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
- See this flyer for a list of vendors and organizations that will be participating in the Benefits/Wellness Fair from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. before our All-Staff Meeting on Sept 11. Lots of information to gather and a few prizes to win!
- We will again be doing a photo slideshow to showcase the people and places that are important to you outside of work. We want to see photos of babies, pets, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, winning teams and over achievers! Send your photos with a short caption to comms@heartlandaea.org by Aug. 28. No more than three photos per person…thanks!
Beginning today the Agency is implementing a new online system to allow staff to request overnight travel and professional development. THIS IS EXCITING!!
You can access the new travel/PD request system though a link on the Expense Online tab of the Employee Dashboard.
A Help document (Log into the Employee Dashboard before you click this link.) provides complete instructions on how to access and use the various functions of the system. This link is also available on the Help tab on the Employee Dashboard and in the upper right corner of the home page in the new travel/PD request system. A highlight of the new system is a status bar function that allows you to find out the status of your request and claim.
This online system replaces the Overnight Travel/Professional Development PDF form that has been used for the past several years. If you have already submitted an overnight travel or professional development request using the PDF form, you do not need to resubmit the request using the new system. The PDF form will follow the old process until payment is made.
We hope you find this new system to be user-friendly and helpful in reducing the paper and email trails associated with agency travel!
If you have any questions about this new system, contact Rod Howell, Information Systems Manager, at rhowell@heartlandaea.org at ext. 14599.
Heartland AEA’s 403(b) program is made available to staff through the State of Iowa’s 403(b) plan, commonly referred to as the Retirement Investors’ Club (RIC). A few months ago, RIC went through a public competitive bid process to determine investment providers for 2016 and beyond. The Agency has been informed that beginning Jan. 1, 2016, TIAA-CREF will no longer be offered as an investment provider under the RIC plan.
By Dec. 31, 2015, staff members using TIAA-CREF as their investment provider must open an account with one of the four remaining investment providers if they wish to continue their 403(b) contributions. These remaining providers successfully proposed investment products and services that meet the requirements and level of excellence set by the RIC. The four providers are:
- Horace Mann
- MassMutual
- VALIC
- Voya
Monies currently invested in TIAA-CREF 403(b) accounts may remain invested, but no future contributions will be allowed after Dec. 31, 2015. Staff members who currently contribute to TIAA-CREF and who wish to continue to contribute must establish an account with one of the providers listed above by Jan. 1, 2016.
Visit the RIC providers’ webpage for investment provider information that may be helpful as you consider a new provider. This updated election form will need to be completed (archived on the Intranet > Benefits > Retirement) once you’ve selected a new provider.
If you have any questions, contact Steve Jordan, Senior Payroll Specialist, at sjordan@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14908.
You receive an e-mail with a link to The Connection every week, right? Did you know:
- The Connection is a primary source of key information for staff members?
- The Connection contains required reading for all staff?
- The Connection is updated each Monday afternoon?
- The Connection is in a blog format and can always be accessed at http://connection.heartlandaea.org? There’s a link to The Connection under the Communications link on the Intranet in case you forget the URL.
- The blog contains an archive of past articles going back to 2008 and allows for comments to be made about each article?
- To comment on an article, go into the blog, click on the title of the article you’d like to comment about, scroll to the bottom and click on the link that says “Post a Comment”?
- To submit content for The Connection, you should send it to the Communications Department at comms@heartlandaea.org by each Thursday at 2:00 p.m.?
Remember that The Connection is an important communications piece that is intended to help you do your job. Thanks for making it a part of your work routine!
HeartBeat is the Agency’s “cultural” communications piece and is emailed as a pdf to staff members the first Friday afternoon of every month, Sept. to June. Did you know:
- HeartBeat contains “good news” stories, staff accomplishments, employee status changes (new hires, position changes, title changes), birthdays, thank you notes, etc.?
- HeartBeat submissions are due to the Communications Department by the last Monday of the month for the next month’s issue.
- An archive of past HeartBeat issues going back two years is available on the Communications link on the Intranet?
- Anyone can contribute to HeartBeat – especially ideas for good new stories?
- Which reminds us…You are doing great things every day to impact families, schools, students and educators, and we need to spread that good news! That goes for any fun things that are happening in our offices as well—help us showcase the whole agency! We have multiple avenues to get the word out—HeartBeat, Educator Connection, website, Facebook, Twitter, AEAs Impacting Lives and Pinterest—so please let us know about the great things that are going. Any piece of good news could be turned into a blurb, photos, video or a feature story. Help us spread the good news! You can always send an email to comms@heartlandaea.org with your information. Ok, ready, set, go!
At the Agency’s Board of Directors meetings on May 12, 2015 and June 9, 2015, board members affirmed their earlier decision to sunset the post-employment benefit on June 30, 2016.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility for the post-employment benefit is limited to employees who have a minimum of 15 consecutive years of full-time employment with the Agency and who reach their 58th birthday by June 30, 2016.
Eligibility will also be extended to employees who have 20 years of regular half- or full- time employment, have been employed full-time for the last five consecutive years and have reached the age of 58 by June 30, 2016. An approved extended leave of absence or one-year half-time position is not considered a break in consecutive service as long as the last five years have been in full-time status.
Benefits at Retirement
For qualified participants, the Agency agrees to pay the monthly rate for single insurance coverage as was in effect during the 2015-16 fiscal year. If the employee has family coverage at the time he or she applies for the post-employment benefit, the family members may continue on the policy at the employee’s expense.
