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

Federally-funded Staff: A-87 Certification Notification Coming April 8

On Wednesday, April 8, the second semester A-87 certification will be emailed to federally-funded employees. We are following the same process used for previous certifications. The email will come from heartlandworkflow with the subject A87 Certification Notice - Action Required. There will be a link in the email for employees to follow to complete the certification. 

To complete this certification, make sure you are connected to the Heartland AEA Remote VPN. If the link does not work, try clearing your browser cache and then clicking on the link. 

If you have questions or problems with accessing the link, contact Brian Whalen, Business Manager, at ext. 14005. The Business Office appreciates your prompt completion of the certifications and your assistance in helping us maintain compliance with this reporting requirement.

April 2020 School Leader Update Available

The April 2020 School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education is available.

Resources Available to Support Student Learning at Home

Last week the Iowa Department of Education released a host of optional resources for families and educators to use as they support student learning during school closures due to COVID-19. The resources are available on the Iowa Department of Education’s website and include interactive games, virtual field trips, coding activities and e-books. 

The learning resources for students in prekindergarten through 12th grade do not replace what they have learned at school, but instead, help students practice or enrich the skills and strategies taught by their teachers.  

“While they do not replace classroom learning, these resources are a great way for families, caregivers and educators to continue to engage students in their learning at home,” said Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo. “I am grateful to our partners who came together to provide the content to make this resource page possible.” The Iowa Department of Education partnered with Iowa’s Area Education Agencies, the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, Iowa PBS and the Iowa Reading Research Center to provide a variety of resources. 

The resources cover multiple subject areas, such as literacy, computer science, fine arts and career and technical education. The resources also address mental health and emotional well-being. 

The resources to support learning during COVID-19 is not exhaustive and will be reviewed and updated weekly with additional resources.

Reminder: Agency to Implement New Leave System in Coming Week, Development Has Been Underway for Months

In the coming week, the Agency will be rolling out a new and improved Leave system. The purpose of this new system is to improve the user experience, reduce leave reporting errors and increase functionality for all staff. 

This new system has been under development for many months and has taken the hard work of many staff in the Human Resources, Information Systems and Business Office to see it come to fruition. 

Key dates for reporting leave in both systems as we move forward: 
 

1. Any leave requests for dates on or before April 7, 2020, must be entered and approved/rejected as soon as possible. Leave requests for dates up to and including April 7 should be entered and approved/rejected by April 7 in the current Leave system. Any leave not approved by that date will be automatically canceled.   
2. Any leave in the current system scheduled for April 8, 2020, and beyond, whether pending or approved, must be rejected or canceled in the current Leave system. When the new leave system is available on April 13, leave requests for dates April 8 and beyond can be entered in the new Leave system. 
3. Both Leave systems will be unavailable from April 8 through April 12. If you need to request leave for this time period, you should email your supervisor for approval and enter the leave into the new Leave system after April 13 when it becomes available.  

Look for more information regarding this new system in future Connections. If you have any questions, contact Nia Chiaramonte, Director of Human Resources.

Benefits Enrollment: Let’s See a Second Week Surge!

Enrollment Begins: April 1, 2020 

Enrollment Ends: April 30, 2020 

Our annual benefits enrollment began April 1! 

2020-21 Health Insurance Plan Choices 

New Benefits Enrollment Module
There is a new look to enrollment this year, as we have a new enrollment system in the Employee Online module of the Employee Dashboard. The below instructions will assist you as you enroll using the updated system this year.  

Instructions for Using New Benefits Enrollment Module 

Enrollment Assistance 
Every Monday through the enrollment period, Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, will provide links in The Connection for enrollment assistance through Zoom. You should know the selections you want to make, so Juliette can walk you through the actual enrollment process. 

April 7, 2020 
1 p.m. 
Zoom link 

April 10, 2020 
1 p.m.   
Zoom link 

If you have specific questions, email Juliette directly to set up an appointment to talk through your questions.

Reminder: Understanding Stress Flash Challenge is This Week!

