Beginning this month, Heartland will have the first of three Department of Education visits as part of the Agency’s accreditation process. The central purpose of accreditation visits is to help area education agencies improve the quality and focus of their services. AEAs undergo this review process every five years, and Heartland’s last accreditation visit was in 2005.
The visits this year will be divided into three distinct components and spread out over a three-month span. A 15-member accreditation team made up of Department of Education and school district personnel will be present at the Johnston office on the following days:
• March 10 & 11
• April 20-22
• May 12 & 13
March 10 & 11 - Document Review
During the first component of the accreditation visit, the accreditation team will review such agency documentation as our Annual Progress Report, Comprehensive Improvement Plan and budget among other documentation.
April 20-22 - On-site Interviews
Members of our internal staff, as well as district staff, will be interviewed to discuss their experiences and perspectives on our services. Internal interviewees have already been selected. If you have not already been contacted to be a part of the accreditation interview, you will not be expected to participate.
May 12 & 13 - Wrap Up
The accreditation team will review compiled information, give recommendations for improvement and begin the development of a draft report. The DE’s final report will be shared with you when it is completed. Members of the Heartland accreditation team have worked diligently all year in preparation for our accreditation visit and feel confident that the visit will be a success. If you have questions about the accreditation process, you may contact Dave Tilly, Kristi Upah, Andrea Matheson or Alecia Rahn-Blakeslee, who are members of the accreditation team.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey Launches Today
A link to the annual Iowa AEA Customer Satisfaction Survey was sent to school district staff earlier today. The input collected in the survey will be used to measure our progress on our objectives and make decisions about programs and services we provide to students, families and educators. The survey will remain open from March 8 to April 9.
We ask that you encourage school administrators and educators you work with to participate in this survey. Last year, we were delighted with our high response rate and hope that we can achieve those numbers (or higher) this year. If you hold professional development trainings or meetings with school district staff between March 8 and April 9, please include a PowerPoint slide found here during breaks and/or at the end of a meeting to encourage participation in the survey. If you get questions such as the ones below, there are answers for you to use in reply.
Q: I’m really busy. Why should I take the time to do this since it doesn’t affect me?
A: As an agency, Heartland uses data to make decisions that affect every LEA and its staff. Your voice needs to be heard.
Q: Lots of people will be filling this survey out; one person won’t make a difference.
A: Only 33% of our LEA staff filled out the survey last year. That means approximately 3 out of every 10 individuals’ thoughts were used to make decisions for everyone. We know that having more individuals filling out the survey gives us more representative data to make better decisions.
Q: Will I be able to see the information gathered?
A: Yes. Each year we report information from this survey in our annual progress report. In addition, we share specific findings at various stakeholder meetings throughout the year. You can also contact your Partnership Director to request summary information.
We ask that you encourage school administrators and educators you work with to participate in this survey. Last year, we were delighted with our high response rate and hope that we can achieve those numbers (or higher) this year. If you hold professional development trainings or meetings with school district staff between March 8 and April 9, please include a PowerPoint slide found here during breaks and/or at the end of a meeting to encourage participation in the survey. If you get questions such as the ones below, there are answers for you to use in reply.
Q: I’m really busy. Why should I take the time to do this since it doesn’t affect me?
A: As an agency, Heartland uses data to make decisions that affect every LEA and its staff. Your voice needs to be heard.
Q: Lots of people will be filling this survey out; one person won’t make a difference.
A: Only 33% of our LEA staff filled out the survey last year. That means approximately 3 out of every 10 individuals’ thoughts were used to make decisions for everyone. We know that having more individuals filling out the survey gives us more representative data to make better decisions.
Q: Will I be able to see the information gathered?
A: Yes. Each year we report information from this survey in our annual progress report. In addition, we share specific findings at various stakeholder meetings throughout the year. You can also contact your Partnership Director to request summary information.
Clarification on DM Register Article About Iowa Educators Consortium
You may have seen an article on the front page of the March 4, 2010 Des Moines Register regarding the Iowa Educators’ Consortium (IEC) and recent communications between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Iowa Department of Education (DE) about the IEC’s food cooperative. The article contained several pieces of misinformation that we’d like to correct so AEA employees have the most accurate information.
The IEC was formed 10 years ago to aid school districts in conserving funds through co-op purchasing agreements for items such a janitorial supplies, computer software and food. In a letter to the DE, the USDA said it had determined that some specific aspects of the school food procurement practices used in Iowa were in question. A joint effort is underway with the DE to correct the concerns expressed in the letter, and the AEAs and the DE are fully confident that through additional conversation with all parties, the issues will be easily resolved in the near future. The IEC, is and always has been, a full and willing participant in ensuring that all practices meet state and federal guidelines and we do not, at this time, believe major changes will be necessary on the IEC’s part. A meeting is scheduled on March 31 with the IEC and the DE to begin this process.
