- There will be no Connection on Dec. 24 or Dec. 31. Our first issue of the new year will be on Jan. 7.
- There will be no HeartBeat on Jan. 4; it will be sent out on Jan. 11.
- Agency offices will be closed Dec. 24-25, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
Happy Holidays!
Dear Colleagues,
We’ve had too many recent reminders of the fragility and unpredictably of life. I hope each of us can use these reminders to let those around us know how much we appreciate them. Let’s collectively recommit to making the most of each day—pausing to take time to share affirmations with our colleagues and to take hope from the new opportunity each day presents to make a positive difference in the lives of those we serve and with whom we work.
Wishing each of you peace this holiday season,
Paula
In a December 3 Connection article, we noted that the federal “fiscal cliff” discussions could have implications for reducing your take home pay beginning in January 2013. A few people have inquired about the extent of the impact on their paychecks.
Unless Congress takes action, your employee FICA (Social Security) tax rate is scheduled to increase from 4.2% to 6.2% in January 2013. If you access a recent pay stub via Employee Online, you can estimate the impact of this change. To access Employee Online, login to your Employee Dashboard. Employee Online is one of the navigation tabs at the top of the page, just like the Intranet or Leave Online tabs.
Once in Employee Online, go to the left-hand navigation and click on the link that says Pay Stub to find your pay stubs. Locate your current FICA deduction (at 4.2%) shown in the POST-TAX DEDUCTIONS box on the right side of your pay stub with the FICA Contribution (at 6.2%) shown under the EMPLOYER PAID BENEFITS section of your pay stub. The difference between these amounts is the amount your net pay may decrease after January 1, 2013.
In addition to the increase in your FICA tax deduction your federal withholding may increase. However, it is simply not possible to estimate the potential impact on your net pay if the so-called “Bush-era tax cuts” are allowed to expire on December 31, 2012. That’s because the 2013 federal withholding tax tables won’t be available until after fiscal cliff decisions are made by the federal government. If the Bush-era tax rates are allowed to expire and rates default back to prior rates, then likely most taxpayers will see an increase in the federal income tax withholding on their paychecks, meaning less take-home net pay.
We continue to closely monitor this situation and will keep you informed. If you have any questions, contact Steve Jordan, Payroll Specialist, at sjordan@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14908.
In mid-January, the Payroll Department will mail your 2012 Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statement to your home address. Please help us ensure you receive your W-2 in a timely fashion by verifying that we have your correct address on file in our Employee Online system. Please check your information in the system by December 31, 2012.
To verify your address in Employee Online, log in to your Employee Dashboard. Employee Online is one of the navigation tabs at the top of the page, just like the Intranet or Leave Online tabs. Once you’ve reached the Employee Online home page, click on Home Address in the left hand navigation section. If you need to update your address, click on the Edit button in the lower right hand corner of the page. It’s that easy!
If you have questions about your personal information, contact Carolyn Jones, Human Resources Assistant, at cjones@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14614. If you have any questions regarding Form W-2, contact Steve Jordan, Payroll Specialist, at sjordan@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14908.
Due Dates
Staff members frequently inquire when timesheets, addendum pay, direct deposit forms and other changes need to be submitted to the Payroll Dept. in order to be processed for a particular pay date. To assist in your planning, below is a list of 2013 pay dates and corresponding due dates. Payroll needs to receive all information by the end of the day on the due date to ensure payments and/or changes are made on the corresponding pay date. Any information received in Payroll after the due date may be processed during the next payroll cycle.
For those staff members being paid from a timesheet or receiving addendum pay, please keep in mind these items are to be completed, approved/signed by a supervisor and submitted to Payroll within four working days after the end of the pay period. Any items received after the due date may be processed during the next payroll.
Pay Dates & Due Dates
The first column lists pay dates and the second column lists due dates. This list of dates is also archived on the Intranet > Business Office > Payroll Information & Forms > Payroll Dates for 2013.
Jan. 15 Jan. 7
Jan. 31 Jan. 21
Feb. 15 Feb. 6
Feb. 28 Feb. 21
March 15 March 6
March 29 March 21
April 15 April 4
April 30 April 19
May 15 May 6
May 31 May 21
June 14 June 6
June 28 June 20
July 15 July 5
July 31 July 19
Aug. 15 Aug. 6
Aug. 30 Aug. 21
Sept. 13 Sept. 6
Sept. 30 Sept. 19
Oct. 15 Oct. 4
Oct. 31 Oct. 21
Nov. 15 Nov. 6
Nov. 27 Nov. 21
Dec. 13 Dec. 5
Dec. 31 Dec. 19
Questions
If you have any questions, contact Steve Jordan, Payroll Specialist, at sjordan@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14908.
If you haven’t seen the new Educator Connection/World of Media, click here to take a look! The publication is an interactive, online e-magazine and replaces the past print, PDF and blog editions of both publications. This issue includes information on using ebooks to support the Iowa Core standards, professional learning opportunities and updates, interactive simulations for math and science and much more! Check it out and send any feedback to the Communications Dept. at comms@aea11.k12.ia.us. Past issues of the Educator Connection can be found here.
