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 

Reminder: 2017 All-Staff Meeting: Come “Connect, Celebrate, Learn” on Sept. 15!

We look forward to a great day of connecting, celebrating and learning from one another!

Location 

Holiday Inn Des Moines - Airport
6111 Fleur Drive

Des Moines, IA

Time 

9 - 9:30 a.m. – Registration, Coffee and Conversation
(coffee only, no breakfast fare)
9:30 - 11:35 a.m. – General Session
11:35 a.m - 12:45 p.m. – Lunch
11:35 a.m. – 1 p.m.  – Wellness/Benefits Fair
12:45 – 2:20 p.m. – PechaKucha Presentations

Details 
General Session
The morning’s general session will be a chance to hear from Jon Sheldahl, our new chief administrator, as well as other agency leaders about information for the year to come and highlights from the past year. We’ll also have a chance to celebrate successes and honor our years of service award recipients.

Food & Beverage

Only coffee and tea will be served in the morning, so please plan to eat breakfast before you arrive. Lunch will consist of a turkey sandwich on a croissant, apple slices, mini carrots and a cookie. If you have special dietary needs, complete this form to let us know. Water stations will be available throughout the day if you’d like to bring a water bottle, and an afternoon snack will be served as well.

PechaKucha Presentations
Our afternoon will again be spent learning from one another during PechaKucha-style presentations (6 minute, 40 second presentations with images and lively storytelling). There are time slots for you to see up to four presentations from your colleagues. Presentation list coming next week!

United Way
We will kick off our annual United Way campaign again this year at the All-Staff meeting. We are counting on you to once again pledge record support to United Way, so they can in turn support communities through education, income and health initiatives! Watch your tables for pledge forms to begin pledging your support on Sept. 15. Everyone (whether you donate to United Way or not) will have the chance to fill out a form to get your name in a drawing for some great gifts!

Benefits/Wellness Fair
The Benefits/Wellness Fair will be held from 11:35 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Many of our past vendors will again be on hand, including our flu shot nurses! The Fair will be held in the foyer outside of the Iowa Hall, where our general session will be held, as well as in the Ballroom Foyer of the hotel. A map of the hotel will be available for you at the meeting. More information to follow.

Wear Agency Colors
Wear your agency colors – purple or green – and proudly display your Heartland AEA pride! You are welcome to wear typical casual Friday attire and any agency-branded t-shirts you have.

Fill in the Tables
Please make every attempt to fill the chairs at every table. Please do not move chairs around from table to table, either. We would like to avoid having to scramble to find a place for everyone to sit.

Parking

The Airport Holiday Inn has fewer parking spots available on the property than Adventureland and the Sheraton have afforded us in the past. The Holiday Inn has 400 spots on site, however, there is free street parking to the north, south and east, as well as paid parking on the north and south sides of the hotel. We encourage you to carpool to the meeting if possible. Grab some coffee and a donut, take some selfies and put yourself in a good mood for our annual gathering! More information about parking is below. (Click on the photo to enlarge.)

Join Me As We Support United Way

Heartland AEA will again partner this year with our region’s Iowa’s United Way agencies as they invest in strategies that support communities to achieve bold goals in education (helping to achieve potential), income (promoting financial stability) and health (improving people’s health). Gifts to the United Way contribute to better educated, more prosperous and healthier communities in which to work and live. 

Our goal this year is again to raise our participation by 10% -- which is 52% of our staff participating in the campaign. You will have your first opportunity to make a gift or pledge at the All-Staff Meeting on Sept. 15. I ask that you please consider a one-time gift or payroll deduction. Remember with a $50 pledge, you can direct your gift to the specific organization, charity or local United Way of your choice. Here is a list of United Way of Central Iowa’s Funded Partners for ideas about giving to specific organizations. 

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.

You can also give of your time and talents to volunteer through United Way. 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.

I hope you will consider joining me in leveraging the work we do at Heartland AEA 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 the United Way.
 

Thanks for Living United,

Jon Sheldahl

Annual Agency Publications Now Updated on the Intranet

With the new school year comes updated agency publications and resources, which are now available on the Intranet > Communications. If you have any questions about these publications, contact the Communications Department. 

