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

Coming Wednesday: Retirement Planning Lunch & Learn

Join us for a lunch and learn on March 14 to learn more about the "retirement puzzle" and how all the pieces fit together. Jack Burns, a Retirement Income Certified Professional with Jack Burns Financial, will be presenting the session.

We apologize for the late notice, but note that the session will be filmed and will be available to view later via the Intranet. Attending the session in person or watching the video can be used as a wellness credit for any of the Wellness Program lunch and learns. 

Retirement Planning Lunch and Learn

March 14

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Johnston REC, Room 152

No registration necessary

To Do: Update Anti-Virus Software on Your Agency Computer

In an ongoing effort to keep our agency software up-to-date, an updated version of Symantec Anti-Virus software will be available this week to install on agency computers.

Beginning March 9, 2018 (today), the update for Symantec Anti-Virus will be available via Self-Service on all agency computers needing the update. Staff may install this update at their convenience during a two week window. If the update has not been performed by staff at the end of the two weeks (ending March 23, 2018), the update will be applied to your computer automatically. It is important you perform this update to ensure the update is not automatically applied at an inopportune time. 

To install this update, follow the instructions below: 

• Locate and open the Self Service app. You will find it in the Applications folder, or you may have a shortcut on your Dock.
 
• Click the "Utilities" category on the left hand side of Self Service and locate the Symantec Endpoint Protection 14.0.3897.1101 policy.
 
• Click the Install button and read the brief description. Then click the Install button to start the installation process.
 
• A message will appear when Symantec Endpoint Protection 14.0.3897.1101 has been installed, reminding you your computer will need to be restarted. Your computer will restart 1 minute after you click the OK button.

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

Get to Know YOUR Heartland AEA Business Office Staff

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.   


Cindy Toal (Accounting Technician/JO) 


Years of Service to Heartland AEA: 2 


Some of the Things I Do…   
• Process invoices for Professional Learning registration, Creative Services, etc.  
• Process accounts receivable/cash receipts 


What are you passionate about?   
My family and spoiling my granddaughter. 


What do you enjoy most about working at Heartland AEA?   
I enjoy working with wonderful co-workers, who are all very caring. 


What’s one word you’d use to describe the Business Office team?   
Awesome 

Brian Whalen (Business Manager/JO)
 

Years of Service to Heartland AEA: 6 


Some of the Things I Do…   
• Approve purchase orders under $500 
• Develop business policies and procedures 
• Approve out-of-area travel reimbursements under $500 
• Approve expense reimbursements older than two months 


What are you passionate about?   
Family and health 


What do you enjoy most about working at Heartland AEA?   
The people and the purpose of the Agency. 


What’s one word you’d use to describe the Business Office team?  
Supportive

March 2018 School Leader Update Now Available

The March 2018 issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education is now available.

March 2018 Each and Every Child Newsletter Now Available

The March 2018 issue of the Each and Every Child newsletter from the Iowa Department of Education is now available.

Human Resources: Did You Know?

Did you know these things about the Human Resources (HR) Department? 

• HR has updated its “Contact Us” page on the Intranet under the Human Resources link. The page has been laid out differently in order to make it easier for you to search for the topic you need assistance with. Check it out by going to the Intranet > Human Resources > Contact Guide.   
• The HR team can assist you with a variety of needs including: 
• leave and calendar questions,
• verification of employment and student loan postponements and
• internships, practicums and job shadowing. 
• If you are called for jury duty, HR can assist you with your questions about leave entry and how the reimbursement process works. 
• The HR team receives many employee requests about volunteering and can provide you with potential volunteer opportunity ideas.

Remember, the LifeWorks Employee Assistance Plan is Here for You!

Heartland AEA staff have access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) from a company called LifeWorks. If you’ve checked out their services, you’ll know they provide a lot more than counseling sessions—they have all sorts of tools and resources available to you and your family. We encourage you to read more about it out today!



