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
In order to better serve you, the Business Office would like to help you get to know its staff members a little better. Learn some of the major responsibilities of the staff, how long they’ve worked for the Agency and why they choose to work here every day.
Sheree Bergstrom (Accounts Payable Specialist/JO)
Years of Service to Heartland AEA: 30
Some of the Things I Do in the Business Office…
• Process invoices from vendors and Claims for Services Rendered
• Change and cancel purchase orders if needed
• Respond to account coding and general purchase order questions
• Respond to questions about when and how to use agency charge/credit cards
• Provide long distance authorization and conference call codes
What are you passionate about?
My family and doing my job the best possible way it can be done.
What do you enjoy most about working at Heartland AEA?
It’s the people. They are compassionate, caring and dedicated.
What’s one word you’d use to describe the Business Office team?
We’re an amazing team that really likes each other!
Mary Heaberlin (Accounts Payable Specialist/JO)
Years of Service to Heartland AEA: 7
Some of the Things I Do in the Business Office…
• Respond to questions about employee travel and expense reimbursement
• Respond to questions about purchase orders for conference registration fees (or attendance) for staff
• Process official mileage reports
What are you passionate about?
I'm passionate about my children.
What do you enjoy most about working at Heartland AEA?
I enjoy the atmosphere and the people I get to work are the best!
What’s one word you’d use to describe the Business Office team?
FUN!
Last week the Iowa Department of Education released the latest editions of two annual reports containing state-level data and information on Iowa’s schools and community colleges:
- The Annual Condition of Education report includes data on shifts in preschool through 12th grade student populations and demographics, teacher and school administrator salaries and characteristics, student achievement results, technology readiness, and school financial information.
- The Annual Condition of Iowa’s Community Colleges report includes data on programs and services, student enrollment and demographics, student success and completion, college costs and affordability, instructional staff salaries and characteristics, and financial information. The report also includes success stories that illustrate how community colleges impact Iowans and the economy.
Additionally, the Department is introducing for the first time an online companion to the Condition of Education report (preschool through 12th grade). The new online features allow education stakeholders to dig deeper into interactive enrollment and staffing data at the state and school district levels.
“Data and information help drive improvement,” Director Ryan Wise said. “Providing and interpreting education data is one of the key functions of the Iowa Department of Education. At the same time, data do not tell the whole story in education. I encourage Iowans to connect with their schools and community colleges for more information.”
Both reports contain the most recent data through the 2016-17 school year, unless otherwise noted.
Highlights of the Condition of Education (PK-12) report include:
- 485,147: The number of students enrolled in Iowa’s public schools during the 2016-17 school year, up from 483,451 the year before. This represents the sixth enrollment increase in six years, following a 17-year decline.
- 46.2%: The percentage of students from the Class of 2017 who took higher-level mathematics, including calculus, statistics and trigonometry. This is up from 45.3 percent the year before.
- 2.3%: The percentage-point increase in Iowa’s average regular teacher salary (to $55,703 in 2016-17 from $54,446 in 2015-16). Iowa’s average teacher salary climbed to 22nd in the national rankings from 23rd the year before.
- $10,676: The state’s total per-pupil expense in 2015-16. The amount was up from $10,622 in the previous year.
Iowa ranks 28th nationally for total per-pupil expense.
Five Iowa schools were honored last week by the State Board of Education for their work to raise achievement among groups of students who traditionally face challenges in the classroom. The Breaking Barriers to Teaching and Learning Award was created by the State Board of Education. Each year, the award recognizes successful efforts to eliminate achievement gaps.
This year’s award-winners were recognized for having the highest proficiency rates statewide in math and reading among a specific subgroup of students, such as students whose first language is not English and students from low-income backgrounds. State assessment results from the last three years were examined to confirm a positive trend for each school.
Among this year's winners are:
- Carlisle High School, Carlisle Community School District: Carlisle High School was honored for its work with Hispanic students. Among its Hispanic students, 98 percent are proficient in reading and math. That compares to a statewide average of 66 percent for the same group of students.
- Gilbert Intermediate School, Gilbert Community School District: Gilbert Intermediate School was honored for its work with students with disabilities who are on Individualized Education Programs. Among those students at Gilbert Intermediate, 79 percent are proficient in reading and math, compared to a statewide average of 35 percent.
