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
Last week I spoke of a few trends impacting our AEA system and how those are leading to changes in our work. This week, I want to say a few things about change in general and how it can impact our culture and climate.
I learned years ago that there are two constants in organizational behavior. One is that nobody really likes change, and the other is that change is inevitable. Change is something that often impacts both culture and climate, and I want to remind everyone of the difference between the two. Culture is how an organization does things. It’s what we do, and every organization has a culture that exists on a continuum ranging from toxic to productive. Climate is how we feel about our culture. It correlates more closely with morale. So, culture is how we behave, and climate is how we feel. As a leader in the organization, I care about both culture and climate and want to briefly speak to both.
Improving Culture is Still Important to Us
First, regarding culture, Heartland AEA has placed a significant emphasis on culture over the past several years, and data would indicate this emphasis is paying dividends. Since deciding to use the Denison Survey to measure specific components of organizational culture, the organization’s metrics have steadily improved. I want to point out that we continue to strive to make improvements to our culture. One of the primary ways we continue to do this is by using the planning council and job-alike facilitator structures to identify potential issues and to address communication needs. It’s our desire that this structure gives people a voice in how we do things as much as possible.
As a result of our improvement processes, two examples of issues that were identified that would help improve our culture are 1) the opportunity to invest more in our employees with a professional learning system and 2) increasing our staff capacity to continue to provide great service and support to our districts.
- Professional Learning System: Our professional learning system has been redesigned to differentiate the learning needs of our employee groups and to make sure those learning needs are identified and defined by the professionals working within those groups. Early feedback on the redesign has been very positive.
- Staffing: Our agency continues to be committed to adding as many new staff as possible to share the work and optimize service. We are analyzing both historical and projected staffing data and anticipate adding another 15-20 certified positions in 2019-20. We recognize that demographic shifts are taking place across the state and that we need to staff to not only keep up with, but stay ahead, of those shifts. Our leaders are looking at over 20 different data points in order to gain the best picture possible of how our current staffing patterns need to be adjusted going forward. This year Iowa's AEAs are again asking our legislature to restore the annual funding cut to the AEAs, which would allow us to significantly increase the number of staff available to do our very important work.
As I shared last week, much is being expected from our system, and we will always have to make some tough decisions regarding organizational priorities, but I really do believe that Heartland AEA is an organization that strives to create a productive culture.
Healthy vs. Toxic Culture
Finally, I want to give you a few thoughts on how you can identify the health of your specific sub-culture and climate. We know that 85% to 90% of our staff respond positively to questions about workplace culture, but we also know that within the overall culture of the organization are many smaller work teams, each with its own sub-culture and climate. Here is a way to measure the health of your sub-culture and climate. First of all, neither healthy nor toxic cultures are void of complaint. Identifying what is wrong in a system is important, and some amount of complaining is inevitable. The difference between healthy and toxic cultures lies in how we respond to complaints. Healthy cultures respond to challenges with clear communication about the nature of the problem and a collaborative response to identifying its causes and potential remedies. Healthy teams are collaborative and solution-focused. They say things like, “How can we…” and “why is it that…”and “what if we…”
Toxic cultures also identify problems, but they quickly transition from problem identification to chronic and redundant problem description. The repetitive complaint is then inevitably followed by the phase of finding someone to blame. Toxic cultures, then, find the problem, fixate on it incessantly and finally place the blame. The problem with this type of cycle is that it never gets to solution-finding because the source of the problem is externalized. If the problem is someone else's fault, we can’t fix it. Research on school culture has confirmed this cycle and has also confirmed that people in this type of toxic environment can actually develop habits of thought that can be nearly impossible to break.
This time of year, it’s easy to fall into the "problem admiration trap," and we can all do it. So by all means, let’s keep identifying problems, but let’s not get stuck on the problems. Instead, let’s work together to solve them. Above all, let’s avoid the blame game. When we instead communicate and collaborate, we can become empowered solution finders. Solution finders energize our organization and keep our culture moving forward, allowing us to continue to be the excellent organization that so many rely on to do so much.
Stay warm!
