Our Mission
To provide services and leadership, in partnership with families, schools and communities, that improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth.
Our Goals
• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success
Monday, October 21, 2013
Reminder: New Process & Form in Effect for Scheduling Johnston REC Conference Rooms & Off-Site Meeting Spaces
The Agency has created a new process and form for scheduling large conference room spaces at the Johnston Regional Education Center (REC) (Conference Rooms 3 & 4, 13A & B, 14 and 18) as well as off-site meeting spaces that require a fee (except those scheduled for regional meetings and regional planning council meetings). The new process will make room scheduling for large groups more streamlined and will help us better coordinate events to meet the needs of our visitors.
We have created a form that captures the information needed to schedule large events, and rooms cannot be reserved until the form is completed. The new form also incorporates room set-up, so there will no longer be a separate form for room set-up. Please delete or recycle any previous room set-up forms you may have. Click here to download the form, which is archived on the Intranet under the new Room Scheduling & Set-Up link.
If you have any questions, contact Cassie Britton, Central Office Administrative Assistant, at cbritton@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14002.
We have created a form that captures the information needed to schedule large events, and rooms cannot be reserved until the form is completed. The new form also incorporates room set-up, so there will no longer be a separate form for room set-up. Please delete or recycle any previous room set-up forms you may have. Click here to download the form, which is archived on the Intranet under the new Room Scheduling & Set-Up link.
If you have any questions, contact Cassie Britton, Central Office Administrative Assistant, at cbritton@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14002.
Reminder: New Opportunity! Staff Members Now Have 4 Paid Hours of Volunteer Time
We have heard from a number of staff
members how they appreciate the new United Way event allowing staff to
volunteer in their communities. In fact, the response was so positive we
thought, “Why not make this into an agency-wide opportunity?!” Not only
would allowing staff members time to volunteer during work hours help
our communities, it would also help gain public recognition of who and
what Heartland AEA is and stands for!
In its October 9 meeting, the Agency Planning Council (APC) decided that all staff members will be allowed up to 4 hours of agency time per year to do volunteer/community service work. These 4 hours can be used any time between now and June 30, 2014. Staff members will follow these procedures for volunteering during agency hours:
• There must be at least three Heartland AEA staff members (you and at least two other staff) working at the same volunteer opportunity together.
• Staff members are encouraged to wear Heartland AEA-logo clothing or our “Heartland Cares” stickers that were created for this purpose. You can request stickers by contacting Claire Sowder at csowder@heartlandaea.org.
• Of course, you must approve your leave with your supervisor before taking the time off.
• Finally, to celebrate our work, please take a photo of your group during the volunteer activity, and send it to the Heartland AEA Communications Department at comms@heartlandaea.org with information on the activity and who was involved.
Each region is coordinating a volunteer event as part of our United Way campaign. Feel free to participate in your regional volunteer opportunity or find volunteer opportunities on your own (just be sure to follow the above criteria).
As this is a new idea, we’ll pilot the volunteer leave for the remainder of this year. If it is well-received by staff, we’ll consider adding “volunteering” as one of the employee leave options in our Leave Online system beginning next year.
Thank you in advance for representing our agency in our communities and demonstrating that we’re proud to impact lives!
In its October 9 meeting, the Agency Planning Council (APC) decided that all staff members will be allowed up to 4 hours of agency time per year to do volunteer/community service work. These 4 hours can be used any time between now and June 30, 2014. Staff members will follow these procedures for volunteering during agency hours:
• There must be at least three Heartland AEA staff members (you and at least two other staff) working at the same volunteer opportunity together.
• Staff members are encouraged to wear Heartland AEA-logo clothing or our “Heartland Cares” stickers that were created for this purpose. You can request stickers by contacting Claire Sowder at csowder@heartlandaea.org.
• Of course, you must approve your leave with your supervisor before taking the time off.
• Finally, to celebrate our work, please take a photo of your group during the volunteer activity, and send it to the Heartland AEA Communications Department at comms@heartlandaea.org with information on the activity and who was involved.
Each region is coordinating a volunteer event as part of our United Way campaign. Feel free to participate in your regional volunteer opportunity or find volunteer opportunities on your own (just be sure to follow the above criteria).
As this is a new idea, we’ll pilot the volunteer leave for the remainder of this year. If it is well-received by staff, we’ll consider adding “volunteering” as one of the employee leave options in our Leave Online system beginning next year.
Thank you in advance for representing our agency in our communities and demonstrating that we’re proud to impact lives!
2013-14 Staff & Schools Directory Now Available
Click here to download the 2013-14 Staff & Schools Directory. Updates to PeopleBox and the conversion of staff to new email addresses delayed the completion of the directory, but it is finally complete! The directory is archived on the Intranet > Communications > Agency Resources and Publications.
