Major Calendar Dates for 2011-2012 Have Been Approved

Major calendar dates for the Agency for the 2011-2012 year have been approved. Click here to access the first version of the agency calendar for 2011-12. Some dates are still being determined. For instance, office closures for December are still being negotiated and regional meeting dates have not been set at this time.

If you have a training or meeting that needs to be added to the calendar immediately for next school year, please contact Sarah Brown at sbrown@aea11.k12.ia.us for internal meetings and Cheryl Risen at crisen@aea11.k12.ia.us for external meetings. They will provide you with directions on how to submit dates. Please remember that all large meetings or classes requiring rooms that hold 25 people or more will be assigned by Anita Davids at adavids@aea11.k12.ia.us.

Thanks to Calendar Committee members Rob Brookhart, Chrissy Bradley, Sarah Brown, Joshua Burke, Anita Davids, Barb Gatrost, Jessica Hagist, JoAnn Klocke, Sharon Kurns, Julie Melcher (DE), Doug Olson, Cheryl Risen, Claire Spellman and Jim Verlengia for their work on development of the calendar.

Please watch for further updates and additions to the calendar in future Connections. Additionally, if you typically organize meetings that are included on the calendar, Sarah and Cheryl will send out additional information regarding submitting those regularly occurring meetings as more information is available.

Updates Found on Setting Direction & Construction Blogs

Follow the Setting Direction Blog
Updates about the future of the Agency can be found on the Setting Direction blog at http://direction.aea11.k12.ia.us.

Follow the Construction Blog
Updates about the Johnston REC construction project can be found on the Construction blog at http://construction.aea11.k12.ia.us/.

AEA Legislative Report

Click here to download the weekly legislative report from AEA Government Relations Specialist Wayne Haddy.

New Pay Stub to Debut With February 15 Paycheck

Recently the Agency’s IFAS systems were upgraded to a new version. One visible benefit of this upgrade is a new and improved pay stub of employees. February 15 will mark the first time the new format is used. The new pay stub is designed to make it easier to see and understand the various components of your pay. Bolded headings will provide a quick reference to the different sections of the pay stub, and in addition, we have improved employee privacy by removing the last four digits of employee social security numbers and have replaced them with the employee ID number. The system upgrade and new pay stub will also allow the Agency to provide employees with an online pay stub in the future, thus, eliminating the need to print, fold, stuff and mail them to your home, which will save time and money for the Agency.

If you have any questions about the new format of the pay stub, contact Payroll Specialists Steve Jordan at sjordan@aea11.k12.ia.us or Michelle Smith at msmith@aea11.k12.ia.us.

Clarification About Employee ID Cards & Employee Perks

As a follow up to a Connection article from this fall, it was communicated that all employees would receive a state ID card for the purpose of securing a state rate when traveling. After receipt of further information, the Agency will not be distributing state ID cards to all staff. Heartland employees are not technically State of Iowa employees but are instead public employees. We are in many cases eligible to receive “state” pricing on products and services with examples listed below.

• Many hotels/motels allow state rates for any public employee with proof of employment, which can be a business card. Most times the state rate is only allowable for business purposes not personal travel, but there are some exceptions.
• According to the Department of Administrative Services, Heartland employees are not eligible to access Perk Spot through the State of Iowa’s program.
• Apple offers a discount for staff as educators for personal purchases.

• Discounts for cell phones and computer software are offered for educators through the Iowa Educators Consortium. Visit the IEC website at www.iec-ia.org and go to the Student & Teacher Buys link to find information about these discounts.

Below is the Department of Administrative Services’ website that lists the hotels in Iowa that offer a state rate and identify if they offer that rate to political subdivisions (like Heartland), and if so, if the rate is available for personal use. A State of Iowa employee card is not needed. Usually only a business card is needed.

http://das.gse.iowa.gov/procurement/hotel_motel.html

Teacher Quality Update

Thank you to all who signed up and are participating this year in Heartland’s Teacher Quality offerings. Many groups have already started meeting and studying their topic area. This year participants will receive $500 for their Teacher Quality activity. Study group leaders will receive an extra $50 for their additional responsibilities. Your payment will come after your study group or course has completed and grades have been turned in. Remember that taxes and withholdings are taken out of that dollar amount when you see it in your Heartland paycheck. If you have any questions or need to change your Teacher Quality offering, contact Rob Brookhart rbrookhart@aea11.k12.ia.us to make other arrangements.

Certified Staff Teacher Quality Technology Offerings

Optional Teacher Quality courses in the area of technology are being offered this spring for certified staff members. Two classes are being offered. One will focus on Google Apps the Agency is using (Docs and Sites), and the other will discuss tips and tricks for using various computer applications (e.g., Word, PowerPoint). Each course will be three hours long and will be repeated four times through different Saturday sessions. Participants need only attend one session, as the content will be the same in each session.

Because these classes are on Saturdays, space is limited, and funding for certified staff to attend is through Teacher Qualities monies, we are asking at this time that only certified staff register for these sessions and that participants attend only one of the classes. We will offer these courses at other times and next fall in order to ensure that others who wish to take the courses have opportunities as well that are at more convenient times.

We will be able to offer a stipend of approximately $100 for certified staff members who take these courses. Staff who are registered for another Teacher Quality session this year are able to take one of these classes and receive Teacher Quality funding. Please register now as space is limited!

Using Google Apps (1 course repeated 4 times)
• April 9: IN040992111101
• April 16: IN040992111102
• May 7: IN040992111103
• May 21: IN040992111104

Tips and Tricks for Computer Applications (1 course repeated 4 times)
• March 5: IN040892111101
• March 26: IN040892111102
• April 2: IN040892111103
• April 16: IN040892111104

Grant for New Teachers in Shortage Areas

The Teacher Career Establishment Grant helps new classroom teachers in state-designated subject shortage areas. Each recipient will be awarded up to $2,000 to help with the costs related to establishing a new career. Up to 62 grants will be awarded annually. Click here for a flyer detailing the qualification requirements as well as the list of state-designated subject shortage areas.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.