Agency leadership has been working on plans for setting future agency direction. At regional office meetings in October, Chief Administrator Paula Vincent provided an introduction to these planning efforts. In order to keep all staff in the communication loop about upcoming changes and to provide opportunity for feedback, several communication forums will be implemented. These forums are a result of recommendations made by Staff Advisory Council (SAC II) at its November meeting.
• In the month of December you will be provided with a link to a blog for Setting Agency Direction that is similar to the Construction blog already in use. This blog is intended to provide up-to-date information about progress as well as an opportunity for two-way Q & A.
• On December 20, 21 and 22, Paula Vincent will hold meetings throughout the Agency to share information and respond to questions. These meetings are optional and staff members may attend any location. The schedule for the meetings follows:
o Dec. 20: Guthrie Center Office, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
o Dec. 21: Ames Office, 9:00-10:30 a.m.
o Dec. 21: Indianola Office, 12:30-2:00 p.m.
o Dec. 22: Zion Lutheran Church, Des Moines, 9:00-10:30 a.m.
o Dec. 22: Newton Office, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
• SAC II will represent staff input at monthly meetings that resume in January. Please continue to share your ideas with a SAC II member.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Intranet Communications Tab Gets a Facelift
The Communications tab on the Intranet has been given a facelift. The name of the tab has been changed from “Critical Communication” to “Communications” and the resources have been re-categorized so that you can more easily find the resources you need. Below is how the information is now categorized.
Archives: Find links to official agency communications pieces and information on how to submit content for them.
o Administrator Connection
o Staff Connection
o HeartBeat
Communication Resources & Publications: Included under this link are resources and guides staff can use to conduct agency business. Also available are the 2010-2011 publications such as the regional contact sheet, regional map, directories and the current van routes.
Resources
o Agency Style Guide
o Glossary of Educational Terms
o Grammar & Usage
o Heartland Vision/Mission
o Heartland Logo
o Manual Guidelines
o Non-discrimination Clause
o PeopleBox Style Guide
Publications
o 2010-2011 Regional Contact Sheet
o 2010-2011 Regional Map
o 2010-2011 Staff & Schools Directory
o 2010-2011 Superintendent Directory
o 2010-2011 Van Routes
Forms: Find the fillable pdf forms that staff members need for communication-related needs.
o Brochure Approval Form
o Business Card Order Form
o Consent Form (for photos & video—now just one form)
o Printing Request Form
o Production Request Form
Tell Us Your Good News: We know our staff are doing great things in the Agency, and we want to share those stories! If you have good news to share, take just a few minutes to complete the simple web form, and we'll do all of the follow-up.
Templates: This section contains important materials for staff to carry out agency business. Find your office’s fax memo and letterhead template. Also available is a meeting agenda and PowerPoint templates (new ones coming soon!). All materials are correctly branded with the Heartland logo and are ready for use.
o Electronic Fax Memo Templates
o Electronic Interoffice Memo Templates
o Electronic Letterhead Templates
o Manual Template o Meeting Agenda Template
o PowerPoint Templates
If you have any questions or suggestions about these resources, please e-mail the Communications Department at comms@aea11.k12.ia.us.
Archives: Find links to official agency communications pieces and information on how to submit content for them.
o Administrator Connection
o Staff Connection
o HeartBeat
Communication Resources & Publications: Included under this link are resources and guides staff can use to conduct agency business. Also available are the 2010-2011 publications such as the regional contact sheet, regional map, directories and the current van routes.
Resources
o Agency Style Guide
o Glossary of Educational Terms
o Grammar & Usage
o Heartland Vision/Mission
o Heartland Logo
o Manual Guidelines
o Non-discrimination Clause
o PeopleBox Style Guide
Publications
o 2010-2011 Regional Contact Sheet
o 2010-2011 Regional Map
o 2010-2011 Staff & Schools Directory
o 2010-2011 Superintendent Directory
o 2010-2011 Van Routes
Forms: Find the fillable pdf forms that staff members need for communication-related needs.
o Brochure Approval Form
o Business Card Order Form
o Consent Form (for photos & video—now just one form)
o Printing Request Form
o Production Request Form
Tell Us Your Good News: We know our staff are doing great things in the Agency, and we want to share those stories! If you have good news to share, take just a few minutes to complete the simple web form, and we'll do all of the follow-up.
Templates: This section contains important materials for staff to carry out agency business. Find your office’s fax memo and letterhead template. Also available is a meeting agenda and PowerPoint templates (new ones coming soon!). All materials are correctly branded with the Heartland logo and are ready for use.
o Electronic Fax Memo Templates
o Electronic Interoffice Memo Templates
o Electronic Letterhead Templates
o Manual Template o Meeting Agenda Template
o PowerPoint Templates
If you have any questions or suggestions about these resources, please e-mail the Communications Department at comms@aea11.k12.ia.us.