See the attached flyer for information about our fourth and final "Flash" Challenge of the Wellness year. Flash challenges are fun challenges conducted for a week or less. We challenge you to read an educational article and then take the Stress Assessment Quiz. Once those activities have been completed, verify your completion. Read about what causes stress, how to manage it and when to ask for help April 3 - April 10. Activity can only be recorded during that period of time.

Understanding Stress Flash Challenge

April 7, 2020 Heartland AEA Board of Directors Meeting Agenda Available

The agenda for the April 7, 2020, Heartland AEA Board of Directors meeting is available.

Self-Directed Professional Learning Opportunities Available for Agency Staff

Extended Temporary Remote Workplace can present a unique opportunity for all of us to engage in meaningful, self-directed professional learning. The ability to engage in professional learning will vary by staff member, based on commitments at home, obligations at work and the need to take care of ourselves and our families. We’d like to share a variety of optional professional learning opportunities available to Certified and Classified staff during this time: 

Free Webinar and Digital Learning Opportunities from State and National Organizations (for Certified Staff): Agency PL Providers, Job-Alike Facilitators and leaders have pulled together a wide array of free learning opportunities hosted by a variety of national and state-level organizations, including AEA Learning Online. These free webinars and digital learning resources can be filtered by session title, area of focus or targeted audience. These offerings will also be shared with agency partners. 

Digital Learning Offerings from Heartland AEA (for Certified and Classified Staff):  Heartland AEA staff have created and are scheduled to facilitate digital learning activities through April for staff and leader use. Check back as additional offerings may be added throughout the month. Most offerings will be hosted by our colleagues via live or recorded Zoom. 

All of these offerings can be accessed from this webpage: 
Free Digital Professional Learning Resources

Heartland AEA Professional Learning (for Certified and Classified Staff): 

• Professional Learning resources are available on the Heartland AEA Professional Learning site and Heartland AEA Professional Learning Systems Resources page.  
• Certified staff will find a variety of professional learning opportunities aligned with the Agency’s eight areas of learning connected to our Professional Learning Profiles. While these vetted professional learning opportunities are aligned with the Certified competencies, ALL staff and leaders are welcome to explore and engage in learning supportive of their agency role(s) and/or professional curiosities.  
• Repository of recorded Technology and G-Suite "lunch and learn" sessions.
• Future technology and G-suite sessions will continue to be offered through Zoom. To review the session schedule and register for upcoming learning opportunities, review the G Suite for Education Professional Learning document.    

As a reminder, these learning opportunities are optional for staff. Our agency continues to emphasize the importance of taking care of yourself, your family and your well-being. 

Reminder: April Agency Directed Learning Sessions Canceled

Given our current agency-wide remote workplace reality, all Agency-Directed Learning sessions scheduled April 9-17, 2020 have been canceled. We understand staff working in temporary remote workplace environments are balancing personal and professional needs, which may make engaging in a full day of digital learning challenging for content facilitators and participants alike. Additionally, we believe the learning objectives slated for April sessions will not be best met through Zoom at this time. 

If you have any questions regarding accessing specific professional learning opportunities, contact your regional director or Martha Condon, Director of Professional Learning.

Reminder: It’s That Time of Year Again—Time to Sign Up to be a Mentor for the 2020-21 School Year!

As a mentor, you share your time, welcome new staff and support new staff by building their capacity as they join our Heartland AEA team. Mentoring is a personally and professionally fulfilling experience that also helps our agency build capacity and retain great employees. Note that this program is for mentors and mentees who are Certified Union staff members.  
  

• Mentors of first-year staff provide 20 hours of one-on-one coaching and support for their mentee, are provided with mentorship training and in return will receive a $1,300 (gross) payment and the personal satisfaction of knowing that they’ve made a difference in the career of the mentee.    
• Mentors of second-year staff provide 15 hours of one-on-one coaching and support for their mentee, are provided with mentorship training and in return will receive a $1,000 (gross) payment and the personal satisfaction of knowing that they’ve made a difference in the career of the mentee. 


