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

United Way: Give It Forward, Get It Back

Greetings, 

Do you think about ways you can make a difference for “the common good”? As Heartland AEA employees, we are fortunate to have careers that provide us the opportunity every day to advocate for things that are beneficial for all members of a community. Those basic or “common goods” may change over time or vary with different groups, but some basic requirements such as food, shelter and education are, in my opinion, always good for all people. 

In an article from Time magazine, Jim Wallis wrote, “a commitment to the common good could bring us together and solve the deepest problems this country and the world now face: How do we work together? How do we treat each other, especially the poorest and most vulnerable? How do we take care of not just ourselves but also one another?” 

As I think about the many ways I see Heartland AEA staff making a difference every day to improve the lives of children and young adults, I want to say thank you for doing your part to contribute to the common good. I also hope you will consider joining me in leveraging the work we do at our agency by partnering with other organizations that are also working to meet the most basic of needs in the communities in which we live and work through a donation to United Way.  

• Consider volunteering

• Each staff member is given four hours of volunteer time to use from July 1 to June 30. Consider volunteering for an organization or event listed on the United Way of Central Iowa Volunteer Match Site.

• Partner with United Way to meet our shared education goals by completing a pledge card  

• Did you know:
• $1 per week ($52) provides a week of academic enrichment for an elementary or middle school student in an after school program or activity?
• $1 per week purchases eight books for preschool-age children in the Book Buddy program to help develop pre-literacy skills needed to enter kindergarten ready to learn?
• $1 per week covers half the cost of one of the more than 1,600 free meals provided to extremely low-income families?
• $1 per week provides healthy food backpacks for 17 children to take home to improve access to nutritious food?
• A contribution of $42 per pay period is considered a leadership gift?

• Consider purchasing an item from the online auction that will launch on Oct. 20.

At Heartland AEA, this year we have a goal of increasing the number of staff who participate. Help us demonstrate that Heartland AEA staff are willing to “Give It Forward and Get It Back” and do our part to build communities that are great places to live and work. 

Thanks for Living United, 
Paula

Reminder: Dixon Warehouse to be Downsized, Review of Items to be Done Immediately

Most of you are aware that the Agency maintains storage space at a warehouse building on Dixon Street in Des Moines. The Agency is in the process of reducing the size of the space that it rents at the warehouse. Since the space will be downsized, the number of boxes being stored there also needs to be downsized! 

An email was sent out a few months ago to those who have boxes stored at the warehouse. About a third of those who were sent the message responded. That means there are many more boxes that need to be gone through to see if there is a legitimate reason to keep them in storage. 

If you have boxes at the warehouse and didn’t reply to the previous communication, you will have ONE MONTH from today to go through your boxes to see if they still need to be stored. Operations staff can bring the boxes to you or send them on the vans so you can go through them to verify their contents. If you do not contact Dustin Gean or Jason Elliott about your boxes, they will assume that they can dispose of your items, although they will contact you before they are thrown out. 

If you have any questions, contact Dustin Gean, Operations Manager, at dgean@heartlandaea.org.

2014-15 Staff & Schools Directory and Superintendent Directory Now Available

The 2014-15 Staff & Schools Directory and the 2014-15 Superintendent Directory are available. Both of archived on the Intranet under Communications > Communication Resources & Publications.

Iowa Department of Education Announces New Website Devoted to Iowa Core

Website Announcement 
From Brad Buck, Director, Iowa Department of Education 

I’m excited to share that IowaCore.gov is now available. This new, user-friendly website is a major step forward in supporting your hard work to implement the Iowa Core standards in schools across the state. 

IowaCore.gov is for educators, parents and other stakeholders to better understand, access and deliver the Iowa Core standards. For the education community, this website is the centerpiece of what’s called the Iowa Core Resources Project. This project is about providing the concrete tools and resources that teachers need to put the Iowa Core into practice. Teachers and school administrators have been asking for this information, and we are now in a position to provide them. 