Reminder: Check the Construction Blog for Johnston REC Project Updates
Johnston REC remodeling project updates can be found at http://construction.aea11.k12.ia.us/.
Dependent Care Reminder: Claims Reimbursement Deadline
Two dates are important to remember for employees enrolled in Heartland’s Dependent Care flexible benefit program:
• All expenses for the 2010 plan year must be incurred by December 31, 2010.
• All claims for the 2010 plan year must be submitted to Kabel Business Services for reimbursement no later than 60 days after the end of the plan year. This year, the last day they will be accepted is March 1, 2011.
These dates relate to the dependent care flexible spending account and do not relate to the medical flex spending account. The plan year for the medical FSA is June 1 through May 31. If you have questions about the balance you have remaining in your dependent care account, please contact Kabel Business Services at (515) 224-9400 or (800) 300-9691.
• All expenses for the 2010 plan year must be incurred by December 31, 2010.
• All claims for the 2010 plan year must be submitted to Kabel Business Services for reimbursement no later than 60 days after the end of the plan year. This year, the last day they will be accepted is March 1, 2011.
These dates relate to the dependent care flexible spending account and do not relate to the medical flex spending account. The plan year for the medical FSA is June 1 through May 31. If you have questions about the balance you have remaining in your dependent care account, please contact Kabel Business Services at (515) 224-9400 or (800) 300-9691.
Reminder: Update Your Phone Number to Receive Office Closing Information
One more reminder! The Agency is changing the way it communicates about office closings for inclement weather and other emergency situations to make sure the information is communicated correctly, consistently and in a timely manner. The information will no longer be communicated via TV and radio stations, but through a live voice call, the agency website, a cancellation hotline and Facebook and Twitter.
If you haven’t already done so, click here to access a web form that shows the phone number(s) that we currently have in your Human Resources file. If the number(s) listed isn’t current, please update it and/or add another number. If you provide us with both a home and cell phone number, we will call you at both numbers in the event of an office closing. If the information that is currently listed for you is correct, please click the Submit button on the form to confirm. Please submit and/or confirm your information as soon as possible!
If you haven’t already done so, click here to access a web form that shows the phone number(s) that we currently have in your Human Resources file. If the number(s) listed isn’t current, please update it and/or add another number. If you provide us with both a home and cell phone number, we will call you at both numbers in the event of an office closing. If the information that is currently listed for you is correct, please click the Submit button on the form to confirm. Please submit and/or confirm your information as soon as possible!
Special Education Winter Institute
During both the August and November Special Education webinars, all staff who complete special education evaluations were asked to use the FIE Implementation Checklist with at least two cases this fall. We will use the Winter Institute as a time to revisit the checklist, and we need all staff members who attend to bring a copy of an EER with the completed checklist attached to this training. If you did not complete an FIE this fall but did complete one last year, use that EER. If you are not responsible for completing initial evaluations for special education eligibility in your current role, you are not required to bring an EER with the checklist.
The tentative agenda for the Winter Institute includes the following:
• Keynote Address: Randy Allison
• Changes to the State EER
• Revisiting the FIE Implementation Checklist
We look forward to seeing you and for this opportunity to learn together. Please contact Sarah Brown, Program Assistant, Internal Professional Development, at sbrown@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14380 if you have any questions.
The tentative agenda for the Winter Institute includes the following:
• Keynote Address: Randy Allison
• Changes to the State EER
• Revisiting the FIE Implementation Checklist
We look forward to seeing you and for this opportunity to learn together. Please contact Sarah Brown, Program Assistant, Internal Professional Development, at sbrown@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14380 if you have any questions.
ARRA Funding Provides Opportunities for Special Education Teachers
With funding from America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Heartland will be providing special education teachers with opportunities to attend professional learning that is targeted specifically at instructional practices known to be effective with students with disabilities. Click here for a summary of the sessions. Substitute costs will be reimbursed to their districts to allow them to attend. If you work with special education teachers, please share this information. These classes are not open to AEA staff at this time.
Teacher Quality Update
Just a reminder that Certified Staff members need to sign up for Teacher Quality activities by December 7, 2010 to participate in this year’s TQ learning opportunities. If you have questions about learning options, please contact your discipline program assistant for the list of activities or click here.
If you have additional questions, please contact Rob Brookhart, Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant, at rbrookhart@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14633 or Sharon Kurns, Director of Professional Learning & Leadership, at skurns@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14362.
If you have additional questions, please contact Rob Brookhart, Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant, at rbrookhart@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14633 or Sharon Kurns, Director of Professional Learning & Leadership, at skurns@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14362.
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