Schmidt Honored as 2014 Iowa Teacher of the Year
Jane Schmidt, a longtime teacher known for her leadership, her ability to connect with students, and her commitment to improvement, is the 2014 Iowa Teacher of the Year.
“Great teachers make a world of difference for their students, for their colleagues and for their communities,” Branstad said. “The Lt. Governor and I congratulate Jane Schmidt, who is a true role model for both students and teachers.”
Schmidt, a 33-year teaching veteran from Delmar, is an eighth-grade literacy and language arts teacher at Maquoketa Middle School in the Maquoketa Community School District.
Schmidt’s leadership extends well beyond the classroom. She serves as a teacher mentor at her school and, in a new role this fall, she coaches educators, refines curriculum and gauges the effects of teaching practices across the school district. Schmidt also will help her school district craft a teacher leadership and compensation plan, an opportunity made available by the education reform law adopted by Iowa legislators this year.
“I love schools, and I’ve never been tired of teaching,” Schmidt said. “It’s always been my passion, and it’s always given me purpose. I think that’s all we ask of a career – that, and a commitment to continuous improvement.”
Schmidt works with her students to nurture not only a love for reading and writing, but also a deep understanding of the importance of literacy. She recently shared with her students a study on college dropouts that showed a link to an inability to keep up with the reading.
Schmidt’s classes also emphasize communicating effectively, both in small groups and one on one. “In this era of texting, that face-to-face communication doesn’t always take place and it’s important,” she said.
“We hear from employers that kids don’t know how to communicate, how to talk, so it’s something we have to focus on.”
Schmidt says she was inspired to become a teacher as a teenager, when she volunteered at a summer camp for children with special needs during high school and then volunteered at a laboratory school as a freshman at Illinois State University. Her teaching roots began in special education. Through that experience, she developed a love for literacy instruction and went back to school to earn endorsements in reading and language arts.
Schmidt’s spirit of self-improvement never waned. She earned National Board Certification in 2004, after witnessing a dramatic impact the credential had on one of her own children’s teachers. In May, Schmidt earned a second master’s degree. She also has learned how to use video and other technology to incorporate digital storytelling into her classes.
“This ‘digital immigrant’ feels strongly that our instruction must include technology if we are to relate to the ‘digital natives’ in our classrooms and prepare them for the 21st century,” Schmidt wrote in her Iowa Teacher of the Year application.
Schmidt started her teaching career at a special education cooperative in Valparaiso, Ind. She taught special education in the Davenport Community School District for seven years before coming to Maquoketa in 1989. She also has been a special education consultant at Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency in Davenport. Schmidt has taught language arts and reading at Maquoketa Middle School since 1997.
Finalists for the Iowa Teacher of the Year award are:
“Great teachers make a world of difference for their students, for their colleagues and for their communities,” Branstad said. “The Lt. Governor and I congratulate Jane Schmidt, who is a true role model for both students and teachers.”
Schmidt, a 33-year teaching veteran from Delmar, is an eighth-grade literacy and language arts teacher at Maquoketa Middle School in the Maquoketa Community School District.
Schmidt’s leadership extends well beyond the classroom. She serves as a teacher mentor at her school and, in a new role this fall, she coaches educators, refines curriculum and gauges the effects of teaching practices across the school district. Schmidt also will help her school district craft a teacher leadership and compensation plan, an opportunity made available by the education reform law adopted by Iowa legislators this year.
“I love schools, and I’ve never been tired of teaching,” Schmidt said. “It’s always been my passion, and it’s always given me purpose. I think that’s all we ask of a career – that, and a commitment to continuous improvement.”
Schmidt works with her students to nurture not only a love for reading and writing, but also a deep understanding of the importance of literacy. She recently shared with her students a study on college dropouts that showed a link to an inability to keep up with the reading.
Schmidt’s classes also emphasize communicating effectively, both in small groups and one on one. “In this era of texting, that face-to-face communication doesn’t always take place and it’s important,” she said.
“We hear from employers that kids don’t know how to communicate, how to talk, so it’s something we have to focus on.”
Schmidt says she was inspired to become a teacher as a teenager, when she volunteered at a summer camp for children with special needs during high school and then volunteered at a laboratory school as a freshman at Illinois State University. Her teaching roots began in special education. Through that experience, she developed a love for literacy instruction and went back to school to earn endorsements in reading and language arts.
Schmidt’s spirit of self-improvement never waned. She earned National Board Certification in 2004, after witnessing a dramatic impact the credential had on one of her own children’s teachers. In May, Schmidt earned a second master’s degree. She also has learned how to use video and other technology to incorporate digital storytelling into her classes.
