarding," he said later. "You can show kids pictures in a classroom, but it would never equal them seeing the real thing."

At lunch time, Wehust sat alone on a log and enjoyed the lunch he packed in his red lunch box.

Then, it was time to head back to the bus.

* * *

A Tampa native, Wehust has taught in Hillsborough County for the past 26 years. Before Stewart, he taught at both Lee and Just elementary schools, starting his career as a special education teacher.

At Stewart, he focuses on technology, mentors at-risk students and creates the morning show.

"We could not run the school without him or have quality programs," McDaniel said. "Because of his technological experience he can pilot programs no other schools have."

In 2003, Wehust set up a video conference at the school so students could talk with NASA scientists. He recently organized a conference that allows students in North Carolina to communicate with those at Stewart.

A huge Bucs fan, he holds season tickets and doesn't miss a game. On Saturdays when the University of South Florida Bulls play at Raymond James Stadium, he staffs a concession stand to raise funds for Stewart.

Although he has no kids of his own, he jokes that the 900 students at Stewart are enough.

After returning from Crystal Springs, Wehust took a glance in the rearview mirror and smiled. The children left one-by-one.

"Thank you, Mr. Wehust."

Jessica Brady can be reached at jbrady@sptimes.com or 813 226-3339.

[Last modified September 27, 2007, 08:10:15]