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

2014 United Way Campaign Comes to a Close This Friday

The Agency’s 2014 United Way campaign will come to close on Friday, Nov. 14. Please return your pledge cards, auction bids and any regional special event money by the 14th. 

Remember that pledge cards are an easy way to donate to United Way! If you donate $50 or more, you are able to designate if you’d like your donation to go to a specific agency/organization. Remember that everyone who hands in a pledge card donation of any amount will receive a casual day sticker! Pledge cards are available in every office. Please send completed cards to Samantha Perry, Human Resources Specialist, in the Johnston Administration Center. Pledge cards are great way to show your support, and they are the only way that United Way tracks our agency’s participation, so the more pledge cards we collect (with donations), the better our participation rate is! 

Thank you again to everyone who has returned a completed pledge card, bid on the online auction and participated in an office/regional event! Thank you for helping Heartland AEA LIVE UNITED!

November Payroll Timeline – Payday Will Be Nov. 26

Agency offices will be closed on Nov. 27 and 28 in observance of Thanksgiving. As a result, payday will be Nov. 26. Staff members paid from a timesheet must have their Nov. 1-15 timesheets completed, approved by their supervisors and submitted to the Payroll Department by the end of the day on Nov. 20 to ensure they receive pay at the end of the month. If you have any questions, contact Steve Jordan, Senior Payroll Specialist, at sjordan@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14908.

Job Functions Now Added to Business Cards; Form is Now a Google Form

A new Business Card Order Form is now available. The order form is now a Google form, and we hope this will help expedite the process. The form is archived on the Intranet > Communications > Forms. If you have previous forms saved on your computer, please delete them, or if you have hard copies in your office, please recycle them. All forms must be submitted with an account code to charge. If you do not know your account code, ask your supervisor or administrative assistant. 

It was requested that "job function" be added for identified certified staff. This is an optional field and does not apply to all staff. The listed job functions have been determined by Human Resources and the Certified Union. Questions concerning employee-assigned job functions can be directed to Human Resources. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please also allow two weeks for delivery of requested business cards.

Reminder: Dependent Care Flexible Benefit—You Must Enroll or Waive by Nov. 28

Please take one minute today to either enroll in or waive the dependent care flexible benefit. 2015 enrollment must be completed by Nov. 28 online via the Employee Dashboard. If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, at jhouseman@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14315. 

Important reminder: Even if you choose not to participate in this program, you must waive it. 

Instructions for enrolling or waiving: 

• Go to the Employee Dashboard 
• Click on the Employee Online tab 
• Click on the Enrollment link on the left hand side of the page 
• Enter the amount to enroll or enter “0” to waive 
• Save 

Even if you are opting for the same deduction as last year, you must type over the amount in the box and then save in order to complete your enrollment correctly.

Reminder: Supplemental Life Insurance Enrollment Continues Until Nov. 28

Enrollment ends on Nov. 28 for this new benefit option, and after this initial enrollment period, in order to get supplemental life insurance, new enrollees will have to complete the Evidence of Insurability form, which will then have to go through underwriting to determine acceptance. So if you are considering enrolling, but don’t want to have to jump through those hoops, enroll during this initial offer!

Reminder: Deadline for Post-Employment Benefit Application is Nov. 28

If you are applying for the post-employment benefit, submit your original application, letter of resignation, and “Things You Should Know Before Applying for the Post-Employment Benefit” to Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, by Nov. 28, 2014. If you have any questions, contact Juliette at jhouseman@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14315.

Chapter 62 Resources Now Available

This fall a variety of resources have been shared for implementation of Chapter 62. Many of these resources have been pulled into a Google Drive folder for easy access. It may be helpful to bookmark the link as additional resources will be added throughout the year. Some of the resources in the folder include: 

• DE Parent notification template and family partnership tools 
• DE guidance documents for Early Literacy Implementation 
• Q & A for Chapter 62, September 2014 
• Archived Zoom session facilitated by Heartland AEA on 11/3/2014

November 2014 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda Available

The agenda for the Nov. 11, 2014 Board of Directors meeting is now available.