The annual meeting and the regular meeting of the Heartland Board of Directors were held on October 11, 2011.
ANNUAL BOARD MEETING
Election of a President of the Board
A MOTION was made by Ms. Ann Wilson to nominate Mr. Nels Turnquist as Board President. A formal vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
Election of a Vice President
A MOTION was made by Mr. Bruce Christensen to nominate Ms. Margaret Borgen as Vice President. A formal vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
Appointment of a Board Secretary and Treasurer
A MOTION was made by Dr. Jane Bell to appoint Ms. Jenny Ugolini as Board Secretary. Motion passed unanimously. A MOTION was made by Ms. Ann Wilson to appoint Mr. Terry Wycoff as Board Treasurer. Motion passed unanimously.
Appointment of Legal Counsel
A MOTION was made by Ms. Margaret Borgen and seconded by Dr. Jane Bell to appoint Nyemaster Goode law firm as the Agency’s legal counsel. Motion passed unanimously.
Appointment of Agency Level I Investigators
A MOTION was made by Mr. Cal Halliburton and seconded by Ms. Ann Wilson to appoint Ms. Laura Gillon, Mr. Steve Iverson and Dr. Kristi Upah as Level I investigators. Motion passed unanimously.
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
Public Forum
Ms. Colleen Chalfant, a Heartland AEA regional secretary, spoke to the Board about her concerns regarding the post-employment policy.
Discussion Items
Post-Employment Policy Annual Review
Dr. Paula Vincent spoke about the post-employment policy. The policy is an unusual tool for current times, as many organizations no longer offer a retirement benefit. The policy has had a positive impact on the Agency’s culture and staff has indicated how much it has meant to them. Board members have indicated they want to have a culture that honors employees but expressed concerns about the cost and having flexibility to adjust the policy in times of need. Dr. Vincent asked board members to consider the administration’s recommendation of rescinding the current policy scheduled to be effective July 1, 2012, and to extend the current policy through June 30, 2015.
Media and Technology Redesign Update
Mr. Steve Prall gave an update on the media and technology redesign project. The project will focus on balancing internal staff support and service delivery to school districts. As of today, there have been numerous staff interviews and interviews with external stakeholders. Next week, the redesign team will meet to identify themes from stakeholder responses and begin drafting a new design and implementation plan.
Print Shop Agreement
No discussion.
Intensive Services Update
Dr. Cindy Yelick spoke about the autism conference that was held in September. There were over 160 participants that included parents, teachers and staff from various community resources. It was a positive experience and a success for a first time event.
Governor’s Education Reform Plan
Dr. Vincent reviewed the Governor’s Education Reform plan. In response to the plan, the AEAs have had the opportunity to meet with Linda Fandel, the Governor’s Special Assistant for Education, and Jason Glass, Director of the Department of Education, and offer feedback. The plan has been reviewed by the other AEAs and an attempt has been made to show how the AEAs can be proactively engaged and supportive.
Action Items
Approval of Financial Statements
A MOTION was made by Ms. Ann Wilson and seconded by Dr. Jane Bell to approve the financial information submitted in the Certified Annual Report to the Department of Education. Motion passed.
Approval of Print Shop Agreement
A MOTION was made by Ms. Margaret Borgen and seconded by Ms. Ann Wilson to accept the print shop agreement as submitted. Motion passed.
Teacher Quality Committee Members
A MOTION was made by Dr. Earl Bridgewater and seconded by Dr. Jane Bell to approve the Teacher Quality Committee members as submitted. Motion passed.
Post-Employment Policy
A MOTION was made by Mr. Cal Halliburton and seconded by Mr. Nels Turnquist to approve the administration’s recommendation on the post-employment plan. Dr. Earl Bridgewater amended the motion to keep the present benefits through June 30, 2013, and effective July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015, reduce the benefits to a single benefit and to keep the qualifying age at 58. The amendment was seconded by Ms. Margaret Borgen. A roll call vote was taken. Motion passes 5-3 vote.
