Our Mission To
improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth
by providing services and leadership in partnership with families,
schools and communities.
Our Goals • Increase learning growth for students • Decrease the gap in achievement • Increase annual graduation rates • Increase gateways to post-secondary success
As you know, the Heartland AEA Board of Directors has begun the process to recruit and select a new chief administrator for our agency. The Board enlisted the assistance of the firm Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates to conduct the search, and the chief administrator position has been posted in various outlets since the beginning of March.
Your involvement in this process has been important, and the Board appreciates those who took the time to complete the attributes and skills survey, as well as those who participated in focus groups. The feedback staff and superintendents provided in the focus groups was used to develop a leadership profile and to confirm the desired characteristics of a new chief administrator.
The Board is currently in the process of gathering potential interview questions from Department and Regional Planning Councils and will review the questions and categorize them into themes.
Candidate screening by the search firm is already underway and will continue through April 4. The firm will then present a slate of semi-finalist candidates to the Board, and it is anticipated that between April 4-8, the Board will interview those semi-finalists. A final round of interviews will take place in mid-April with the selection of a new chief administrator being announced no later than May 1.
Again, thank you for your interest and involvement in our chief administrator search process. Your voice is helping the Board of Directors make this important hiring decision of our agency.
On March 20 you should have received an email inviting you to participate in the Denison Organizational Culture Survey. If you haven’t already done so, please complete the Denison survey by March 31. If you’ve already completed the survey, thank you for your participation! We encourage you to respond openly and honestly to the survey so our agency receives accurate results. Your responses are completely confidential and will only be presented as part of our agency’s overall organizational profile or as part of a subgroup. Your views and insights are critical in helping our agency achieve its goals. Thank you for your participation!
Last week the Iowa Department of Education announced the launch of the Iowa Core Literacy Resources subject pages on IowaCore.gov under the Educator Resources tab. The Statewide Literacy Leadership Team, made up of members from AEAs, LEAs and Institutes of Higher Education, collaborated to select the content of these pages with resources in the areas of ELA/literacy instruction, assessment and professional development that support all students in meeting Iowa's academic expectations. Please share and promote this valuable resource.
The Des Moines Public Schools invites educators to attend its TechCon 2017 event, June 15 & 16 at Hoover High School in Des Moines. The event is two days of teacher sharing, learning and networking as it relates to instructional technology. Each day will kickoff with an insightful and motivating keynote presentation. Following the keynote, participants will attend six sessions (45 minutes each) throughout the day, with multiple offerings during each session period. In between sessions, there will be built-in time to ask questions, try out new skills, network with peers, get 1:1 help and have fun. Expect to leave with tools, lessons and ideas you can use in your role in the upcoming year!
Our annual benefit enrollment is open to all full-time and 96-day employees from April 1 through April 30, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. for the 2017-18 year benefit year, which begins July 1, 2017. Full-time employees may enroll in health and dental insurance and medical flex spending plans, while part-time staff (96-day) may enroll in the medical flex spending plan. (Note: This enrollment period is not for enrollment in the dependent care plan, which is done in November.) We will need your enrollment selections even if you choose not to make any changes to your benefits for next year.
This is the time that you can add and/or drop family members to your health and dental plans without a life event or change of status. Annual enrollment time is also the only time during the year you can change your deductible -- you aren't able to do that during the year, even with a life event or change of status. Enrollment can be completed through the Employee Online tab on the Employee Dashboard. If you are having trouble enrolling, log out of the Dashboard and then log in before you start the enrollment process. You can also use this enrollment instructions document, which includes instructions for how to print your benefit statement. Health Insurance Health insurance premiums will remain unchanged for 2017-18. The monthly insurance premium rates for the $750 and $1,500 deductible health plans will be as follows:
$750 Deductible Plan • Single - $617.57 (Paid in full by the Agency) • Family - $1,543.94 (Agency pays 60% of the premium for Classified and Certified Union employees so you owe $308.79 per pay period) • No HRA with the $750 deductible plan
$1,500 Deductible Plan • Single - $540.28 (Paid in full by the Agency) – Annual HRA is $681.96 ($170.49/quarter) • Family - $1,350.71 (Agency pays 60% of the premium for Classified and Certified Union employees so you owe $270.14 per pay period) • Annual HRA for Classified and Certified Union taking $1,500 family plan - $1,053.00 ($263.25/quarter) • Annual HRA for Non-Union taking $1,500 family plan - $1,794.96 ($448.74/quarter)
Dental Insurance Dental rates will remain the same for 2017-18. • Single rate is $34.54 monthly. (Paid in full by the Agency) • Family rate is $108.48 per month. (Agency pays single rate of $34.54 for Classified and Certified Union employees towards the premium, so you owe $36.97 per pay period)
Medical Flex Spending Plan Each employee may choose to deduct from his/her paycheck a maximum of $2,600 ($108.33/pay period) regardless of how many family members you have or whether your spouse is able to contribute at his/her place of employment. As in the past, you may submit claims for eligible expenses for you, your spouse and your eligible children. For those couples where both spouses work at Heartland AEA, each spouse may elect up to $2,600 for the plan year. Reminder: If you enroll in medical flex spending plan, and you can’t get all of your money spent in your account, you will be able to rollover up to $500 from the 2016-17 plan into the 2017-18 plan.
