Reminder: Ready for Registration: 2018-19 Teacher Quality Professional Learning Opportunities

Please note that most of the Teacher Quality (TQ) courses and study groups are set-up in the new AEA Professional Learning Registration System that won’t officially launch at Heartland AEA until October. Instructions for accessing the new system are included at the end of this article. We will all need to extend grace during this process as the Professional Development Office works with us on this new system. 

Registration
Registration for Teacher Quality (TQ) courses and study groups begins Aug. 20 and ends Sept. 14, 2018. The list of courses and study groups being offered is now available. TQ courses and study groups are offered as an optional format for professional learning for our Certified staff. TQ courses meet for 15 hours off contract time, and participants are eligible for a stipend upon completion of the course. All Certified staff members are eligible to register for these opportunities. 

Heartland AEA has a strong commitment to time spent in service to our partners. With this commitment in mind, beginning in 2018-19, TQ courses will be offered at times when service to children, educators and families when service is least impacted. TQ courses and study groups will be offered between Oct. 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019 outside of contract hours Monday through Friday or on weekends, except for a few exceptions. 

A popular option offered in 2017-18 will again be offered in 2018-19—the ability for you to develop your own study group proposals. Study groups must have at least four participants, and one participant must agree to be the study group facilitator. The content must align with Heartland AEA’s four goals and/or support a specific job-alike function. 

Anyone who wants to form a study group needs to fill out this this form to indicate their interest in forming a study group. If you want to request the syllabus from a study group offered last year, here is the list of study groups offered in 2017-18. Study group proposals can be turned in Aug. 20 – Sept. 14, 2018. The Professional Development Office will work with interested participants in writing their study group proposal and support them in entering the proposal in the new registration system. Study groups can begin Oct. 1. This allows time for books to be ordered if there is a need. 

Those who complete a TQ course or study group and meet eligibility requirements will be provided a stipend. The amount of the stipend is established after registration closes, as the stipend is determined by the number of participants. For reference, during the 2017-18 school year, eligible participants received $655 for completing a course/study group, and facilitators received a $705 stipend for facilitating a course/study group. 

TQ Timeline for 2018-19 
TQ registration open: Aug. 20 - Sept. 14, 2018 
TQ proposals for study groups due: Sept. 14, 2018 
TQ courses and study groups held: Oct. 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019 

FAQ Document
Here is a frequently asked questions document that will help answer questions about Teacher Quality. 

Questions
If you have any questions about TQ pay or guidelines, contact Kevin Fangman, Chief Academic Officer. If you have questions about courses or study groups, contact Brandie Gean, Licensure and Conference Center Manager. 

Using the AEA Professional Learning Registration System 

• On the Google Sheet listing the TQ courses, click on Course Title of the course you would like to register for. 
• Next, login to the AEA Professional Learning Registration System using the same username and password you use to login to the AEA Learning System (the site you use to take mandatory and non-mandatory trainings such as Mandatory Reporter, Bloodborne Pathogens, etc.). 
• Once logged in, you will be able to read the overall description of the course by clicking on Read More. (For additional information about the course, click on the title of the course. To register, you will need to click on the Sections tab and follow the instructions below.)   

To Register for the Course 

• Click the Register button. If you don't see the Register button, scroll to the right to locate it.  
• On the Confirm Course Selection page, click Accept that you have read the disclaimer. 
• Next, choose your credit type and click Next. 
• You will receive a confirmation email after you register.   

If you need assistance registering, contact the Heartland AEA Professional Development Office at ext. 14701.  

Note: If you would like to use the course for salary advancement, or if graduate credit is available, you will receive instructions on how to pay for the credit when those options are available.