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

Updated List of Agency Crisis Responders Now Available

The Agency’s Crisis Plan has been updated to list all current agency crisis responders. These staff members have volunteered to provide immediate assistance at the on-set of a crisis situation. They are CPR-certified, and the hope is to provide them with more crisis preparation training in the future. 

In our continued effort to improve our agency’s crisis preparation, this summer we will be equipping each office with an emergency “go” bag, which will include such things as a first aid kit, blanket, flash light, batteries, glow sticks, whistle, dust masks, etc. 

If you have any questions about the Crisis Plan, crisis responders or crisis preparation, contact Dustin Gean, Operations Manager, at dgean@heartlandaea.org. 

Crisis Responders
Adel 
Angela Bosworth and Donna Simpson 

Ames 
Janet Brown and Valerie Hubert 

Carroll 
Janet Steinkamp 

Guthrie Center 
Colleen Chalfant and Gwen Hoffmann 

Indianola 
Jean Britsch 

Johnston Administration Center 
Tammy Lawrence, Samantha Perry, Claire Sowder and Katie Streff 

Johnston Regional Education Center 
Jason Elliott, Dustin Gean, Steve Howard and Sue Mostek 

Knoxville 
Carrie Roose 

Newton 
Victoria Chiles and Jessica Pottebaum 

Polk County Detention Center 
Nurse Station and Control Room

Rosedale Shelter 
Elaine Mattingly 

Youth Emergency Services & Shelter 
Dee May

Let Us Know Your Feedback About The Connection, HeartBeat & Agency Website

The Communications Department strives to continuously improve our agency communications vehicles. To assist us in our efforts, we would appreciate your feedback about three important communications vehicles -- The Connection, HeartBeat and our agency website. Please provide your feedback in this short survey, which is distributed in a manner in which no individual can be personally identified. Thank you for your input!

Impacting Lives Blog Showcases AEA Services

View the latest Impacting Lives update include another round of stories about the many ways Iowa’s AEAs are making a difference! 

• Adapted Cars Encourage Exploration and Curiosity in Kids With Disabilities 
• Transformed Teaching through AEA Collaboration 
• Summer: Romping, reveling and…reading 
• Building Confidence by Strengthening Voices 
• Scuba Diving Experience Launches DSM Students’ Blogs

Latest Organizational Culture Survey Results Show Improvement

The Agency has received the results from year three of our Denison Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS), and we have reason to celebrate! The DOCS is designed to assess an organization’s strengths and weaknesses as they apply to organizational performance. Thank you to all randomly selected staff who participated—we had an 82% return rate, our best yet! 

We demonstrated strong overall results for 2014, with impressive rates of improvement year, over year, over year! In 2014, all 12 indexes achieved higher scores, with the greatest improvement in the Mission Trait - particularly in Strategic Direction & Intent and Vision. We believe this positive news is still opportunity for growth and more information about our results and next steps will be shared with staff in the fall. If you have any questions about the Denison process, feel free to contact Laura Gillon, Executive Director of Human Resources, at lgillon@heartlandaea.org or Jim Verlengia, Director of Leadership Supports, at jverlengia@heartlandaea.org.

Mobile Apps Now Available From Kabel Business Services and Delta Dental

Kabel Business Services – Medical and dependent care flex plans and HRA 
Kabel Business Services’ mobile app lets you submit claims through your mobile device. This is exciting! 

Delta Dental – Dental insurance 
Delta Dental’s mobile app gives you access to dentist search, claims and coverage and your ID card right on your mobile device. The app even has a toothbrush timer built in to make sure you keep up with your daily oral health routine!

Reminder: Focus on Financial Wellness; Budgeting Workshop Coming on June 11

We all know how having a healthy body can contribute to our well-being, but what about how having a healthy financial situation can contribute to well-being? When your finances are in check, the rest of your life can seem more manageable. On the other hand when your finances seem to be in chaos, it can make life seem overwhelming. Did you know that 80% of workers polled nationally indicate they want their employer to provide financial wellness education? Consider where we are as a society today: 

• 70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck – Wall Street Journal 
• 30% of Americans have outstanding loans on their 401(k)s – Business Record 
• #1 cause of stress is money problems and money fights – multiple studies 

First Financial Wellness Offering – Budgeting & Planning for Emergencies 
Heartland AEA is excited to announce our first financial wellness offering, Budgeting & Planning for Emergencies! Whether you are looking to pick up a few nuggets of information, or you need a financial overhaul, this 90-minute lunch and learn workshop will teach you all of the basics of how to handle your money well. This interactive, hands-on workshop will teach you how to: 

• Improve communication about money 
• Save for emergencies & pay off debt 
• Create a spending plan that actually works 
• Achieve your financial goals 
• Find your motivation for financial success 

Each attendee will also receive a workbook with personalized budget forms. Bring your lunch to this event, which will be held on June 11 from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Johnston REC in Conference Room 13B. All are welcome, but registration is required because space is limited to the first 50 participants to sign up. If you are interested, register before June 6 using the link below. If you’re unable to register, it is because the registration is full. 

http://heartlandaea.eventzilla.net 

If you have any questions, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Human Resources Manager, at tchiaramonte@heartalandaea.org or ext. 14534.

Summer Van Delivery Schedule Now Available

Schedule-to-date: 

• Twice-a-week delivery to each district administration building runs June 16 to August 7. 
• Twice-a-week delivery will automatically continue to each building that has an extended year calendar. 
• Regular fall van delivery resumes August 11. 

Printing: 

• Heartland AEA will contact the district to arrange for special delivery of large printing orders during the summer.

Our Kids Summer Institute Reaches Milestone

For the past ten years, the Our Kids Summer Institute has provided a high-quality professional development opportunity for teachers and administrators who work with English learners. Historically, premier presenters from the U.S and Canada have shared their expertise, networking opportunities and multicultural experiences have been provided and various conference strands have met a range of needs and interests among participants. 

In addition, Our Kids prides itself on highlighting cultures of students and families in Iowa by incorporating culturally and linguistically diverse voices in panels, cultural performances, planning, etc. Speakers at this year’s event will include: 

• Edward Steinman - Civil Rights attorney in the landmark Lau v. Nichols judgment (1974) that precipitated a federal requirement for ESL programming in K-12 schools 
• Consuelo Kickbush - Inspiring author, role model and founder, EDUCATIONAL Achievement Services, Inc. 
• Diane August - Managing researcher at American Institute of Research (AIR), author, ELL expert and national leader 
• Jeanette Gordon - Education specialist of differentiated instruction and ELL methods, Illinois Resource Center (IRC) 

In addition, there will be a variety of “spotlight sessions” of interest that participants can select to attend. 
Dates: June 24 & 25, 2014 
Location: Waukee High School 
Activity Number: ES007668221501