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

Process for Communicating Inclement Weather Office Closings & Course Cancellations; Ensure Your Phone Number is Current in Employee Online

As we approach winter, we want to remind you of how our agency communicates 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 in Section 11:15. If you have any questions about the Inclement Weather policy, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Director of Human Resources.




• 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 Section 3:4. 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-to-date in Employee Online, so you will be notified of office closings. 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 send out a test message from SchoolMessenger this week. 



Communicating Office Closures 


The Agency uses the following methods to notify staff members of office closures due to inclement weather.  

• SchoolMessenger: We will send text and email messages through SchoolMessenger (an online notification system) to only those staff members who are assigned to offices that close.   
• 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 and Twitter accounts.

Communicating Professional Development Class Cancellations  
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.

Heartland AEA Website: Tell Us What You Think!

Please take a minute to offer your feedback and comments about the Heartland AEA website. Your responses will help us improve your visit experience as we begin to look at redesigning the site. Please respond by Nov. 26. Thank you for your participation!

Heartland AEA Website Survey

Oh, Deer! Tips to Avoid Hitting a Deer

We recently heard a staff member’s story of hitting a deer and totaling her vehicle, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to remind everyone of some tips on how to avoid hitting a deer. We know many car/deer accidents are unavoidable, especially this time of year, but these are good reminders for anyone who lives in Iowa. 

Nov. 2018 School Leader Update Available

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

Gov. Reynolds Announces Chris Burke as 2019 Iowa Teacher of the Year

Chris Burke

Christopher Burke, an 11-year teaching veteran who uses real-world examples to make his mathematics lessons come alive, is the Iowa Department of Education’s 2019 Teacher of the Year, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced last week at Dubuque’s Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School. 

“Chris Burke exemplifies the great teaching that is taking place in Iowa schools,” said Gov. Reynolds. “His passion for inspiring students to learn math in a real-world context and his enthusiasm for serving as a coach outside the school day underscore the extraordinary commitment of educators in communities across our state." 

Burke, 35, who is also a teacher leader at the middle school, is one of many educators in his family, including his wife, mother and sister. His wife, Betsy, also teaches at Roosevelt. 

“The Teacher of the Year award honors outstanding teachers who have made an indelible impact on their students and colleagues,” Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise said. “The leadership of teachers like Chris Burke will help Iowa’s education system grow and improve.” 

Burke says he educates students to discover for themselves the concepts behind math. 

“Too often math is presented as clean, neat and tidy,” he said. “How often do numbers in the world around us present themselves as clean, neat and tidy? The beauty of this unit is that students collect data that is far from perfect. Scatter plots and best-fit lines force my students to look for patterns and trends, to question the data, to have a plan and execute it precisely, and to have a logical response when the math is not quite so clean.” 

The hands-on, real-life classroom experience enables students to have a deeper understanding of how mathematics work in the world. 

“I strive to cultivate a love of learning for each of my students and create an experience that allows them to connect the surrounding community into their learning in a meaningful manner,” Burke said. 

The school’s climate is also an important component to a student’s education. 

“Much of our students’ waking hours are spent in the care of their respective schools that must ensure there is climate, culture and a system that allows for all students to feel safe to learn and be themselves,” he said. 

Burke and his wife live in Dubuque with their 1-year-old son, Max. 

The finalists for the 2019 Teacher of the Year are: 

• Leigh Ann Erickson, director of student support and an English literature and social justice teacher at Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon Community School District 
• Kristine Howes-Vonstein, a science teacher at Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School, Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District 
• Shelly Nash, a physics teacher at Sioux City West High School, Sioux City Community School District 

The Iowa Teacher of the Year award was established in 1958. The annual program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Education through an appropriation from the Iowa Legislature. Honorees serve as ambassadors to education and act as liaisons to schools, higher education, and organizations across the state.

Nov. 2018 Iowa Board of Educational Examiners’ Newsletter Available

The quarterly newsletter of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners is available. In this issue: Initial license expiration dates, renewals, Iowa licensure types, December graduates, holidays, ethics/educator boundaries and recent cases.

Every Day is Thanksgiving! Register for the Gratitude Attitude Challenge

Gratitude has been shown to make people happier, in better moods, more physically well and more supportive of others. Powerful, huh?



This 28-day challenge is focused on helping you add a daily dose of gratitude to each day, identifying people, places and things you’re grateful for. Plus, you’ll get weekly information and tips to assist you. 



Participation is easy! Track "YES" to expressing gratitude in the Wellness Center to participate and complete the challenge. So, what are you waiting for? 


Register today! 

Registration: Nov. 8 - 29, 2018 
Challenge Duration: Nov. 15 - Dec. 12, 2018

You Rocked The Invitational!

Wellmark provided the below results of agency staff who participated in The Invitational Wellness challenge. The 92 million steps blew them away! Way to go!

Coming Soon: Medicare 101 & Healthy Eating on the Go Wellness Lunch & Learns

Medicare 101  
Nov. 13, 2018 (Rescheduled from September)

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 

Johnston REC, Room 152B 

Zoom Access, Will be recorded as well 



We will attempt to clear up any confusion about Medicare and answer questions you may have about your options and coverage when you become eligible for Medicare. 



Presenters 

Joel LeLaCheur, Agent Manager, United Healthcare

Kurt Randel, Independent Insurance Agent  

Healthy Eating on the Go 
Nov. 14, 2018 
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 
Johnston REC, Room 152 
Zoom Access, Will be recorded as well 

It's easy to give up healthy eating when you’re always on the go. In this presentation, we’ll discuss how to pick better choices whether you’re in the office or in your car. Snack options and recipes will be included. Please come with questions! 