The Iowa Core Resources Project was made possible with a $1 million state appropriation approved by Iowa legislators in 2013. This funding was used to develop a new Iowa Core website and to secure examples of optional instructional resources that teachers can use, if they so choose, to implement the Iowa Core in kindergarten through 12th grade. More than 8,000 resources are available at no charge in a central, searchable online location called IowaLearns.org, which is accessible through IowaCore.gov. The materials are adaptable to fit the individual needs of local classrooms. 

The new Iowa Core website also provides much more information about the standards to parents and other Iowans. The Explore the Core section provides the standards in a user-friendly format that is searchable by grade level and subject. The parent guides found under the Parents & Community section provide an overview of the Iowa Core standards, examples of what students are expected to know and be able to do and activities that can be done at home to support this learning. The math and English language arts portions of the parent guides were completed in partnership with the National PTA, while the science, social studies and 21st century skills portions were developed by Iowa teachers. 

Please take some time to become familiar with the website and help us tell Iowans about this great new resource that will support Iowa Core implementation. The Iowa Department of Education will continue to improve and expand the new website. You can help us by filling out a feedback form found under the "Contact Us" section of IowaCore.gov. Questions about the website project can be directed to Brad Niebling at brad.niebling@iowa.gov. 

Toolkit 
From Brad Buck 
As described in my announcement of IowaCore.gov to the field, the resource toolkit is designed to assist school administrators and other instructional staff in discussing the new website. Because we also understand you may be fielding questions about the Iowa Core in your communities, I’m including a set of talking points that may be customized to fit your individual needs, as well as a fact sheet and FAQ that may be distributed as handouts or posted online if you see fit. 

The website communications toolkit includes the following elements in a single document that you can easily forward to other stakeholders: 

• Website talking points 
• Sample text that may be customized for use in education newsletters or on websites 
• Sample letters that may be customized for use and distributed to teachers, parents/families, and school board members 
• Sample tweets

• Fact Sheet
• FAQ
• Talking Points
• Website Toolkit

We hope you find these resources helpful and welcome your suggestions for improvements. Questions and feedback about these communications resources may be sent to Staci Hupp Ballard at staci.hupp@iowa.gov. 

Access to Resources 
You will be asked for a username/password to access some of the IowaLearns resources available through IowaCore.gov. The username/password combinations that are used to access AEA online resources are being used, with a slight modification. 

Go to IowaCore.gov. 
Click Educator Resources tab. 
You’ll notice the IowaLearns section. Many of the resources are available through Guest access. Others require a username/password. Staff will use the school online database username/password used for our AEA online resources (Learn 360, EBSCO, Gale, etc.) BUT the prefix “dr” must be added to the beginning of the password (dr stands for digital resource).

Correction: Five Iowa Schools Named 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools

We were notified that there were actually five schools recently named Blue Ribbon Schools, including St. Francis of Assisi in West Des Moines. Way to go to these three schools in our area! 

Five Iowa schools are among 337 schools nationwide named 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools for their overall academic excellence or for their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups:

• Northeast Elementary School (Ankeny Community School District) 
• Gilbert High School (Gilbert Community School District) 
• South Central Calhoun Elementary School (South Central Calhoun Community School District) 
• West Cedar Elementary School (Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District) 
• St. Francis of Assisi School, West Des Moines 

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Schools award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are made in students’ levels of achievement.

Since 1982, nearly 7,900 schools in the U.S. have received the coveted award. Read more about the 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html.

Coming Soon: Enrollment for Group Supplemental Term Life Insurance

Heartland AEA is pleased to announce the launch of the Agency’s upcoming enrollment for group supplemental term life insurance through VOYA. This is the first in a series of three articles you can read in The Connection. This initial article provides you with a high level overview of the value associated with this important Life Insurance benefit offering.

So you have life insurance But do you have enough? Enrollment for supplemental group term life insurance coverage is coming soon. Life insurance can help protect your family against the unexpected and obtaining it through your employer is a simple, easy way to get the financial protection you need.

Guaranteed Issue Coverage:
 If enrolling at the upcoming enrollment or when you are initially eligible, you will receive coverage without having to answer medical questions or have a medical exam.

