From the Chief Administrator...Hello Heartland AEA!

I am now a week into my new job as your administrator and wanted to take some time to introduce myself to all of you with this brief letter of introduction until such time as we can meet in person. Getting to meet over 600 people across 11 counties is no small task, but it’s something that I'm looking forward to. In the meantime, here’s a quick bio and a bit of self-reflection from the new guy….

For the past 16 years, I've lived in Ottumwa, where I was both associate superintendent and superintendent of the Ottumwa Schools, before becoming the chief administrator at Great Prairie AEA in 2011. Prior to this, I spent two years in the Heartland AEA area as the superintendent at Stuart-Menlo/West Central Valley. Prior to that experience, I was an elementary and middle school principal in Arizona and in Burlington. I began my teaching career in 1982, teaching language arts and reading in Carroll. I attended Luther College and later graduated from the University of Iowa. I did my master's and doctoral studies at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz, and I grew up in Carlisle (Class of '78). I am married to my wife, Kris, and we have two grown children, one living in Des Moines and one living in the Minneapolis area.

That’s where I’ve been, but more importantly, here’s what I believe. I am a staunch advocate of the AEA system and of public education in general. Iowa’s education system has served me well, served my family well and I believe served the State of Iowa well. I am of the firm belief that one of the things that sets our system apart and makes Iowa a great place to live is our strong educational service agency system. I am extremely proud of the work we do as AEAs, and I never pass up the opportunity to share our story with anyone who will listen. We do more than just serve school districts--we create hope and provide equity of opportunity for teachers, kids and families in every zip code in Iowa.  

To further share with you the things I believe and think are important after six years in the AEA system, I decided to let my farewell letter to staff at Great Prairie AEA become part of my introduction at Heartland AEA. Here is that farewell post. 

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we'll be in touch again soon!

Jon Sheldahl

Chief Administrator