Communications > Annual Publications

• 2017-18 Staff & Schools Directory (to come)
• 2017-18 Regional Map w/ Regional Directory
• 2017-18 Regional Director Assignments
• 2017-18 School Composite Calendar
• 2017-18 Superintendent Directory (Hard copies of the superintendent directory will be sent to each regional office)
• 2017-18 Van Route Schedule

Communications > Resources

• Agency Infographic
• Planning Councils Structure & Membership Chart
• Mission & Priority Services Sheet
• Agency Blueprint

Academic Assessment Issues for 2017-18 School Year

Last week the Iowa Department of Education sent out guidance to superintendents, non-public administrators and AEA chief administrators detailing assessment requirements for districts during the 2017-18 school year. Given that we are in a transition year with ESSA, it made sense to summarize this information in one place for clarity. If you have any questions, contact Kevin Fangman, Chief Academic Officer. 

Nominate a STEM Teacher Who Goes Above and Beyond In and Out of the Classroom

Nominations are now open for the 2018 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award sponsored by Kemin Industries. The award, offered by the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, celebrates teachers whose leadership and dedication to STEM in Iowa increases students’ interest and awareness in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

One teacher from each of the six STEM regions will receive a $1,500 award along with an additional $1,500 to be used in their classroom. Deadline for nominations is Oct. 6, and recipients will be announced in Jan. 2018. The nomination process is simple and open to everyone, including fellow teachers, school administrators, students and parents. Visit the award site to learn more and submit a nomination. 

Wellmark Announces New myWellmark Care Finder Tool

Heartland AEA employees now have a valuable tool that takes the guesswork out of going to the doctor. With the myWellmark Care Finder, in minutes you’ll know how much care will cost you based on your Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance plan. Find patient reviews and quality scores to help you select the right doctor. Locate doctors and hospitals in your network, too. 

The myWellmark Care Finder can help you: 

• Know the Cost of Care: Search common health care services to know your cost based on your plan’s benefits and your current out-of-pocket costs.
• Know Quality of Care: Compare doctors using performance-based quality scores or find a facility known for its expertise.
• Know Patient Reviews: Select a doctor using patient ratings and comments or leave feedback yourself.
• Know Where to Get Care: Find a doctor or facility in your ZIP code and in your network.

When you know more, you’re more confident in the care you’re getting. And, you’ll make the right decisions for you and your family. Log in today and see for yourself.

Not registered? No problem. Using your Wellmark ID card, get started at Wellmark.com.  

Reminder: Remember You Have Four Hours to Get Out and Volunteer!

Heartland AEA staff members are granted up to 4 hours of agency time per fiscal year to do volunteer/community service work. Keep the following guidelines in mind when volunteering:

• There must be at least three Heartland AEA staff members (you and at least two other staff) working at the same volunteer opportunity together.
• Staff members are encouraged to wear Heartland AEA logo clothing or our “Heartland Cares” stickers that were created for this purpose. You can request stickers by contacting the Communications Department. (Please request your stickers so others can see who you are!)
• Of course, you must approve your leave with your supervisor before taking the time off.
• Volunteer leave should be recorded in the Leave Online system as Volunteer Leave.
• Finally, to celebrate our work, take a photo of your group during the volunteer activity and send it to the Communications Department with information about the activity and who was involved.

Thank you for representing the Agency and serving our communities!

AEA PD Online is Becoming AEA Learning Online!

A new name and a new look but the same great products and services for Iowa students and educators!

On Oct. 1, 2017, AEA PD Online will transition to a new name: AEA Learning Online. This new name better reflects all of the products and services provided to Iowa educators and K-12 students.

The transition to AEA Learning Online began to roll out in August with updated banners and brochures. Emails, websites and social media accounts will follow in October with current links automatically redirecting users.

As the transition moves forward, watch for details via AEA PD Online’s current and new social media accounts and websites. 

If you have any questions about the transition, contact Evan Abbey or Deborah Cleveland.