Jon
It’s winter in Iowa, so we all know what that means—snow, slush, sleet and ICE! Our mothers always told us to be careful walking and driving on ice, so please remember her pleas this winter. Falls on the ice are no laughing matter – they can result in serious injury. Change your shoes if need be and take a walking lesson from a penguin. If you do happen to fall while on the job, remember to report it to Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist.
Safe Walking Tips
- Always take the safest route – avoid short cuts.
- Don’t rush, especially on slippery surfaces or in low light conditions.
- Don’t use your smartphone while walking.
- Walk deliberately on slippery surfaces. Take slow, short, flat-footed steps.
- Wear boots or other slip-resistant footwear.
- Look out for "black ice." Often shows up early in the morning or in areas that are shaded from the sun.
- Use caution when getting in and out of vehicles; use the vehicle for support.
- When entering a building, remove as much snow and water from your boots as you can. Walk carefully on hard-surfaced floors – even if there are no puddles, your outsoles may be wet.
- Avoid carrying items. Keep hands empty and outside of pockets so arms are free to move for stabilization. If you must carry items, use backpacks.
- When walking on steps, always use the handrail and plant your feet firmly on each step.
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 using an online companion to the Condition of Education report (preschool through 12th grade). The online features allow education stakeholders to dig deeper into interactive enrollment and staffing data at the state and school district levels.
“One of the most important functions the Iowa Department of Education provides is offering and interpreting data,” said Ryan Wise, director of the Department. “Data and information are used to help set the course for school improvement. It’s also important to remember that data do not tell the whole story in education. Iowans should connect with their schools and community colleges for more information.”
Both reports contain the most recent data through the 2017-18 school year, unless otherwise noted.
Highlights of the Condition of Education (PK-12) report include:
- 486,264: The number of students enrolled in Iowa’s public schools during the 2017-18 school year, up from 485,147 the year before. This represents the seventh increase in enrollment following a 17-year decline in enrollment.
- 73.4%: The percent of students from the class of 2018 who took chemistry, up from 71.9 percent the year before. 32.8 percent of students took physics, up from 30.5 percent the year before.
- 47.7%: The percent of students from the class of 2018 who took higher-level mathematics, including calculus, statistics and trigonometry. This is up from 46.2 percent the year before.
- $57,045: Average teacher’s salary, up 2.4 percent from the year before ($55,703). Iowa’s average teacher salary ranks 22nd nationally.
- $11,017: The state’s total per-pupil expense was $11,017 in the 2016-17 school year, up from $10,731 in the 2015-16 school year. That puts Iowa at 26th nationally. (Expenditure reporting lags a year because it occurs at the end of the fiscal year.)
The Heartland AEA Board of Directors approved lifting the cap on staff members’ HRA accounts as of Jan. 1, 2019, at its Nov. 2018 meeting.
What does this mean for me?
Did you know you can let your HRA funds roll over each year and use those funds for certain expenses when you retire? If you are someone who is doing this, you no longer have to worry about exceeding the previous account balance cap of $8,000. The cap has been lifted, so you no longer have to keep your account balance at $8,000 or below. You can keep accumulating funds through your years of service at the Agency.
What do you mean use this money in retirement?
If you take a bona fide retirement from Heartland AEA (draw IPERS), you have access to this money for up to five years after you leave employment or until you spend all the funds in the account, whichever comes first. In retirement, you can use this money towards any of your out-of-pocket medical, dental, vision and/or prescription drug costs. This is the only time you can also use the money towards your insurance premium costs.
Why is no cap important?
If you are starting to consider retirement before the age of 65, this change might be helpful when considering how much money you might need to save up to pay for insurance premiums, especially from your retirement date until you go on to Medicare. If you have any questions about the change, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist.
Learn how to lose weight and improve your health while eating the foods you love.
The Naturally Slim online program has the secret to lasting weight loss and it doesn’t include starving, counting calories or eating diet food. Heartland AEA is now offering you the chance to learn how to eat to reduce your chances of getting a serious disease, like diabetes or heart disease, and increase your chance at living a longer, healthier life — for free.
Space is limited!
Deadline to apply: Jan. 25, 2019
Program begins: Feb. 4, 2019
Apply today at the Naturally Slim website!
