For the students of Route 3824, the school day begins the moment bus driver Theodore Frost swings the bus doors open. More than just being responsible for ensuring that dozens of kids arrive before the morning bell, Frost shapes the tone for their entire day. Through small gestures like asking about students’ mornings, inquiring about their aspirations or handing out treats, he understands the impact he has goes beyond the hours he drives.
Frost is extremely knowledgeable about MoCo, not just from traversing its neighborhoods, but because he has resided here his entire life. Frost grew up in Wheaton, going through Highland Elementary School, Sligo Middle School and graduating from Albert Einstein High School. “I became a bus operator through having a lot of different jobs, and I decided one day that I would rather have an occupation as opposed to keep working those dead-end jobs,” Frost said.
This revelation occurred at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when companies were laying off workers by the thousands, and Frost didn’t have a stable primary source of income. “I wasn’t really sure how COVID was going to affect everybody, but I know that a lot of people were losing work so … once it was over, I wanted to be able to be secure financially and put myself in a better position,” Frost said. Later, he decided to obtain a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) and begin working as a school driver.
Frost gravitated towards becoming a bus operator because of one influential figure in his life, his own school bus driver. “She used to pick the kids up … [with] a big old boom box in the front of her bus, and she used to play all different types of music … and when certain songs would come on, I would reminisce.” Frost says that he attempts to channel the same warm and connected atmosphere for his students.
Frost believes that even the small interactions he has with students go on to impact their individual lives. “There are a lot of times, especially during the morning and when they are getting ready to go home, a bus driver can do or say something to a student that can determine how their day is to start and [they can] give some encouraging words once they are getting ready to go home as well that can transpire later on,” Frost said. “[Therefore] I reward them at the end of the week with some type of treat, whether it be a piece of candy or something, just to show my appreciation for their good behavior.”
Frost’s work on his bus route isn’t done alone. Alongside him is his bus attendant, Mr. Ham. “The route that I picked up, he [Ham] was already [there] … so I kind of inherited him,” Frost said. “He was always a great attendant for me because he was the one who helped teach me the route.” They have worked together since 2021; however, Ham was on the same route three years before Frost was hired.
Over the years, both have developed a friendship through their work. One of Frost’s most memorable experiences with Ham is helping him learn English. “He is from South Korea, so he is constantly working on his English,” Frost said. “I say ‘yeah you are doing good’ because he practices every day [and] I make fun of him here and there, but he is really coming along.”
There are often a few students that teachers remember as the years go past, and for Frost, it is the same. One student in particular was a senior at RM who was preparing to graduate. Frost recalls congratulating them on their chosen school and encouraging them about their future success. “I had them on the bus for three years, so when they leave, and they graduate, you feel that void because they are no longer there,” he said.