Dr. Steve Rose amended the amendment to accept the administration recommendation in terms of benefits until June 30, 2015, and effective July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2017, reduce the benefits to a single benefit and to keep the qualifying age at 58. The amendment was seconded by Dr. Jane Bell. A roll call vote was taken. Motion failed 1-7 vote. A roll call vote was taken on the motion to approve the administrations’ recommendation on the post-employment plan with the amendment to keep the present benefits through June 30, 2013, and effective July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015, reduce the benefits to a single benefit and to keep the qualifying age at 58. Motion passes 5-3 vote.
IN SUMMARY: The post-employment plan that was to be effective July 1, 2012 has been rescinded. The current policy will be kept in place through June 30, 2015. However, beginning July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015, the benefits will be reduced from a family to single benefit and the qualifying age of 58 will remain the same.
Quarterly Evaluation of Chief Administrator (Completed in open session)
Board members held their quarterly evaluation of the chief administrator.
• Dr. Vincent is very respectful to difference of opinions and that is an example of good leadership.
• The Board would ask that as future agendas are set, to be mindful of any issues that need to be readdressed. When the Board makes a decision, there should be a prior discussion on whether to bring any issue back for reconsideration.
• There are concerns about any follow-up to the September autism conference. This has been an area of criticism for the Agency. There needs to be more steps taken, as an isolated event isn’t very helpful.
• Dr. Vincent has done a good job in keeping the Board informed, offering professional advice, maintaining good communication and serving as chief advisor to the Board. She is also very ethical and has been fair to both the Board and staff.
• There needs to be more work on district partnerships.
• There needs to be better marketing of Heartland AEA and the AEA system.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Reminder: Print Center Transition to Begin Next Week
We wanted to remind you that the Print Center will be undergoing equipment changes next week (October 31-November 4), as it transitions from Xerox managed services to Laser Resources. Please plan your printing needs accordingly as we re-tool the Print Center. We fully anticipate that the new Print Center equipment will be installed and functional by November 7. Please contact Steve Prall at sprall@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14423 with any questions you may have about the changes taking place in the Print Center.
Johnston REC Doors to Be Re-Keyed
For the next two weeks, the Johnston Regional Education Center’s doors will be re-keyed. Since we know that not all staff members have swipe cards, we will maintain hard key access into the building through the south doors for those two weeks. If you have a swipe card, including an older one that is separate from your ID badge, you will be able to enter through the south doors or the front doors. If you need after hours access to the building and don’t presently have an ID badge/swipe card, contact Jim Lagnese or Aaron Cook to get a card that will allow you 24/7 access to the building. After the next two weeks, hard keys will no longer work, so please turn them in at the front desk.
If you have any questions, please contact Dustin Gean, Operations Manager, at dgean@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14460.
If you have any questions, please contact Dustin Gean, Operations Manager, at dgean@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14460.
2011 United Way Campaign Wrap-Up
Our United Way campaign officially ended October 21 with the wrap-up of our online auction. We hope you found this year’s events enjoyable, and we’re anxious to tabulate our results!
If you wish to donate with a pledge card and have not sent it in, please send it via van mail to Claire Sowder in the Johnston Administration Center by October 26. Each person who submits a pledge card will receive a casual day sticker. Staff who donated in the Loyal Contributors or Leadership Circle designations will be entered in a drawing to win prizes. Stickers and prizes will be dispersed after all pledge cards have been collected and processed.
Auction winners will be notified this week to send in their payments. Please write checks payable to “United Way” and send them to Claire Sowder in the Johnston Administration Center. Items will be sent through the van mail after checks have been received. (Private delivery arrangements must be made for items too large or heavy for Heartland van delivery.) When all payments are received, we will announce the winners of each item and the results of Heartland’s United Way Campaign in the November issue of the HeartBeat.