   

It’s easy to sign up! Complete the online Mentor Application by April 13, 2020. If you are a mentor this year and are interested in mentoring again, you do need to complete this form to be considered as a mentor again in 2020-21. After receiving applications, more information will be provided to mentors in the near future for next year’s mentoring and induction program. 

If you have any questions, contact Martha Condon, Director of Professional Learning.

Jessica Minahan to Offer April 10 “Reducing Anxiety in Students” Zoom Session

Heartland AEA is excited to announce a unique professional learning opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Heartland AEA staff*, LEA and community partners are invited to participate in a 2-hour webinar meeting with Jessica Minahan from 9-11 a.m. on April 10, 2020.



Session Description 
With up to one in three children struggling with anxiety in this country, overwhelmed adults require a new approach as well as a practical and easy-to-implement toolkit of strategies that work. In the time of COVID19, and the subsequent societal changes, anxiety has become ever-present in students of all ages.



Through the use of case studies, humorous stories and examples of everyday challenging situations, participants will learn easy-to-implement preventive tools, strategies and interventions for reducing anxiety, increasing self-regulation, accurate thinking and self-monitoring in students. Virtual classroom and traditional classroom examples will be shared.



Registration

Registration 
Use Course #189671



Participants will receive Zoom meeting connection information via the email address used during registration.



Intended Audience
K-12 Classroom Teachers, Special Educators, Paraprofessionals, Guidance Counselors, Department Heads, Team Leaders, Curriculum Coordinators, Administrators



About the Presenter

Jessica Minahan, M.Ed., BCBA, is a licensed and board-certified behavior analyst, special educator, as well as a consultant to schools internationally. Jessica has over 17 years of experience supporting students who exhibit challenging behavior in urban public-school systems. She is the co-author of The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students (Harvard Education Press, 2012), and author of The Behavior Code Companion: Strategies, Tools, and Interventions for Supporting Students with Anxiety-Related or Oppositional Behaviors (Harvard Education Press, 2014).



*Heartland AEA staff who participated in a full day of learning with Jessica during the 2018-19 school year are welcome to participate in this 2-hour session, however, should know the session will likely have similar content and areas of focus. 



Questions
If you have any questions, contact Jadie Boens, Director of Special Programs, or Martha Condon, Director of Professional Learning.

Read the Latest About Zoom Privacy & Security

As our agency use of Zoom continues to grow in order to work from home, we wanted to share a Zoom Blog post directly from Zoom regarding “How to Keep the Crashers Out of Your Zoom Event.” This post provides tips you can use to help make sure your Heartland AEA Zoom meetings are secure from these unwanted interruptions. 

Zoom has become the go-to video conferencing app around the globe as people are staying at and working from home. With that fast popularity comes magnified scrutiny - especially when it comes to privacy. 

Zoom has been addressing these issues, almost daily, and providing information and tips for ways to manage those concerns. The Heartland AEA Internal Technology Department is monitoring these updates and changes daily and making sure we are equipped to continue our work over Zoom from wherever we are. 

First and foremost, it is important that all staff operate the most recent version of the Zoom app to take advantage of all the safety and security patches that Zoom releases. Instructions to update your Zoom app through Self Service are found in this document. 

News reports are also spotlighting “Zoombombing,” which is when someone comes into your Zoom meeting uninvited. While concerning, there are many security features that you can enable on the user level that will prevent this from happening, including implementing a password for your meetings, locking your meetings and creating a virtual waiting room for people who are joining your meetings. Zoom has released this article on these options and how to turn those on for your account. 

This graphic also illustrates 10 things you can do to increase the privacy and security of your Zoom meetings. 

If you have any questions or concerns about Zoom, contact David Hammer, Multimedia Specialist.

Reminder About How to Use the Agency’s Dial-Through Phone Service

There have been some questions about how to use the Agency’s dial-through phone service as staff gets in touch with families at this time. 

This service allows you to make calls from a personal phone number without that phone number being shown to those you are calling. Contact your region’s administrative assistant if you don’t know your long-distance authorization code. 

Dial-Through Phone Instructions 
(Archived on the Intranet > Technology > Phones)