Presenter 
Ashley Danielson, West Des Moines Hy-Vee HealthMarket Dietitian

Reminder: It’s Time Enroll in or Waive the Dependent Care Flex Plan for 2019

Online enrollment for the 2019 dependent care flex benefit plan will be open to eligible employees on Nov. 1, 2018. If you are a full-time employee or a Certified Union employee working a 96-day contract, you are eligible to participate.  

All full-time employees will need to either enroll during this period or waive participation through the enrollment process. For eligible part-time employees, due to system configurations, it is assumed that you automatically waive the benefit; however, if you wish to participate and are a CU employee with a 96-day contract, contact Juliette Houseman to enroll via paper.

The dependent care benefit allows you to pre-tax child, spouse or elder care expenses that you incur in order to allow you (and your spouse, if married) to work. If married, both spouses must be working to claim dependent care expenses. A dependent is defined as: 

• A dependent of the employee who is under 13 years of age
• A dependent or spouse who is physically or mentally disabled

The maximum amount your family may flex per calendar year is $5,000. All claims must be incurred by Dec. 31 and submitted for reimbursement within 60 days of the end of the plan year (March 1).

The deadline for enrolling in or waiving the dependent care plan is Nov. 30, 2018, at 4 p.m. 

As a reminder, all dependent care expenses for the 2018 plan year must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2018, and must be submitted to 121 Benefits for reimbursement by March 1, 2019.

To Enroll
First, go to your Employee Dashboard and go to the Employee Online Tab. On the left-hand side of the screen, click on the ENTER Your Dependent Care Deduction.

Next…

• Click Dependent Care Coverage Type. 
• If you want to waive Dependent Care and not have this benefit for the upcoming year, enter 0 under the New Change Request column.
• If you elect to enroll in the plan, your maximum deduction per pay period can be $208.33, which equates to $4,999.92 ($5,000) total for the year.
• Click Save to complete your Flex Dependent Care. (In clicking Save you agree to the Terms and Conditions.) 

NOTE: IF YOU ENTER AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN “0” IN EMPLOYEE COST PER PERIOD, THEN THAT AMOUNT WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR PAYCHECK PER PAY PERIOD. 

If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, at or ext. 14315.

Reminder: Early Notification Incentive Again Offered to Certified Union & Management Staff

Last year Heartland AEA filled 45 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 2018-19, the Heartland AEA Board of Directors has again approved an Early Notification Incentive for staff who have a signed contract and who notify Heartland AEA of their intent to not renew their contract for the 2019-20 school year by Dec. 7, 2018. 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 2019-20 school year submit early notification letters of resignation that are effective at the end of the 2018-19 work year. 
• Early notification letters must be received in the Human Resources Department by 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 7, 2018. 
• Heartland AEA’s Board of Directors acts on early notification letters no later than the regular meeting on Dec. 11, 2018. 
• Departing staff must fulfill their individual employment contract obligations for the 2018-19 work year. 

Early Notification Incentive 

• A $1,500 early notification incentive will be paid on June 30, 2019, to employees fulfilling these requirements. 

If you have any questions about the early notification incentive, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Director of Human Resources, at ext. 14534.

Post-Secondary Readiness Data Recently Released Through AEA PREP Dashboards

This message was shared with school administrators and is being included here for your information. 

Recently, the Iowa Department of Education released the AEA PREP (Postsecondary Readiness & Equity Partnership) Dashboards providing a portrait of how prepared Iowa high school graduates are for success in post-secondary education and training. The dashboards are intended to help guide school and district school improvement efforts using statewide, AEA, district and building level data. Schools can use their local information to benchmark and monitor progress toward locally defined goals as they relate to post-secondary readiness and success, including enrollment, persistence and completion of post-secondary programs. The AEA PREP Dashboards are highly interactive in nature and allow schools to examine the post-secondary success of their students through a variety of post-secondary readiness and demographic filters. The dashboards are housed within EdInsight. 

What Data are Included/What Data are Excluded
Data included: PREP Dashboards include post-secondary readiness and demographic data provided by Iowa school districts through State Reporting in Iowa (SRI). In addition, post-secondary enrollment and award data are provided through three sources: Iowa Board of Regents (for public Regent universities in Iowa), Iowa Division of Community Colleges & Workforce Preparation (for public community colleges in Iowa) and the National Student Clearinghouse (for in-state private colleges and universities and all out-of-state colleges and universities).   

Data excluded: Post-secondary enrollment data is considered directory-level data and thus does not include any post-secondary performance data, including but not limited to college GPA, college credit accrual, financial aid information or other course-specific performance data. 

How to Use or Interpret PREP Dashboards

Specifically, AEA PREP Dashboards are intended to help guide districts in establishing and monitoring post-secondary readiness goals aligned with both the Iowa College and Career Readiness definition and overall school improvement efforts. The information contained in the dashboards can be used to identify programmatic areas of success in relation to increasing post-secondary enrollment and award/completion. These reports are intended to support the entire school improvement process in conjunction with the other data sources already in use (i.e., ESSA reporting, school report cards and DA/Healthy Indicators). Please note: AEA PREP Dashboards are intended for in-district use only and are not intended for public distribution due to their inclusion of small cell size data. 

If you have questions or would like additional information, contact Heartland AEA’s AEA PREP leads, Sue Schirmer or T.J. Jumper.