VOYA Life Insurance Enrollment During our annual benefit enrollment, employees who didn’t opt for additional life insurance coverage through VOYA can also enroll. Complete the enrollment form and submit it to Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist. Existing employees who are enrolling for the first time will be required to fill out an Evidence of Insurability form. Existing employees who are already enrolled but who want to increase their coverage may also do so at this time. Existing employees may increase their coverage, but if they choose to increase it over $10,000, they will be required to fill out an Evidence of Insurability form. Enrollment will be during April but will be effective on July 1, 2017. If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, at ext. 14315.
It’s that time of year again—time to sign up to be a mentor for the 2017-18 school year! As a mentor, you share your time and expertise to welcome and support new employees as they join our Heartland AEA team. Mentoring is a personally and professionally fulfilling experience that also helps the Agency retain great employees. Note that this program is for mentors and mentees who are Certified Union staff members. Mentors provide 15 hours of one-on-one coaching and support for their mentee, are provided with mentorship training and in return will receive a $1,000 (gross) payment and the personal satisfaction of knowing that you’ve made a difference in the career of your mentee. If you are currently a mentor and would like to continue your involvement next year, please remember that you will need to re-apply.
All you have to do is register is fill out the Mentoring Application. Deadline to apply is May 22, 2017. After receiving applications, more information will be provided to mentors for next year’s program. The Mentor Program Guide is available on the Intranet > Human Resources > Mentoring Program Guide.
Lunch and Learn - April 3 Reminder: Join us on April 3 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Room 107A/B at the Johnston REC to learn about Tuel Shed Training (TST) and the pilot program they will be beginning with a group of 30 staff members. We invite staff from around the Agency to learn about TST and the program, which will focus on increasing exercise, better nutrition, portion sizes, balancing proteins and carbohydrates and the exciting motivation coaching components offered by the TST team.
If you attend the April 3 event face-to-face, wear comfortable shoes for a short demonstration. The lunch and learn will also be available via Zoom that day and will be recorded for those who can’t attend. Please fill out this form to register for the event.
About the Pilot Program Needing some extra motivation? Can't make it to the gym on a consistent basis? Have you wanted to start working out but didn't know where to begin? Are you already working out but want a high intensity workout? If you answered yes to any of these questions, sign up to be part of the pilot program offered by Tuel Shed Training (TST).
Heartland AEA has partnered with TST from West Des Moines to bring another dynamic to our Wellness Program. We are excited to announce that there will be an 8-week pilot program for 30 staff members who want to try out TST’s program. These workouts are designed for all ages and ability levels -- each with three skill levels -- beginner, intermediate and advanced. You can modify your workout to fit your needs, all while still pushing yourself to reach your goals. The pilot program will have live videos every day along with nutritional advice from the certified health coaches. If you can't make the live video work in your schedule, you will also have access to PivotShare, which is TST’s library of quick 20-minute videos for all skill levels. More information will be given to staff members about this program at the April 3 lunch and learn.
So if you are interested in the pilot program, you are encouraged to attend the lunch and learn, either in person or via Zoom. The pilot program will begin on April 10, 2017. If you are interested in participating in this exciting new opportunity, fill out this form.
From building your skills as a manager to developing your career, LifeWorks has resources to help you succeed.
Listen to our new podcast, How to Succeed at Work, featuring Kevin Kruse, Forbes contributor and bestselling author of 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management. He shares tips on how to be highly productive, stay motivated every day, and be a star leader and performer.
Read our booklet Twelve Ways to Be a Better Manager. It outlines the essentials every manager needs to succeed in today’s workplace—on communicating effectively, delegating, managing stress and overload, maximizing teamwork, and more.
New to your role as a manager? Our Life Changes: Becoming a Manager page is filled with articles, podcasts, audio tips and infographics that will help you get ahead and thrive in your new role.
Also remember that you can always contact one of our expert consultants for confidential advice and support, and to discuss any questions or concerns you may have—about work or any other issue.
Jim Knight and his colleague Ann Hoffman will deliver instructional coaching trainings throughout 2017 and into 2018. These trainings are offered by Iowa’s Area Education Agencies, and therefore, educators and administrators are welcome to attend in any of these locations. Knight and his colleagues have identified six essential domains (knowledge and skills) that need to be in place for instructional coaches to succeed. When any of these is missing, a coach’s chances for success are significantly diminished.
The domains are: 1. Understanding how to work with adults 2. Understanding the coaching cycle 3. Understanding high-impact teaching practices 4. Understanding how to gather data and use video as a part of coaching 5. Effective communication skills 6. Effective leadership skills and systems thinking (what principals need to know about coaching)
See this flyer for more information and how to register.
Iowans are ever mindful that severe weather may strike at any time. Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, along with the National Weather Service (Des Moines office) designate the last full week of March as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa. The goal is to provide Iowans a better understanding about the state’s spring weather hazards. Specific topics addressed include flash floods, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, weather warnings and family preparedness.
In conjunction with Severe Weather Awareness week, the Agency will be holding tornado drills this week. Please find the tornado shelters near you and be ready for a drill this week.
Each week during the Iowa legislative session, we will bring you an AEA Legislative Update from the AEA system’s lobbyists, Tom Lane, Matt Eide and John Pederson.
How many times do you go back and forth with a colleague trying to identify a date and time to meet that works for both of you? In this week's Tech Tip, Mande will show you how to use the "Find a Time" feature in Google Calendar.
