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
Recent weather conditions have created travel challenges for all Midwesterners. After incidents that occurred during home visits (e.g., being stuck in a driveway), a few Heartland AEA staff members have required assistance during the day to perform their job duties.
For situations caused by inclement weather, the Agency will reimburse for towing/roadside assistance while staff members are performing their job duties. (For this purpose, the work day is identified from the staff member’s arrival at their first work site to when they depart their last work site.)
We request, however, that staff first pursue reimbursement through other coverage, such as "AAA" membership or through roadside assistance coverage that staff carries as part of their auto insurance policy. Often times roadside assistance coverage is provided during a car's warranty period. Staff should consider contacting their auto insurance company to see if roadside assistance coverage is available (sometimes referred to as “towing and labor”). The insurance coverage may cost as little as $1-2 per month per vehicle, and it generally covers the following:
- towing to the nearest repair facility (or to a repair facility within a specified distance),
- assistance in getting your vehicle “unstuck” from a snowy or icy roadway,
- gas delivery,
- tire changes and
- unlocking the vehicle if the keys are left inside.
If you have any questions about the cost reimbursement, contact Brian Whalen, Business Manager, or Kurt Subra, Chief Financial Officer.
The March 2019 issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education is available.
Four Oaks Family Connections serves children by recruiting, licensing, training and supporting foster/adoptive resource families in 69 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Presenter Kai McGee will share information about their mission and the need for foster and adoptive families in the state of Iowa.
Please register for this session, as Four Oaks will be providing light refreshments for those in attendance.
Four Oaks Lunch & Learn
March 12, 2019
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Johnston REC, Conference Room 107A
Available via Zoom
As you all know, your agency ID badge also serves as a keycard for you to access the agency office to which you are assigned. The following are friendly reminders about keycards:
- Make sure your card is working. Test it once a month to make sure you can still unlock a locked door at your office. This shouldn't be an issue, but sometimes things happen. Contact us if you find your card no longer works for your office.
- If you lose your card, let us know ASAP. If you let us know, we are able to turn off access to a lost card, so nothing will happen if it ends up in the wrong hands. If you then find the lost card, let us know, and we can restore the proper access. If you lose your card, contact us as soon as you can.
- Speaking of losing your card....take care of your card. It is a key that can unlock doors, so it should be treated as such.
ID Badge/Keycard Contact
Colleen Miller, Central Office Administrative Assistant
ext. 14308
Heartland AEA is pleased to announce the addition of an equivalent of 1.0 FTE per region to serve as Social Emotional Behavior Mental Health (SEBMH) Regional Leads, beginning in the 2019-20 school year. Under the direction of the Director of Special Programs and the assigned regional director, the SEBMH Regional Lead will partner with districts and buildings in implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
The SEBMH Regional Lead will collaborate with the district and/or buildings in a variety of assistance activities such as facilitating professional learning, consulting, coaching, modeling, observing and providing feedback and collecting and/or interpreting data. The addition of the SEBMH Regional Lead will provide a much-needed support to our districts in enhancing their services and supports to all students in building a safe, healthy and caring foundation for learning, as well as providing coaching and consultation in the areas of general behavior, social-emotional learning, college and career readiness skills and mental health. While they will provide services at all tiers within MTSS, the SEBMH Regional Lead will focus heavily on providing supports at the foundational level and the universal and targeted tiers.
Some regions have staff who currently serve in a similar role/job function. The addition of the FTE in each region will increase equity throughout the Agency to support our partners in this critical work. If you have questions regarding how this position is being assigned in your region, contact your regional director.
