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
Winter is almost upon us, so please read below for your annual communication about inclement weather office closings and course cancellations. Heartland AEA offices will typically remain open unless all schools in a region are closed and travel is not recommended—which we know does happen. In preparation for the possibility of office closings and professional learning course cancellations, read below for the process the Agency uses to communicate about closings, cancellations and delays.
First, read the Agency’s Inclement Weather Policy, which can be found in the Staff Handbook and posted separately on the Intranet > Human Resources > For All Staff/Frequently Used Items. If you have any questions about the Inclement Weather policy, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Human Resources Manager.
Second, remember that the Temporary Remote Workplace Program can be used in extraordinary circumstances with supervisor approval. More information about the program can be found in the Staff Handbook. In an inclement weather circumstance, staff members who complete timesheets have the option of taking unpaid leave, even if they have other leaves available.
Third, make sure your phone information is up-do-date in Employee Online, so you will be notified of office closings. For the SchoolMessenger system referenced below, we will be updating information the week of Nov. 27. If you are a new staff member or have a new phone number, you will receive a message from the short code 67587 asking if you’d like to opt-in to receive messages from SchoolMessenger. Reply “Yes” to receive those messages. We will also send out a test message in the coming days.
Communicating Office Closures
The Agency uses a variety of methods to notify staff members of office closures due to inclement weather.
- SchoolMessenger: SchoolMessenger is an online notification system with the capability of sending voice, email and SMS (text) messages. We will send SMS and email messages through SchoolMessenger to only those staff members who are assigned to offices that close. For example, if the Newton and Indianola offices are closed, we will only notify the staff members who are assigned to those offices. Staff in other offices won’t receive an SMS or email message.
- Website: We will post closing information on the front page of the Agency’s website.
- Social Media: We will post closing information on the Agency’s Facebook & Twitter accounts.
Communicating Professional Development Class Cancellations
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If a professional development class is canceled, the cancellation will be communicated via the agency website and social media.
If you have any questions about inclement weather communications, contact Courtney Croatt, Communications Specialist, at or ext. 14474.
During the past three years, Heartland AEA has filled up to 175 vacancies in the Certified Union and Management staff employee groups. It has been to the Agency’s advantage to enter the recruitment cycle as early as possible.
For 2017-18, the Heartland AEA Board of Directors has again approved an Early Notification Incentive for staff who have signed a contract and who notify Heartland AEA of their intent to not renew their contract for the 2018-19 school year by Dec. 8, 2017. The details are listed below.
Early Notification Incentive Process & Requirements
- Certified Union and Management staff who do not plan to return to Heartland AEA for the 2018-19 school year submit early notification letters of resignation that are effective at the end of the 2017-18 work year.
- Early notification letters must be received in the Human Resources Department by 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2017.
- Heartland AEA’s Board of Directors takes action on early notification letters no later than the regular meeting on Dec. 12, 2017.
- Departing staff must fulfill their individual employment contract obligations for the 2017-18 work year.
Early Notification Incentive
- A $1,500 early notification incentive will be paid on June 30, 2018 to employees fulfilling these requirements.
If you have any questions about the early notification incentive, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Human Resources Manager, at ext. 14534.
As was communicated in previous Connection articles, agency staff have been asked to complete an online training to become familiar with the components of the ALICE program.
Click on the above link to read a description of the training and instructions on how to access it.
Please note that you only have to complete the training ONE time during calendar year 2017.
If you have any questions about the course material or the ALICE program in general, contact Dustin Gean, Operations Manager, Emergency Response & Safety Team Lead and Certified ALICE Trainer.
Members of the State Board of Education last week adopted new fine arts standards for students in preschool through 12th grade. The board adopted, based on an Iowa’s team’s recommendation, the National Core Arts Standards, which are used in 22 states and were developed by an alliance of national arts and arts education groups. The standards are optional for Iowa schools. Fine arts generally include visual arts, music, theater, dance and media arts.
“Iowa students deserve a quality learning experience in all subjects, including fine arts,” said Charles Edwards, president of the State Board of Education. “Standards are a fundamental part of great instruction. The development of statewide standards will strengthen arts education in Iowa.”
Unlike Iowa’s required academic standards – which outline expectations for what students should know and be able to do in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and 21st century skills – fine arts standards focus on artistic processes. Those processes include creating, responding, presenting and connecting.
Iowa educators have clamored for fine arts standards, said Ronda Sternhagen, a member of the Fine Arts Standards Adoption Team, which reviewed and recommended the new fine arts standards. “Well-designed courses and activities in fine arts teach students life skills in addition to the obvious technical skills and appreciation for the arts,” said Sternhagen, a visual arts teacher in Grundy Center and a visual arts consultant at Central Rivers Area Education Agency. “These fine arts standards will serve as a guide for Iowa educators as they develop curriculum, courses and classroom activities locally.”
The adoption team sought public input on the National Core Arts Standards through an online survey as well as public forums. A majority of comments expressed support for the standards, as well as their connections to careers, consistency and rigor. The Fine Arts Standards Adoption Team recommended minor edits to the standards for clarity in the areas of general music and theater in its final report to the State Board of Education.
The Iowa Department of Education convened the fine arts team earlier this year in response to public support for offering statewide standards that go beyond the mandatory subject areas.
For more information on the Fine Arts Standards Adoption Team, visit the Iowa Department of Education’s website. For more information on the National Core Arts Standards, visit their website.
Javier Tuel from Tuel Shed Training will discuss going after your health and fitness goals in a Lunch and Learn on Dec. 14. He will breakdown how to set achievable goals, how to refocus your thoughts and how you describe “your well.” Are you describing “your well” in a negative way that prevents you from accomplishing your goals or are you describing “your well” in a purposeful way that helps you further your goals? Come join in this positive, goal-oriented session!
Tuel Shed Training Lunch and Learn
Dec. 14, 2017
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Johnston REC, Conference Rooms 152 A/B/C
Registration
Did you know that 80% of workers polled nationally indicate they want their employer to provide financial wellness education? Consider where we are as a society today:
- 70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck – Wall Street Journal
- 30% of Americans have outstanding loans on their 401ks – Business Record
- #1 cause of stress is money problems and money fights – multiple studies
Heartland AEA is excited to announce that Justin Bennett of Strong Tower Consulting is coming back to teach more financial wellness workshops in 2018. Budgeting & Planning for Emergencies will be offered at the Ames regional office! Whether you are looking to pick-up a few nuggets of information, or you need a financial overhaul, this 90-minute workshop will teach you all of the basics of how to handle your money well.
Budgeting & Planning for Emergencies Workshop
Jan. 26, 2018
3-4:30 p.m.
Ames Regional Office
Or via Zoom
Registration
RSVP by Jan. 24
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, all Heartland AEA offices will be closed Nov. 23 and 24. Our van delivery schedule will be as follows, so please plan accordingly:
- Regular van delivery: Nov. 20-21
- No van delivery: Nov. 22-24
- Regular delivery resumes: Nov. 27
Teacher Quality (TQ) courses and study groups are underway. The Agency had over 380 licensed staff members register for TQ opportunities this year. The stipend for participating in a 15-hour study group or course will increase $15 to $655. The stipend for facilitating a study group has increased $15 and is now $705. Course instructors will receive per diem pay. If you have any questions about TQ, contact Kevin Fangman, Chief Academic Officer.