Access
Website: heartlandaea.lifeworks.com

Username: heartlandaea

Password: lifeworks

Phone: English: (888)-456-1324, Spanish: (888)-732-9020

App: Search “LifeWorks” in your app store 
Flyer: Print this flyer and cut out and save the "How to Contact LifeWorks" section

Annual Eligibility Notice for 403(b)/457 Retirement Plans

Heartland AEA offers employees the opportunity to voluntarily save for retirement by participating in the Iowa Department of Administrative Services’ Retirement Investors’ Club (RIC) 403(b) and/or 457 plans. You can participate in these plans by making pre-tax contributions (before state and federal income taxes are computed) and/or Roth after-tax contributions. You are eligible to participate in this plan whether or not you are actively contributing to it. 

The RIC plan provides you the option to select between four investment providers: Horace Mann, Mass Mutual, VALIC and Voya. 

• The minimum contribution is $12.50 per pay period. 
• You have the option of pre-tax contributions and/or post-tax Roth contributions. You should work with your financial advisor to determine what is best for your retirement planning. If you want to model the effect of the tax savings from a pre-tax investment, go to the Employee Online tab on your Employee Dashboard and click on the “What If” calculator and enter the amount of your pre-tax contribution. This will show you how making the contribution on a pre-tax basis will affect your paycheck. The post-tax Roth investment is designed to offer tax savings at the time of withdrawal and not at the time of investment. 
• The Agency does not offer matching funds, but it is still very beneficial for you to start saving for retirement, even if you are only able to start with a small amount. 
• For 2018, the maximum amount you may contribute per year is 100% of your compensation up to $18,500. Also, if you are 50 or older, you may contribute an additional $6,000. In some cases you may also be able to make additional catch-up contributions. A calculation is required to determine if you’re eligible for this special provision. 

To start your contributions, contact one of the RIC’s investment providers. Contact information is on RIC’s website. On the left side of the page, click on “Providers and Investments.” Clicking on the “Advisor” button to the right of each provider will give you a list of agents who are authorized to sell their products. The agent can send you enrollment information, and at your request, will schedule an appointment to discuss your individual financial goals. Heartland AEA’s Election Forms can be found under the 403(b)/457 section of the Employee Online tab of your Dashboard. 

This Notice is not intended as tax or legal advice. Employees are encouraged to contact their financial advisor or tax professional with any tax or legal questions. If you have any questions about participating in these retirement plans, contact Steve Jordan, Senior Payroll Specialist, at ext. 14908.

Heartland AEA Education Career Fair to be Held March 7; Special Parking Instructions

As a reminder, the Agency will hold its 4th annual Education Career Fair on March 7 from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m. at our Johnston Regional Education Center. The Fair will be an opportunity for teachers and other education professionals to meet with a dozen central Iowa school districts at one location to apply for jobs for the next school year.  


In anticipation of extra visitors being on-site, we ask that staff from both the REC and Administration Center park in the Friends of IPTV parking lot or on Corporate Drive. If there’s anyway to carpool, we encourage that option as well. Thank you for your cooperation! 

 

Reminder about the details:

 

March 7, 2018
2:00-5:30 p.m. 
 


Heartland Area Education Agency 


Johnston Regional Education Center
 


Visit the Career Fair page on the agency’s website for all the info!

Reminder: Is Debt Bringing You Down? Learn Strategies to Tackle It During "Tackling Debt" Workshop

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: 

• 77% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck – Bankrate.com 
• 30% of Americans have outstanding loans on their 401k’s – Business Record 
• #1 cause of stress is money problems and money fights – multiple studies  

Heartland AEA is excited to announce another round of the Tackling Debt financial wellness session! Whether you are looking to pick-up a few nuggets of information, or you need a financial over haul, this 90-minute workshop is just for you.  You will leave knowing how to get out of debt and what to do with your money after you become debt free. You will also learn about how the credit score is figured and what it means to you.  