Read the latest Impacting Lives update at http://aeas4iowa.wordpress.com/. In this issue, you’ll find the following articles:
• AEAs Support English Language Learner Needs in Iowa
• Mystery Skype Challenge Connects Classrooms
• iPads Add Another Tool to Practitioners’ Toolboxes
• Northwest Area Preschools Celebrate Verification
Each year the Agency’s Insurance Committee puts out a survey to ask you about your benefit experiences, what kind of customer service you’ve received and whether you are satisfied with the quality of your benefits through Heartland AEA. Since the committee is made up of representatives from each of the Agency’s employee groups, we are representing YOU and it’s important to us to hear from you!
Last Friday you received an email with a link to the annual insurance survey. If you have agency-provided health insurance, please take a few minutes to let us know how you feel about your benefits. Each committee member will read the survey results and will make decisions based on your input. The survey will close at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, January 7, 2013. Thank you very much for your participation!
Just a reminder since we will soon be into a new calendar year—any prescription drug that is not a generic will first go towards meeting your annual $100 deductible. Regardless of whether you have single or family coverage, no person in the family will have to pay more than $100 towards their 2013 drug deductible.
Examples: If your drug is a Tier 2 and costs $150, you will pay $120 on your first refill for a one month prescription. ($100 deductible + $20 co-pay).
If, for example, you have a $500 drug that is a Tier 3, and you get a 3-month supply for the cost of two co-pays, you will pay $170 ($100 deductible + $70 for two $35 co-pays). You can never be charged more than the cost of the drug.
If you have family coverage, you will not be charged more than $200 for your family drug deductible. This deductible can be met by two individuals or several members of the family together meeting the $200.
This might be a good time to talk to your physician about trying a generic prescription for your medical conditions. You will never be assessed a deductible for a generic and the monthly co-pay is only $5.00.
If you have any questions, contact Kathy Martin, Benefits Specialist, at kmartin@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14385.
Heartland AEA is pleased to announce the commencement of contract negotiations as outlined below. Meetings are open to all staff and the public.
The Heartland Education Association (HEA) will present its opening negotiations proposal on January 10, 2013, from 4:00-5:00 p.m., at the Heartland AEA Administration Center, 6445 Corporate Drive, Johnston, in the Borlaug Conference Room. Heartland AEA will present its response on January 17, 2013, from 4:00-5:00 p.m., at the Heartland AEA Administration Center, in the Borlaug Conference Room.
The Teamsters Local #238 will present its opening negotiations proposal on January 9, 2013, from 4:00-5:00 p.m., at the Heartland AEA Administration Center, 6445 Corporate Drive, in the Board Room. Heartland AEA will present its response on January 16, 2013, from 4:00-5:00 p.m., at the Heartland AEA Administration Center, in the Board Room.
Heartland AEA Wellness is pleased to announce another friendly competition through Live Healthy Iowa!
The 10-week Wellness Challenge allows participants to team up over the course of 10 weeks (2-10 people per team) to track activity minutes and/or weight loss through the Live Healthy Iowa website. This challenge normally costs $20 to participate, however Heartland AEA Wellness will be covering $10 of the cost when you use the Heartland AEA registration ID Code: LHIHAEA11
You can also get $5 off if you use a promotional code from Hy-Vee. Click here to download the coupon and follow the instructions there to sign up for the Challenge. Coupons are limited, so sign up soon! (Registration opens on December 19 and only the team captain needs to download the coupon). The process is similar to the Next Step Challenge.
1. Get your 2-10 person team together and nominate a team captain.
2. The team captain will then go to http://www.livehealthyiowa.org, click on the area that says “start a team” on the right side of the page and enter LHIHAEA11 as the Group ID to register his/her team.
3. The team captain will register all of his/her team members, selecting T-shirt sizes for team members, as well as inputting the Hy-Vee promotional code.
4. Team members will then log their activity through the Live Healthy Iowa website.
The contest will start January 28 and run through April 5. So let’s Team Up, Get Active, Eat Well, and Live Healthy! If you have any questions about the program or about registering, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Human Resources Generalist, at tchiaramonte@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14534.
Are you considering retirement in the next two to three years? If so, you may be interested in attending a “Planning for Retirement” session on January 16, 2013 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. in Conference Room 13A and B at the Johnston Regional Education Center.
IPERS and Social Security will be providing in-person guidance on what you need to know to make the best choices for your retirement years. If you would like IPERS to prepare personalized benefit estimates for you with your estimated retirement dates, please be sure use the link below to register, no later than January 9. Those who register after January 9 will not receive their personal IPERS information at the meeting. Spouses are welcome to attend.