Convenient Payroll Deductions:
 Since deductions are taken directly from your paycheck, you never have to worry about late payments or lapse notices.

Affordable Rates: The cost of purchasing group insurance may be lower than insurance that you could find on your own.

"Take it With You":
 The portability and conversion features allow for continued coverage that can help protect your family even when your current employment ends.

An article with additional information will follow on Oct. 20, and on Nov. 3, you will receive enrollment materials and detailed instructions on the enrollment process.

Keep in mind that the enrollment period for this offering begins Nov. 3 and is only available from Nov. 3 through Nov. 28. You are encouraged to closely review the packet of materials you should have received. If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, at jhouseman@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14315.

Opening Nov. 3: Dependent Care Enrollment for 2015

Our online enrollment for the 2015 dependent care flex benefit plan will be open to eligible employees on Nov. 3. If you are a full-time employee or a Certified Union employee working a 96-day contract, you are eligible to participate. All eligible employees need to either enroll during this period or waive participation through the enrollment process. 

The dependent care benefit allows you to pre-tax child, spouse or elder care expenses that you incur in order to allow you (and your spouse, if married) to work. If married, both spouses must be working to claim dependent care expenses. A dependent is defined as: 

• A dependent of the employee who is under 13 years of age 
• A dependent or spouse who is physically or mentally disabled 
• A spouse who is physically or mentally disabled 

The maximum amount your family may flex per calendar year is $5,000. All claims must be incurred by Dec. 31 and submitted for reimbursement within 60 days of the end of the plan year (March 1). 

In the upcoming weeks, look for an article that will walk you through how to either make your dependent care election for 2015 or waive dependent care. Dependent Care enrollment will be closed on Nov. 28 at 4:00 p.m. As a reminder, all dependent care expenses for the 2014 plan year must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2014 and must be submitted to Kabel Business Services for reimbursement by March 1, 2015. 

 If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, at jhouseman@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14315.

October 2014 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda Available

The agenda for the Oct. 14 Board of Directors meeting is available.

Information About Recent IEC/IAEP Lawsuit Settlement

Recent news has included stories involving the settlement of a lawsuit involving the Iowa Educators’ Consortium (IEC)/Iowa Association for Educational Purchasing (IAEP). The IAEP is an organization formed by the Iowa Area Education Agencies (AEAs) under Chapter 28E of the Iowa Code, to assist member schools with the purchase of products and services that enhance their school meal programs in support of the educational goals of students. 

This was a class action lawsuit filed by a couple in the Adel-DeSoto-Minburn school district. The premise of their suit was that Martin Brothers Distributing Co. conspired to restrain competition in the market for the retail sale of food to schools and that Martin Brothers attempted to monopolize that market in violation of Iowa antitrust laws. 

This case has been in process for over three years, as Martin Brothers was not willing to settle the case because they did not believe the suit’s claims were valid. After further consultation with their attorneys, Martin Brothers decided to limit their legal fees and attempt to reach a settlement through mediation. 

The settlement agreement was filed with the Clerk of District Court in Dallas County on July 31, 2014. Key points of the settlement include: 

• Martin Brothers will pay $1,925,000 to create a settlement fund that will provide monetary relief to the settlement class. 
• The settlement class is anyone who paid for a school lunch between January 1, 2000, and July 31, 2014. 
• A third party will arrange to have notices published in an attempt to reach 88 percent of Iowa’s residents. This means that notices will be published in 14 of Iowa’s largest newspapers. The notice will direct interested persons to a website. 
• Individuals in the settlement class may complete and submit paperwork to receive reimbursement. Individuals in the class may receive $3.50 for each year they attended a participating school district up to a maximum of $50. 
• Any funds remaining after attorney’s fees and class members receive their payments will be paid to participating school districts on a pro rata basis. 

Information on the settlement can be found at http://www.iowaschoolfoodsettlement.com/. 

The Iowa Association for Educational Purchasing remains committed to its mission of helping schools save money and provide students with the best meal choices.