Contact Claire Sowder at csowder@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14014 or Lisa Fleming at lfleming@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14625 if you have any questions.
If you wish to donate with a pledge card and have not sent it in, please send it via van mail to Claire Sowder in the Johnston Administration Center by October 26. Each person who submits a pledge card will receive a casual day sticker. Staff who donated in the Loyal Contributors or Leadership Circle designations will be entered in a drawing to win prizes. Stickers and prizes will be dispersed after all pledge cards have been collected and processed.
Auction winners will be notified this week to send in their payments. Please write checks payable to “United Way” and send them to Claire Sowder in the Johnston Administration Center. Items will be sent through the van mail after checks have been received. (Private delivery arrangements must be made for items too large or heavy for Heartland van delivery.) When all payments are received, we will announce the winners of each item and the results of Heartland’s United Way Campaign in the November issue of the HeartBeat.
Contact Claire Sowder at csowder@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14014 or Lisa Fleming at lfleming@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14625 if you have any questions.
Post-Employment Benefit Update
Make sure to read the Board of Directors meeting recap in this edition of The Connection if you are interested in knowing about changes that the Board voted to make to the post-employment benefit. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Martin, Benefits Specialist, at kmartin@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14385.
2011-12 Directories Available to Download
The 2011-12 Staff & Schools Directory is available to download. Click here for the pdf. It lists contact information for agency offices, board members, staff members, school buildings and the state’s nine AEAs.
The 2011-12 Superintendent Directory is also available to download if you have not yet seen a copy of it. Click here for the pdf.
Both directories are also archived on the Intranet>Communications>Communication Resources & Publications.
The 2011-12 Superintendent Directory is also available to download if you have not yet seen a copy of it. Click here for the pdf.
Both directories are also archived on the Intranet>Communications>Communication Resources & Publications.
Reminder: Make Sure to Update Phone Numbers in Employee Online
A few months ago we introduced you to a new system called Employee Online that allows you to electronically view and manage your personal information such as home address, phone numbers, emergency contact information and payroll tax withholding.
Employee Online is accessed through the Employee Dashboard and appears at the top of the page as a tab along with other tabs such as Leave Online and the Intranet. When you click on the Employee Online tab, you will be directed to its home page. You can move about Employee Online by selecting any of the options on the left hand navigation menu.
In preparation for the winter months and the need to contact staff members in the event of office closings for inclement weather, we need to make sure that we have all staff members’ current phone numbers on file. If you haven’t already taken the time to do so, please login to the Employee Online system and review/update your phone information. This will ensure that you receive a call if your office should close due to inclement weather.
If you have any questions about Employee Online, contact Rod Howell at rhowell@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14599 or Jessica VanKamen at jvankamen@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14650.
We will review the process for communicating about office closings due to inclement weather in an upcoming Connection article.
Employee Online is accessed through the Employee Dashboard and appears at the top of the page as a tab along with other tabs such as Leave Online and the Intranet. When you click on the Employee Online tab, you will be directed to its home page. You can move about Employee Online by selecting any of the options on the left hand navigation menu.
In preparation for the winter months and the need to contact staff members in the event of office closings for inclement weather, we need to make sure that we have all staff members’ current phone numbers on file. If you haven’t already taken the time to do so, please login to the Employee Online system and review/update your phone information. This will ensure that you receive a call if your office should close due to inclement weather.
If you have any questions about Employee Online, contact Rod Howell at rhowell@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14599 or Jessica VanKamen at jvankamen@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14650.
We will review the process for communicating about office closings due to inclement weather in an upcoming Connection article.
Stay Connected With Facebook & Twitter
Stay up-to-date with news and information when you ‘Like’ Heartland on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/heartlandaea. Also, connect with Heartland area districts by viewing a list on our Facebook page under ‘Likes.’ Are you on Twitter? ‘Follow’ Heartland on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HeartlandAEA.
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