Taking Debt Workshop
March 21, 2018 
3-4:30 p.m. 
Johnston REC 
Registration (By March 19) 
Zoom option also available

March 2018 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda Available

The agenda for the March 6, 2018 Heartland AEA Board of Director meeting is available. Due to spring break, the meeting is being held a week earlier than usual. 

Monthly Feature: Highlights From the Agency’s Professional Learning Redesign

February was another month full of exciting action for our Certified Staff and Classified Staff Professional Learning Cadres! A few highlights from each group are below. 

Classified Staff Update 
The work on the Classified Professional Learning Cadre continues with great progress occurring each month. 

• The Cadre previously drafted Areas of Learning by reviewing the Classified evaluation competencies and the Certified Areas of Learning. Last month, the drafted Areas of Learning were reviewed by the Agency’s leaders, and the Cadre used this feedback to further refine the suggestions. This month, cadre members worked in small groups to suggest and title the Areas of Learning and possible Key Components for all Classified staff. The Cadre has recommended four possible Areas of Learning. These four areas will be shared with leaders in March. 

• After the Areas of Learning are finalized, work teams will be identified for each Area. The work teams will be charged with aligning Key Components as well as foundational, concentrated and specialized competencies for the various roles of our Classified staff. Work teams will be made up of members of the Classified Professional Learning Cadre, leaders and other agency staff who have experience/expertise in the Area of Learning and professional learning design.  
• Remember, unique skills and knowledge required of specific roles will be supported by the Agency. The Cadre is working to identify the common skills, knowledge and beliefs needed for all Heartland AEA Classified staff. 

• The Cadre continued its study of the concepts of Fixed and Growth Mindset and made further connections between these concepts and the work of the group. The Cadre discussed learning opportunities around Fixed and Growth Mindset for all Classified staff--look for details of a learning opportunity coming in April! 

Certified Staff Update 
As was shared last month, the Certified Professional Learning Cadre is spending time focused on the vetting, design and alignment of differentiated learning opportunities for each Area of Learning. This work continues, with exciting online, face-to-face, hybrid courses, book studies and other options available soon for staff! 

In February the Cadre reviewed the survey data from over 100 staff and leaders currently involved in a pilot of our redesigned Professional Learning System. Their feedback is being analyzed, and the Cadre is determining and prioritizing specific changes it will make this spring. The Cadre notes that this feedback has been incredibly helpful and wishes to thank all those who provided feedback, as it will help shape the process for all staff going forward. As we prepare for additional Certified staff to engage with the refined Heartland AEA Professional Learning System in the future, we encourage you to review the key terms associated with our internal processes. 

• Areas of Learning: Eight Areas of Learning required at some level by ALL Certified staff were identified connected to our priority service areas. These eight Areas of Learning are: 
• Adult Learning, Behavior, Child Find, Data and Assessment, Early Childhood, Instruction, Problem Solving and Technology. All Certified staff roles require foundational skills and knowledge across these eight Areas of Learning. 

• The Agency recognizes not all learning required by Certified staff is explicitly included in these identified eight Areas of Learning. Certain required functions of staff are quite specific and are required by only limited numbers of staff. Growth and development in these areas will continue to be supported, and may be identified as additional areas of growth during PDP development between individual staff members and supervisors. 

• Key Components: Key Components are the critical learnings identified for each Area of Learning. 

• Competencies: Competencies are skills, knowledge and beliefs required to be successfully demonstrated and held by Heartland AEA Certified staff. Stated differently, competencies indicate what Heartland AEA staff should know and be able to do. Each Area of Learning has identified competencies for each of key components. Competencies have been classified into three depths of learning: 
• Foundational: All Certified staff should know/be able to do 
• Concentrated: More in-depth learning for staff whose job function is to be able to implement this learning as part of their job 
• Specialized: Deep and extended learning for staff whose job function requires more specialization 

• Although foundational competencies have been identified as key skills and learning for all Certified staff, that does not mean each staff member will be required to participate in each and every learning experience at the foundational level. We know staff have prior knowledge and experiences, and in many cases are sufficiently demonstrating foundational (and in some cases, concentrated and specialized) competencies. As foundational competencies are demonstrated and developed fully, staff will move into concentrated or specialized competencies and choose learning opportunities aligned with these deeper skill sets. Every staff member’s path of professional growth may look a little different. 