For Staff Who Have Participated in the Past
If you have participated in Naturally Slim (NS) in previous sessions, your access to the NS dashboard does not expire. You are able to watch “Minutes With Marcia” and select from a variety of short clips posted on the site that pertain to seasons/lifestyle/etc. You also still have access to NSTown, the online NS community. If you need assistance logging in or have questions, contact Naturally Slim directly.
“How to Stay Young, The First 100 Years” will be presented by West Des Moines chiropractor Dr. Andrew Clement and will cover the changing mindset as to what health is and how we define it.
Dr. Clement says, “The fact is we focus on all other aspects of ‘health,’ such as a healthy smile and wrinkles under our eyes, but we often turn a blind eye to how we move and function. We are living longer than ever before, but our musculoskeletal system, for many of us, starts faltering by 60 years of age, leaving us potentially 40 years+ of pain and suffering. Essentially, life is movement, and when movement suffers, life suffers.”
Dr. Clement has over 10 years’ experience treating patients with musculoskeletal and nervous system issues using chiropractic care. He uses state-of-the-art technology to scan the nervous system to look for underlying nerve interference that does not communicate pain.
Feb. 21, 2019
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Johnston REC, Conference Rooms 152 B/C
Available via Zoom and will be recorded (Zoom link provided closer to event date)
Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, will take a little time to answer some recent Wellness-related questions.
Q: How do I log in to the Wellness Center to complete the assessments? (Health assessment & WebMD assessment, WebMD preventative assessment)
A: If you haven't already, go to Wellmark.com and Register your account. Once you’ve registered your account, scroll down and select the Wellness Center link, which will take you to your portal where you can complete your assessments via your Action Plans in the center of the home page or via Rewards - Working on Well-Being. Once you’re in your Wellness Center, you can use the link on the right-hand side of the page to complete the Benefits Survey, scroll to mid-page to enroll in the current challenge (if available) and scroll down to sign up for a biometric screening.
Q: How do I register to complete a biometric screening?
A: On your homepage, scroll down to Sign Up for a Biometric Screening. Be sure to read the registration instructions first, as the enrollment steps have changed since last year.
Q: What proof do you need for a dental screening and physical?
A: Since you self-report the dates that you went to your dentist and doctor, no proof is needed.
Q: How do I register for challenges?
A: You can find the dates for the other challenges under Rewards - Working On Well-Being - Challenges.
- Rethink Your Drink: 12/31/2018 – 1/27/2019
- Mission My Community: 2/13/2019 – 3/12/2019
- Hit Your Stride: 4/1/2019 – 5/13/2019
- Money Makeover: Start any time between 10/1/2018 – 4/30/2019
Q: Who do I turn this information in when I am all done to get the incentives offered?
A: You don't have to turn in anything. Wellmark sends the Agency a monthly report telling us who have completed the Baseline actions for the $40 coupon towards logo apparel and who has completed the entire Wellness Program for the cash incentive.
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. 15, 2019. Anyone is welcome to submit a nomination.
Awards will be presented during the annual Iowa’s AEAs Boards of Directors’ Conference, with the awards ceremony being held at 6:30 p.m. on March 28, 2019, 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.
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| Dr. Stuart Ablon |
In an effort to continue to enhance our staff’s ability to support students who present behavioral challenges in the schools our agency serves, the Saydel Community School District and Heartland AEA are partnering to bring Dr. Stuart Ablon to the area. Two of the greatest social-emotional challenges educators have voiced wanting to learn more about is how to work with children who are impacted by mental health needs and/or by aspects of trauma.
Dr. Stuart Ablon is the Director of Think:Kids in the psychiatry department at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Ablon is also an associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ablon has developed an evidence-based process focused on working with students who exhibit challenging behaviors called “Collaborative Problem Solving.”
Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS) is an evidence-based approach to understanding and helping children and adolescents with behavioral challenges. This introductory learning opportunity will provide a foundation for professionals to understand and help children and adolescents with behavioral challenges. The CPS model promotes the understanding that challenging kids lack the skill, not the will, to behave well—specifically skills related to problem-solving, flexibility and frustration tolerance. The philosophy behind the model is “kids do well if they can.”
