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

Happy Holidays to Your and Yours!

On the behalf of the Board and administration at Heartland AEA, I want to wish all of you, our awesome staff, a peaceful and joyous holiday season. Please enjoy this special time with family and friends. Thank you for the great work you did throughout 2017 for the children, families and educators of Central Iowa. Rest up, and we will see you in 2018!   

- Jon

It’s Almost Tax Time! Is Your Address Current?

The Payroll Department will have your 2017 Form W-2, Wage and Tax State, ready around mid-January and your 2017 Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage, ready by the end of January. Both forms will be available electronically through Employee Online and a paper copy of both forms will be mailed to your home address. Help us ensure you receive your paper forms in a timely fashion by verifying your address is up-to-date in our Employee Online system. We ask that you verify your information in the system by Dec. 31, 2017. 

To verify your address through Employee Online, login to your Employee Dashboard. Employee Online is one of the navigation tabs at the top of the page, just like the Intranet or Leave Online tabs. Once you’ve reached the Employee Online home page, click on “Your Home Address” in the left hand navigation section. If you need to update your address, click the “Edit” button in the lower right-hand corner of the page. It’s that easy! 

If you have questions about your personal information, contact Heather Rinderknecht, Accounting/Human Resource Associate, at ext. 14427. If you have any questions about your Form W-2 or Form 1095-C, contact Steve Jordan, Senior Payroll Specialist, at ext. 14908.

Payroll Dates for 2018 Now Available

Staff members frequently inquire when timesheets, addendum pay, direct deposit forms and other changes need to be submitted to the Payroll Department in order to be processed for a particular pay date. To assist you in your planning, a list of 2018 pay dates and corresponding due dates is available. This document is archived on the Intranet > Business Office > Payroll Forms & Information > 2018 Payroll Dates. Payroll needs to receive all information by the end of the day on the due date to ensure payments and/or changes are made on the corresponding pay date. Any information received in Payroll after the due date may be processed during the next payroll cycle.



For those staff members being paid from a timesheet or receiving addendum pay, keep in mind these items are to be completed, approved/signed by a supervisor and submitted to Payroll within four working days after the end of the pay period. Any items received after the due date may be processed on the next payroll.



If you have any questions, contact Steve Jordan, Senior Payroll Specialist, at ext. 14908.

Reminder: Upcoming December Payroll Timelines

Due to the upcoming agency holiday schedule, staff members paid from a timesheet must have their Dec. 1-15 timesheets completed, approved by their supervisor and submitted to the Payroll Department by the end of the day on Wed., Dec. 20 in order to ensure they receive pay at the end of the month. The December end-of-month payday will be Dec. 28. If you have any questions, contact Steve Jordan, Senior Payroll Specialist, at ext. 14908.

Iowa School Report Card Updated and Released

Last week the Iowa Department of Education released the latest results of the Iowa School Report Card, a web-based school ratings system.

The Iowa School Report Card, which was launched in 2015 as part of a state legislative requirement, rates public schools on some measures of achievement. They include student proficiency rates in math and reading, student academic growth, narrowing achievement gaps among students, college and career readiness, student attendance, graduation rates, and staff retention. Based on each school’s performance over a two-year period, the report card assigns one of six ratings: Exceptional, High-Performing, Commendable, Acceptable, Needs Improvement, and Priority.

The Iowa School Report Card is updated annually to reflect the most recent statewide student assessment results. For most measures, school ratings are based on data from the 2016-17 and 2015-16 school years.

Statewide, 20.5 percent of Iowa public schools received a higher overall rating than last year, while the rest stayed the same (50.9 percent) or received a lower rating (28.6 percent).

Because several measures on the report card are based on statewide assessment results, overall school ratings reflect a decline in proficiency rates. The following chart shows the distribution of school ratings in 2017 and 2016:

	Exceptional	High-Performing	Commendable	Acceptable	Needs Improvement	Priority
2017	2.2%	8.8%	26.4%	41.5%	15.3%	5.8%
2016	2.1%	10%	30.6%	38.1%	13.2%	5.9%

“These results reinforce the need to continue moving forward with the bold education initiatives Iowa has put in place to strengthen instruction and prepare students for success in high school and beyond,” Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise said. “It’s encouraging that we’ve made significant progress statewide in improving the reading skills of children in kindergarten through third grade, as shown on early literacy screening assessments given three times a year. I’m also proud that Iowa continues to lead the nation in high school graduation rates.”

About the Iowa School Report Card: The Iowa School Report Card meets a component of House File 215, the comprehensive education reform legislation adopted by Iowa lawmakers in 2013. The legislation directed the Iowa Department of Education to develop a process for evaluating the performance of each school on certain measures and to “arrive at an overall school performance grade and report card” that is posted to the Department’s website. Scores and ratings apply only to individual public schools; school districts and nonpublic schools do not receive ratings.

“12 Days of Wellness,” A Hilarious Winter Wellness Video Update is Here

Check out this hilarious take on the “12 Days of Christmas” featuring a number of agency staff. Happy Holidays and Happy Wellness!

Join Fitness Your Way Through Blue 365 Before Jan. 1 When Price Increases

The cost to enroll in Fitness Your Way™ and the monthly dues will increase on Jan. 1, 2018 from $25 to $29. This is the first Fitness Your Way price change in five years. The program continues to offer the same great value for one monthly payment. As a member, you can visit as many locations as you’d like at no extra cost. This includes access to 10,000+ fitness locations nationwide including national chains and locally owned gyms. In addition, you can take your membership with you on vacation or when traveling. Learn more about the benefit through Blue 365, which offers discounts to Wellmark insurance members.

Tips for Staying Healthy During Cold and Flu Season

Winter begins this week and cold and flu season is well underway. Here are some other tips from the CDC to stay healthy and well this winter.
 

• Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too. 
• Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness. If you have an important meeting you feel you can’t miss, consider using Zoom from the comfort of your home rather than coming in to the office.  
• Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. 
• Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. 
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. 
• Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.


Reminder: Winter Break Closing & Van Delivery Schedule Available; Save the Date for 2018 All-Staff Meeting

Winter Break*
Dec. 25, 2017-Jan. 1, 2018
All Heartland AEA offices will be closed to staff and the public. 
APC has decided to continue the extended winter break schedule for the 2017-18 calendar year. 

  

*Paid holidays for 185, 199 and 218-day classified staff are Dec. 25, Dec. 29 and Jan. 1, 2018. All others should be non-work days on the calendar and timesheet. 

Van Schedule Regular 
Van Delivery: Dec. 18-21 
No Van Delivery: Dec. 22-Jan. 1 
Regular Van Delivery Resumes: Jan. 2 

Save the Date for the 2018 All-Staff Meeting 
Sept. 28, 2018 
Airport Holiday Inn
Des Moines