Click here to register using the Agency’s Universal Registration system. Register early to reserve your seat, as we will open the meeting up to others in the state after January 6. If you have any questions, contact Kathy Martin, Benefits Specialist, at kmartin@aea11.k12.ia.us or ext. 14385.
The regular meeting of the Heartland AEA Board of Directors was held on December 11.
Public Forum
No one was present to speak to the Board.
Discussion Items
Exira and Elk Horn-Kimballton CSD Reorganization Process and Planning
Mr. Rick Engel, legal counsel for Heartland AEA, discussed the reorganization process with board members. The Agency will be involved with the reorganization of the Exira and Elk Horn-Kimballton Community School Districts. The Exira district lies within the Agency’s borders and the EH-K district lies within Green Hills AEA’s borders. He discussed the roles and responsibilities of each of the AEA boards during the merger process.
Communication Tools for Board Members
Ms. Courtney Croatt and Ms. Claire Sowder, the Agency’s communication specialists, discussed communication tools available to board members. The tools can help board members communicate the services Heartland AEA provides to parents, students and educators. Some of the tools available include brochures, PowerPoint presentations, media tip cards and short length videos about the AEA system. Ms. Croatt and Ms. Sowder are also working with the AEA lobbyists to help build advocacy for the AEA system among Iowa legislators.
Closed Session
The Board then went into closed session at 4:01 p.m. to discuss the 2013-14 negotiations process. They returned to public session at 4:58 p.m.
Discussion Items Continued
2011-12 Audit with Pittman & Company, L.L.P.
Mr. John Pittman, accountant with Pittman & Company, reviewed the results of the Agency’s 2011-12 audit. In the auditor’s opinion, Heartland AEA has complied with all requirements and conformed to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for the year ending June 30, 2012.
AEA, Department of Education and District Collaboration
Dr. Vincent updated Board members on the collaborative work of the AEA and Iowa Department of Education. Invitations have been extended to local school representatives across the state to join the work of the collaboration team. New members will begin attending in December. In January they will begin work on priority focus areas and role clarifications.
Board Policy Work
Board members were given new drafts of the 100 and 200 series of the Board Policy Manual. The entire manual is currently being updated and revised by members of the Board Policy Task Force. Many of the policies have been eliminated or were moved to the staff handbook as they are more procedural than policy. The task force hopes to have the entire manual revised by July 2013.
Board Committee Reports and Updates
Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA) Annual Conference - Mr. Halliburton, Dr. Bridgewater and Mr. Turnquist highlighted some of the sessions they attended at the AESA Annual Conference held in early December. They found the sessions on innovation, the common core and how to work with students in poverty the most informative and interesting. One of the sessions was facilitated by four AEA Chief Administrators and discussed the collaboration between the AEA and Department of Education.
Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) Annual Convention - Many agency board members attended the IASB Annual Conference in November. They said it was well planned and very informative.
Project Science Education Mobile Instruction (SEMI) Trailer
Mr. Kurt Subra, chief financial officer, updated board members on the progress of the selling of the trailer. A public notice for bids was posted in November, but no bids were received. For many of the interested organizations, the trailer was either too expensive or the bidding deadline was too short. Some of the organizations still have an interest in purchasing the trailer, and Mr. Subra will work with them directly.
Chief Administrator Comments
• If a board member has not attended a professional development conference this year, the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Conference will be held March 16-18 in Chicago. Please contact Ms. Ugolini for registration.
• The Agency has been unable to fill the vacancy for Director District 6. Board members will send names of possible candidates to Mr. Turnquist.
Due to the upcoming holidays, our van delivery schedule will be as follows:
● No delivery December 21 through January 2
● Delivery resumes January 3
Professional learning opportunities funded by Teacher Quality will once again be available to Heartland AEA Certified this year. Each Job-Alike lead group included Teacher Quality offerings in their planning for professional learning and there are opportunities based on the learning in the Internal Capacity Building Strands. In addition, there will again be some offerings that are open to all/multiple groups.
Courses offerings will be in The Connection on January 7. Registration will not begin until January 14. Registration will close on January 31. Study groups will not begin until after March 1 to allow time to order books and materials.
Technology courses will again be available and will be held on Saturday mornings. Each is a three-hour session with payment of $100 for attendance. All Certified staff members are allowed to take both a 15-hour course or study group and attend a technology session. More information will be available in late January.
AEA PD Online’s December blog update is now available. Go to www.aeapdonline.org/ for updates or click on the article links below. For real time updates, follow AEA PD Online on Twitter @aeapdonline.
Recent Updates:
• Iowa Education Portal and the EdInfo Website
• Preparations for August 2013 Online Training System
• SoftChalk: A Tool Brought to You by AEA PD Online
• Upcoming Course Offerings
• External Partners Webinars
AEA K-12 Online’s December blog update now available. Go to www.aeak12online.org/ for updates or click on the article link below. For real time updates, follow AEA K-12 Online at Twitter @aeapdonline.
Recent Updates:
• U.S. Department of Education and the IDEA Partnership Define the Work of Communities of Practice