Contrary to the perspective provided in the Des Moines Register article, the IEC is under attentive oversight by the Iowa AEA system. The IEC and all of its practices are governed by the IEC Operations Committee, which reports to the IEC Management Committee. Three AEA chief administrators sit on the Operations Committee along with all of the employees of the IEC. All decisions made by the Operations Committee must be approved by the IEC Management Committee. This committee also meets monthly (except July) and is made up of the AEA chief administrators. This group has to officially approve the actions of the Operations Committee and the IEC.
At each of the AEA Governing Board of Directors’ meetings, a report is provided on the IEC. These reports can be found in the official minutes of each meeting. Employment contracts for all IEC employees are signed by Dr. Joy Prothero, the chair of the AEA Governing Board of Directors. The IEC is exempt from the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS) benefits and is not large enough to qualify for group health insurance. Thus, the salary reported in the article for Director Dan Dreyer includes stipends for both. The figure provided was also inaccurate.
Finally, on March 4, 2010, Martin Bros. sent a statement to the Des Moines Register outlining the bidding process they undergo in dealing with the IEC and flatly rejected implications made in the article that they have been given any preferential treatment. Contrary to the statement made in the Register article, there is also no pending litigation by Hawkeye Food Service against Martin Bros. The bid proposals of Martin Bros. and its dealings with the IEC are a matter of public record, as required by Iowa law.
You can view the article at http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100304/NEWS10/3040364/USDA-says-food-buyer-for-schools-broke-rules
Additional articles may appear in the Register or other newspapers around the state, and we wanted you to have the correct information on these issues.
The IEC was formed 10 years ago to aid school districts in conserving funds through co-op purchasing agreements for items such a janitorial supplies, computer software and food. In a letter to the DE, the USDA said it had determined that some specific aspects of the school food procurement practices used in Iowa were in question. A joint effort is underway with the DE to correct the concerns expressed in the letter, and the AEAs and the DE are fully confident that through additional conversation with all parties, the issues will be easily resolved in the near future. The IEC, is and always has been, a full and willing participant in ensuring that all practices meet state and federal guidelines and we do not, at this time, believe major changes will be necessary on the IEC’s part. A meeting is scheduled on March 31 with the IEC and the DE to begin this process.
Contrary to the perspective provided in the Des Moines Register article, the IEC is under attentive oversight by the Iowa AEA system. The IEC and all of its practices are governed by the IEC Operations Committee, which reports to the IEC Management Committee. Three AEA chief administrators sit on the Operations Committee along with all of the employees of the IEC. All decisions made by the Operations Committee must be approved by the IEC Management Committee. This committee also meets monthly (except July) and is made up of the AEA chief administrators. This group has to officially approve the actions of the Operations Committee and the IEC.
At each of the AEA Governing Board of Directors’ meetings, a report is provided on the IEC. These reports can be found in the official minutes of each meeting. Employment contracts for all IEC employees are signed by Dr. Joy Prothero, the chair of the AEA Governing Board of Directors. The IEC is exempt from the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS) benefits and is not large enough to qualify for group health insurance. Thus, the salary reported in the article for Director Dan Dreyer includes stipends for both. The figure provided was also inaccurate.
Finally, on March 4, 2010, Martin Bros. sent a statement to the Des Moines Register outlining the bidding process they undergo in dealing with the IEC and flatly rejected implications made in the article that they have been given any preferential treatment. Contrary to the statement made in the Register article, there is also no pending litigation by Hawkeye Food Service against Martin Bros. The bid proposals of Martin Bros. and its dealings with the IEC are a matter of public record, as required by Iowa law.
You can view the article at http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100304/NEWS10/3040364/USDA-says-food-buyer-for-schools-broke-rules
Additional articles may appear in the Register or other newspapers around the state, and we wanted you to have the correct information on these issues.
March 2010 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda
Click here to download the agenda for the March 9, 2010 Heartland Board of Directors meeting.
Webinar App for iPhone or iPod Touch
The AEAs use Adobe Connect Pro to produce webinars. There is now an app so you can participate in those unique situations when a desktop or laptop computer is not available. To learn more about Connect Pro Mobile, go to http://www.connectusers.com/tutorials/2010/02/connectpromobile/. Download the app from the App Store or go to http://itunes.com/apps/AdobeAcrobatConnectProMobile. Webex is another commonly used webinar platform—there’s also an app for that.
Healthy Kids Act to be Featured at Lunch & Learn
The Cultural Competence & Diversity Workgroup will be hosting a Lunch & Learn at the Johnston office in Conference Rooms 3 & 4 on March 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. focusing on wellness and the Healthy Kids Act. Learn how we can all help kids (and ourselves) live healthier lives.
March 2010 Iowa Department of Education School Leader Update
Click here to download the March 2010 issue of the School Leaders Update from the Iowa Department of Education.
AEA Legislative Report
Click here to download the weekly legislative report from AEA Government Relations Specialist Wayne Haddy.
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