• Learning Maps: A learning map is a tool that provides a clearer picture of the competencies. Learning maps describe the variations of each key component of the competency on a continuum. Learning maps articulate what achieving the desired state looks like for the learner. 

• Professional Learning Profiles: A professional learning profile is a visual display of the competencies that have been identified for Certified staff members based on their job title and function in the Agency. Each profile was developed by a team of staff representing their role, with varying rigor of skills and/or learning based on the function of the role in the Agency. For example, certain roles and functions in the agency require concentrated or specialized knowledge of Child Find, whereas other roles and functions may only require foundational knowledge in this area. While the profile may not be an exact match to a staff member’s job function, but it will support the staff member and supervisor in narrowing the number of competencies and learning maps considered during ongoing goal setting and growth activities. Professional learning profiles are a “starting point” for staff and are intended to help each individual focus in on learning that is supportive of their own professional development plan. Individual adjustments may be made to reflect the unique aspects of a person’s role during the structured conversation between a staff member and supervisor. 

A visual representation of many of these key terms and how they interact in our Professional Learning System is below. 

Next month, additional information to support all Certified staff members’ understanding of our redesigned Professional Learning System will be shared. Continued thanks to all staff members and leaders as we continue to refine our Heartland AEA Professional Learning System. Look for continued updates through The Connection. 

If you have any questions or would like additional information, contact Martha Condon, Director of Professional Learning, at ext. 14416.

Important: Complete Microsoft Office Updates by March 23

This message was emailed to staff on March 1 and is being repeated here for your information. 

Due to security concerns with Microsoft Office 2011, we need to have those staff members who have not yet upgraded to Microsoft Office 2016 to:  

• either upgrade to Microsoft Office 2016 OR  
• remove Microsoft Office 2011 from your computer. 

If you have stopped using Microsoft Office 2011 and are using Google Docs for word processing, spreadsheet and presentation needs, all you need to do is remove Microsoft Office 2011 from your computer and continue using Google Docs.  
 

To remove Microsoft Office 2011 from your computer: 

• Locate and open the Self Service app in your computer's Applications folder or via a shortcut on your Dock.
 
• Click the Productivity category on the left hand side of Self Service and locate the Microsoft Office 2011 Removal policy.
 
• Click the Remove button to start the removal process. 
 
• A notification will briefly appear when Microsoft Office 2011 has been removed. You can Quit out of Self Service when the process is completed. If you continue to use Microsoft Office, we need you to upgrade to Microsoft Office 2016. 

To install Microsoft Office 2016: 

• Locate and open the Self Service app in your computer's Applications folder or via a shortcut on your Dock.
 
• Click the Productivity category on the left hand side of Self Service and locate the Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac policy.
 
• Click the Install button and read the brief description. Then click the Install button to start the installation process.
 
• A notification will briefly appear when Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac has been installed. You can Quit out of Self Service when the process is completed. 

If you already have Microsoft Office 2016 installed, you may not have the latest version of the software. To see if there are updates for Microsoft Office 2016:
 

• Open Microsoft Word and go to the Help menu and choose Check for Updates. If you see the following message appear: "You are opening the application “Microsoft AutoUpdate” for the first time. Are you sure you want to open this application?" click the Open button to proceed. 
 
• Click the Check for Updates button on the Microsoft AutoUpdate screen to check if there are any updates needed. If there are, click the Install button and the updates will be downloaded and installed. You will need to Quit out of all Microsoft Office apps in order to update the applications. You can do that while the updates are being downloaded. 
 
• If there are no updates, click the OK button and Quit the Microsoft AutoUpdate application.  

Please complete one of the above tasks by March 23. Beginning March 26, Microsoft Office 2011 will be automatically removed from any computer where it is still installed.