“This ‘digital immigrant’ feels strongly that our instruction must include technology if we are to relate to the ‘digital natives’ in our classrooms and prepare them for the 21st century,” Schmidt wrote in her Iowa Teacher of the Year application.
Schmidt started her teaching career at a special education cooperative in Valparaiso, Ind. She taught special education in the Davenport Community School District for seven years before coming to Maquoketa in 1989. She also has been a special education consultant at Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency in Davenport. Schmidt has taught language arts and reading at Maquoketa Middle School since 1997.
Finalists for the Iowa Teacher of the Year award are:
- Aaron Maurer, a gifted education teacher and instructional coach at Bettendorf Middle School in Bettendorf
- Kari Murray, a science teacher at Carlisle High School in Carlisle
- Jon Parrott, an 8th grade social studies teacher at Urbandale Middle School in Urbandale
- Kristi Wickre, a special education teacher at Smouse Opportunity School in Des Moines (Des Moines Public Schools)
- Elaine Wolf, a culinary arts teacher at Central Campus in Des Moines (Des Moines Public Schools)
United Way Events – Fun for Everyone!
We’ve rounded the halfway point of our United Way campaign. Make sure you’re up-to-date about this year’s events and incentives!
Return a completed pledge card and GET TIME OFF!
Staff members who submit a completed pledge card with any donation amount can leave one hour early on a date of your choosing! (Time off? Yes, please!) You will not have to submit vacation time and if you submit a timesheet, you may mark it as “United Way Leave.” Pledge cards are available in each office, and completed cards should be sent to Claire Sowder.
Helping communities
Some regional offices are already beginning to do their regional volunteer/community service opportunities. We’d like to catch Heartland AEA employees doing good deeds! Please snap a photograph while you’re doing the activity and send it to comms@heartlandaea.org to be put in an upcoming HeartBeat! Also make sure to contact Claire at csowder@heartlandaea.org for a “Heartland Cares” sticker to wear while volunteering.
GREAT prizes in our first raffle!
There have been items added to our list of raffle prizes, so be sure to take a look at http://ow.ly/pho97 to see what you could win in! Click here for the raffle ticket form. Each square represents one ticket. Fill out each ticket you would like to purchase, print the entire page and send your check, payable to United Way and written for the correct amount, to Claire Sowder, van rt. 0.0 or 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston IA 50131.
Below is some quick guidance for how many times you print the raffle ticket page for purchasing tickets.
12 tickets – print 2 and write a check for $10
18 tickets – print 3 and write a check for $15
24 tickets – print 4 and write a check for $20
30 tickets – print 5 and write a check for $25
Make sure to send in your tickets soon! They’re due to Claire by October 31. A live drawing will be done on November 1 at 1:00 p.m. We’re planning to set up the Polycom so each office can tune in, too!
We have done our best to make our United Way events fun and enjoyable for staff. As always, your participation in the Agency’s United Way events is voluntary.
Return a completed pledge card and GET TIME OFF!
Staff members who submit a completed pledge card with any donation amount can leave one hour early on a date of your choosing! (Time off? Yes, please!) You will not have to submit vacation time and if you submit a timesheet, you may mark it as “United Way Leave.” Pledge cards are available in each office, and completed cards should be sent to Claire Sowder.
Helping communities
Some regional offices are already beginning to do their regional volunteer/community service opportunities. We’d like to catch Heartland AEA employees doing good deeds! Please snap a photograph while you’re doing the activity and send it to comms@heartlandaea.org to be put in an upcoming HeartBeat! Also make sure to contact Claire at csowder@heartlandaea.org for a “Heartland Cares” sticker to wear while volunteering.
GREAT prizes in our first raffle!
There have been items added to our list of raffle prizes, so be sure to take a look at http://ow.ly/pho97 to see what you could win in! Click here
October 2013 AEA PD Online & AEA K-12 Online Updates
The October 2013 AEA PD Online and AEA K-12 Online updates are now available. For real time updates, follow AEA PD Online on Twitter @aeapdonline or download our app at http://myapp.is/aeapdonline.
AEA PD Online
• Find out how Moodle 2.5's Drag and Drop Feature makes adding images and files easier
• Now Available: AEA PD Online Training System Level One Investigator Training
• Upcoming Courses: November 1-December 15, 2013
• External Partner Webinars and Events
AEA K-12 Online
• Connected Educator Month: Network to Learn, to Collaborate, and to Innovate
• A View from the Field: Angie Emerick
AEA PD Online
• Find out how Moodle 2.5's Drag and Drop Feature makes adding images and files easier
• Now Available: AEA PD Online Training System Level One Investigator Training
• Upcoming Courses: November 1-December 15, 2013
• External Partner Webinars and Events
AEA K-12 Online
• Connected Educator Month: Network to Learn, to Collaborate, and to Innovate
• A View from the Field: Angie Emerick
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