The Agency contribution is frozen at the single monthly rate for the lowest deductible plan in effect during the 2015-16 plan year, and the retiree must absorb any increase in the premium during the retirement years. The retiree may choose to apply this frozen amount toward the retiree’s portion of health or dental premiums as elected through the Agency’s offered policies.
The Agency will continue to pay the full premium for a group term life insurance policy in the amount in effect immediately prior to retirement.
Application Process
Those eligible for the post-employment benefit at the end of the 2015-16 plan year will receive a letter and application for post-employment benefits in mid-October. To apply for the benefit, all forms will need to be signed and submitted to the Benefits Specialist by Nov. 30, 2015.
For further information and other eligibility options and requirements, find the full version of the post-employment benefit policy in section 6:13 of the Staff Handbook.
Employees not eligible for the post-employment benefit, but who retire and start drawing IPERS, may still stay on the Agency’s health insurance plan per Iowa Code 509A. The cost of premiums will be the responsibility of the employee. Dental and life insurance are not available under Iowa Code 509A.
If you have any questions about the post-employment benefit, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, at jhouseman@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14315.
For
the fourth year, Heartland AEA is encouraging staff members to strap on
their pedometers and get steppin’ with the Next Step Challenge through
Live Healthy Iowa! Heartland AEA will cover the cost of participation,
which is $10 per person, and agency teams of 2-10 people can compete.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Get your 2-10 person team together and nominate a team captain.
- The team captain will then go to
www.livehealthyiowa.org, click on the area that says “Join Today” on the
right side of the page and enter LHIHAEA11 as the Group ID to register
his/her team.
- The team captain will register all
of his/her team members, selecting ‘LHI Pedometer’ from the promotional
item drop down box for each team member who needs a pedometer.
- Team members will then log their steps through the Live Healthy Iowa website.
The contest will being Sept. 14 and run through Oct. 23, so get a team together and sign up before Aug. 30!
Important Challenge Dates
Aug, 17 – registration opens
Aug. 30 – last day for roster additions without shipping fees
Aug 31 – team packets begin shipping
Sept. 14 – challenge begins
Oct. 23 – challenge ends
Oct. 27 – last day to report
If you have any questions about the program or about registering, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Human Resources Manager, at tchiaramonte@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14534 or Katie Streff, Human Resources Assistant, at kstreff@heartlandaea.org or ext. 14614.
Celebrate American Education Week and the AEAs’ 40th anniversary with discounted football tickets to the Nov. 14 Iowa vs. Minnesota night game in Iowa City! Tickets are available to employees in any AEA. Check out this website for more information and to order tickets! This offer was made available through the University of Iowa and is at no cost to the AEA system.
The Iowa Communications Network (ICN) is sponsoring an opportunity for students with powerful voices to share their perspectives on technology and broadband. The Statewide Youth Broadband Advisory Council (SYBAC) complements state efforts to gain input from various stakeholders that are passionate about broadband, technology and apps that require robust broadband to provide the required high-speed Internet. The SYBAC will be made up of 12 young leaders from across Iowa.
The council’s goal is to gather useful information on what high school students feel could impact high-speed Internet in their schools and in their communities. Students will identify effective strategies to improve broadband connectivity and community environments, which could assist in advocacy efforts for rural Internet connectivity.
Students enrolled in 10th - 12th grades from public and non-public schools in Iowa may apply for membership. Meetings will take place monthly, beginning in October 2015 through May 2016, via videoconference, teleconference and/or in-person. Council members also will communicate via email.
ICN is the executive agency sponsor with support from the Iowa Department of Education and Iowa Economic Development Authority.
Students interested should visit ICN’s website or the Broadband Matters’ website. Applications can be submitted from Aug. 24 – Sept. 14.
The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.
Registration for Teacher Quality courses and study groups begins today and ends Sept. 14. TQ courses and study groups meet for 15 hours off contract time and participants are eligible for a stipend upon completion.
The amount of the stipend is established after registration closes. Last year eligible staff members were paid $600 to participate in a course or study group and were paid $500 in 2013-14. The amount for 2015-16 will be determined when registration closes on Sept. 14. Classes and study groups will be offered from Oct. 2015 through June 2016. Here is a frequently asked questions document that will help answer questions.
The Special Education Statewide
Procedures Manual (July 23, 2015 version), Release Notes (July 1, 2015
version), Parental Rights Summary (July 2015 version), Procedural
Safeguards Manuals for Parents (Translations), Educational Evaluation
Reports (Translations) and IEP Forms (Translations) are now posted on
the Iowa IDEA website.
These documents are currently posted on the front page of the IDEA
website in addition to their permanent location under the IEP drop down
menu > Statewide Special Education Procedures > Manual.
By Aug. 31, read the Release Notes, watch this video and complete the task shared at the end of the video.
If you have any questions regarding the content, contact your regional director.
Keep Your Computer Safe and Comfortable
A majority of Heartland AEA employees travel with their computers every day, and we know sometimes it’s tempting to just leave your computer in the car. But computers are just like people—they can be adversely affected by cold or hot temperatures! Remember that computers are “comfortable” in the same temperature range you are.
But it’s not recommended to leave your computer in your car for any extended period of time due to the risk of theft. We see about one computer stolen out of a car every year. Let’s work on making that one a zero!
