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

First Semester A-87 Certification For Federally-Funded Staff

Semi-annually, Heartland AEA must comply with the federal grant rules identified in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-87 pertaining to documentation needed for federal expenditures. For employees who are funded 100% with federal funding, there are Circular A-87 audit requirements we need to meet in order to document appropriate expenditures. If you are in the fully-funded group, you will receive an email on December 4 from heartlandworkflow with the subject A87 Certification Notice - Action Required with a link to the certification page. The process is very simple and the same as previous years. 

If you are new to this process or need a refresher, below is a link to a presentation that explains the background for Circular A-87 and the steps Heartland AEA must take to meet the requirements. Please watch the 5-minute video by clicking on the link below. Keep in mind that the video was created in March 2011. Although some of the dates and time lines in the video are outdated, the process and the purpose of the A-87 certification are still the same. 

https://aea111.eduvision.tv/Default.aspx?q=3SfVi13wT7TQcvi960rMNg%253d%253d 

Password: a87aea 

You will need to click on the play button in order to start the video. As the video will explain, employees who are fully funded from one grant will need to certify every six months that they are performing duties allowed under the federal grant. 

If you have any questions, contact Brian Whalen, Business Manager, at bwhalen@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14005. The Business Office appreciates your prompt completion of the certifications and your assistance in helping us comply with this reporting requirement.

Reminder: New Guidelines for Completing and Submitting Out-of-Area Travel/PD Form

In order to expedite the reimbursement of out-of-area travel and professional development expenses, the Business Office is asking all employees to adhere to the following guidelines: 

1. Only use the current Out-of-Area Travel/Professional Development form linked on the Intranet and always submit the form electronically. The form is titled Out-of-Area Travel & PD Form/2013-14 Travel Memo and is located under the Business Office link in the left hand navigation. Do not use a form stored on your computer, as using old forms causes confusion about who should be signing the forms and where the forms should be sent. 
2. When saving the form, title it as ‘OAT-your name-mm/dd/yy.’ The date should be either the first date of travel or the date of your professional development. Using a standard naming convention should help with the flow of the form. Supervisors will immediately know what is attached and know that they need to act on it. 
3. When receipts are required, scan them to one pdf file. The file can contain multiple pages, but we would like them all in one file. By limiting the number of documents being emailed, it will be easier for supervisors and the Business Office to track the receipts and keep them with the form. 

If you have any questions, contact Mary Heaberlin, Accounting Technician, at mheaberlin@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14818 or Brian Whalen, Business Manager, at bwhalen@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14005.

Agency to Debut New Mobile Website

When was the last time you went through a day and didn’t see someone using a smartphone or a tablet? We know – it’s been a long time! According to Digital Buzz, 56% of people own a smart phone and 50% of smartphone users use their phone as their primary Internet source. Wow! 

In response to this ever-growing population of mobile users, the Agency is pleased to debut its new mobile website. This website will automatically load on a web browser (Firefox, Safari, Chrome, etc.) when it is accessed on a smartphone or tablet device. It is specially designed to be mobile-friendly and features large buttons to tap with your fingers instead of small text-based links that you are accustomed to clicking when using a computer. 

The mobile site is not a full recreation of our main website—it features those items that we know our clients use most often: 

• Professional Development Catalog 
• Reserve Materials 
• Online Resources 
• News 
• Calendar (coming soon!)
• Careers 
• Staff Directory 
• Locations 
• Contact Us 

There are also links to About Us, Services, Staff Links (Email, Employee Dashboard and PeopleBox) and View Full Site. Some of you may be wondering why we chose to do a mobile site over an app, since apps are so popular right now. Here are a few reasons why: 

• The Agency didn’t need to go through Apple or Android to have the app approved, and we don’t need to go through them to have it updated, so we have control over and easy publishing rights to the content on the site. 
• Mobile sites are easier to find than apps that have to be searched for on the App Store or Android Market. 
• A mobile site doesn’t have to be downloaded to your device as an app would, so it does not take up valuable data on your phone or tablet. Updates don’t have to be downloaded, either. 
• Mobile websites are always available for users to return to them. 
• Mobile websites are accessible across platforms and can be easily shared among users and search engines. 

We encourage you to take the mobile site for a test drive and send your feedback to comms@heartlandaea.org. Please spread the word about the site to our educators, students and families!

Employee Assistance Program: Here For You & Your Family

Are you experiencing difficulties in your marriage, stress with a rebellious teenager or do you have an aging parent who needs more care than you’re able to give? 

If so, Heartland AEA offers EAP (employee assistance program) services through Bensinger, Dupont and Associates (BDA). Under EAP you can receive no-cost, confidential help for a wide variety of needs and concerns, such as: 

• Depression 
• Stress management 
• Anxiety 
• Marital difficulties 
• Relationship problems 
• Family conflict 
• Alcohol or drug addictions 
• Financial concerns – telephone consultation with financial consultant on budgeting, taxes and debt consolidation 
• Parenting concerns 
• Problem gambling 
• Eating disorders 
• Legal concerns – telephone and/or one in-person consultation with an attorney on tax filing, guardianship and power-of-attorney services 
• Childcare and eldercare – telephone consultation with a work-life professional to provide information, referrals and resources related to childcare or eldercare concerns 

BDA offers up to three in-person assessment and counseling sessions by masters-degreed counselors 24-hours a day, seven days a week through a toll-free number. Your information will be completely confidential. If this service would be of assistance to you, contact Bensinger, DuPont and Associates at (866) 451-5465. 

Online services are available at: www.niseap.com 
Password: NISenhanced 

Click here to download a brochure that describes EAP services. It is also archived on the Intranet > Benefits > Employee Assistance Program. If you have any questions or feedback, contact Kathy Martin, Benefits Specialist, at kmartin@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14385.

This Week's Getting Great With Google Tip

How to “Edit the Subject” line when Replying to or Forwarding a Message 
In addition to Reply and Forward, there is another option to edit the Subject line. Changing the subject line will start a new conversation rather than be attached to the existing conversation. 

To change the Subject line:
1. Click on “Reply” or “Forward” 
2. Click on the arrow to the left of the address you are sending to 
3. Select “Edit subject” a full compose window will open. From the full compose window, you can change the subject line.