Collaborative Problem Solving® focuses on helping adults teach the skills these children lack while resolving the chronic problems that tend to precipitate challenging behavior. Through lecture, videos, case examples and role plays, this one-day training will introduce how to foster positive relationships with children and encourage growth in areas of self-regulation, communication and problem-solving.
Dr. Ablon has been partnering with the Marshalltown Community Schools. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about their professional learning and implementation process.
Collaborative Problem Solving with Dr. Stuart Ablon
Feb. 11, 2019
8:30 - 11:30 a.m.: Large Group Learning with Dr. Ablon
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Lunch on your own
1 - 2:15 p.m.: Panel Discussion with Dr. Ablon and Marshalltown Schools
Saydel High School Auditorium
Registration
Please discuss this opportunity with your regional director if you're interested in attending.
STRIVE and STRIVE Academy, located on the DMACC Campus, are options available for students in need of 4+ Services. Students who attend one of these programs do so through the IEP process and remain on an IEP while attending STRIVE or STRIVE Academy. There are information sessions available to help teams learn about the services provided by these programs and how the programs might meet the needs of their students.
There are two remaining information sessions about STRIVE. Dates are Feb. 8 and Feb. 22, 2019. Sessions will take place in Building 5, Room 1203 on the Ankeny DMACC Campus from 10 - 11:30 a.m. Participants will meet in a large group to hear about the program and then meet with a STRIVE instructor to discuss specific vocational programs. It would be beneficial for a student to have identified and researched a program of interest before attending. Call (515) 965-7138 to let STRIVE know you will be attending. The deadline for referrals to STRIVE is March 9. More information is available on the DMACC/STRIVE webpage.
There is one remaining informational session for STRIVE Academy. The session is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2019, from 1 – 4 p.m. and will include information about the program and a tour of the classroom and apartments. The session will take place in Building 19, Room 40 on the Ankeny DMACC Campus. Call (515) 965-7138 to sign up for this session.
Additional information regarding STRIVE and STRIVE Academy can be found in this booklet.
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. As part of this process, we’re also enabling FileVault encryption on your computer if it’s not already enabled.
Beginning today (Jan. 14, 2019), the update for Symantec Anti-Virus will be available via Self Service on all agency computers needing the update. You may install this update at your convenience during a 17-day window. If you haven’t performed the update by Jan. 31, the update will be applied to your computer automatically. It is important that you perform this update to ensure it’s 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 14.2.1031.0100 policy. If your computer needs to have FileVault enabled, you will see a policy called Symantec Endpoint Protection 14.2.1031.0100 & Enable FileVault.
- 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 14.2.1031.0100 has been installed, reminding you your computer will need to be restarted. If your computer needs FileVault enabled, the message will mention FileVault was enabled. Your computer will restart 1 minute after you click the OK button. On startup, you may see the following message: “Your administrator requires that you enable FileVault.” Click the Enable Now button to proceed with the encryption.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact Mike Permann or Marquis Jones.
Q & A
Q: Why doesn't my Symantec Endpoint Protection policy include enabling FileVault?
A: You will not get the enable FileVault encryption if you have an iMac or if your computer already has FileVault enabled. We are not currently encrypting the storage on iMacs, and some newer computers had FileVault enabled as part of the setup process.
Q: I don't have an iMac and my Symantec Endpoint Protection policy doesn’t include enabling FileVault. What should I do?
A: Your computer may already have FileVault encryption enabled. To check whether it's already enabled, go to the Apple Menu and choose System Preferences and click on Security & Privacy. Click the FileVault tab, and it should indicate whether FileVault is turned on. It should say "FileVault is turned on for the disk 'Macintosh HD.'" if it's enabled. If yours doesn't say that, contact the Internal Technology Department for assistance.
Q: After enabling FileVault, I received a notification about my Time Machine backup drive not being encrypted when I did a backup. Is there anything I need to do about that?
A: This notification is expected and should not alarm you. Just click the Close button to dismiss the notification. Q: While the encryption process is active, you will be unable to perform Time Machine backups. A: The encryption process requires your computer to be powered on and connected to power. Due to this requirement, the process can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on your usage patterns and storage. The process will pause when disconnected from your charger and resume once connected again. It may be beneficial to allow your computer to remain powered on and plugged in overnight to aid this process.