You’ve got bills to pay, deadlines to meet and kids who won’t stop screaming – who wouldn’t feel stressed? Stress is a normal part of life, but if it’s not handled in a healthy way, it can negatively impact your physical, emotional and mental wellness.
Join the Stressless Challenge, and for the next 28 days, challenge yourself to find 5 minutes each day to complete a relaxation activity. Reducing even just a little bit of stress can help you feel healthier and happier – so what are you waiting for? Join today!
Challenge Start Date: Feb. 12, 2018
Challenge End Date: March 11, 2018
Register now through the Wellness Center in your Wellmark account.
We’re a little over halfway through the 2017-18 Wellness Program – how’re you doing??
As a reminder, the Wellness Program Overview page on the Intranet lists all the items you need to have done in order to complete this year’s Wellness Program. New hires can earn $100 (in addition to the FitBit you received after orientation), and veteran staff can earn $225, but there are also incentives for completing other parts of the program, even if you don’t complete the entire thing.
You track, log and complete everything via your Wellmark account, and once you have completed incentive programs or the entire Wellness Program, Wellmark notifies the Human Resources Department, that you are eligible to receive your other awards and/or incentives.
If you haven’t yet started to participate, it's not too late! But in order to complete the 2017-18 Wellness Program, you will HAVE to sign up this week for the Stressless Challenge, which you can do through your Wellmark account.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist.
Do you know someone who has made outstanding contributions to education and Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs)? Please take a few minutes to nominate this person for recognition!
Iowa’s AEAs bestow three awards annually to outstanding candidates for their contributions to education and the work of Iowa’s AEAs. To submit a nomination, complete this application by Feb. 2, 2018. Anyone is welcome to submit a nomination. The nominations will be reviewed by a selected group of AEA personnel in February. Both the nominating individual and those who are selected to be recognized will be notified the first week of March. Awards will be presented during the annual Iowa’s AEAs Boards of Directors’ Conference and the ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. on April 5, 2018 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Johnston.
The three awards and criteria can be found below. Each nomination should include examples of why your nominee should receive the award.
Friend of the AEA Award
Acknowledges contributions by policymakers, citizens, board members, school district partners, businesses and organizations who have been great partners and demonstrate strong support for furthering the mission of Iowa’s AEAs. Open to all policymakers, citizens, board members, school district partners, businesses and organizations.
E. Robert Stephens Award
Dr. E. Robert Stephens, better known as “Dr. Bob” and the father of Iowa’s AEAs, acknowledges contributions in the area of innovation and support to local districts, AEAs, the Department of Education and other partners/organizations. There should be evidence of outstanding contributions to the well-being of the educational community including:
- Benefits of this individual’s leadership;
- Creative leadership in inspiring and motivating others to achieve and contribute;
- Strong commitment to the profession by active participation in professional activities; and
- Evidence that the individual is respected by his/her colleagues and the community.
Open to AEA staff who serve in an administrative role and AEA board members.
Innovative Creator
Celebrates amazingly innovative and creative thinking and actions to get results for students, educators, Iowa’s AEAs, school districts and other partners. Open to all AEA staff, board members, educators, policymakers, students...all of us are creators!
For more information, contact Connie Johnson, Iowa’s AEAs Communications Director, at (712) 335-6044.
February 2018, marks AEA Learning Online’s fourth annual 28 Days of Online Learning for Iowa Educators (28 Days of OLLIE). During this year’s month-long event we will be hearing from Iowa teachers who are blending their instruction and administrators who are supporting blended learning in their schools. Throughout the month watch for videos that highlight these teachers and their blended learning practices, reflections on blended learning, and their plans for the future.
• Week 1 will focus on Thomas Griffin’s high school blended social studies class in Johnston.
• Week 2 will focus on Brianne Barr’s fourth grade classroom in Davenport.
• Week 3 will focus on the Indianola School district. We will hear Kim Grissom share about their 9th grade English students. During the second half of the week we will also hear from Indianola administrators how the Indianola school district is building a comprehensive online program.
• Week 4 will focus on Megan Deyen’s fourth-grade math class in Johnston.
To cap the week off the 28 Days will conclude with innovative and practical ideas on how you can get started blending learning for your students.
To participate in the 28 Days of OLLIE, join the Google Community. Once you have joined the community, you will receive an email notification for postings that are occurring in the OLLIE community. Please be sure to join in the conversation by posting comments or questions related to the videos that are being shared in the community.
And follow AEA Learning Online on Facebook and Twitter.
