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

Reminder: Let Us Know How You're Feeling

During this time of rapid change, we would like to understand how we can best support you in our ongoing communications and collective effort to put your health and well-being first. 

Understanding your current environment and any uncertainty you may face will help us better support you immediately and in the future. Just like last week, this short survey should take you no more than 2 minutes to complete. It will not be possible to identify any individual respondents from this survey. This survey is open to every Heartland AEA staff member and will help us take follow-up action based on your input. 

We will continue to check in on Wellness Wednesdays with a short survey. We appreciate your open and honest feedback so that we can make meaningful and impactful adjustments as the situation evolves. 

Staff Well-being Survey - April 15, 2020

Iowa Schools to Extend Closures Through End of School Year

Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education announced last Friday that all school districts and non-public schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year and will continue to offer continuous learning to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This also includes the cancellation of spring sports activities. 

“While I would like nothing more than to open up our schools and classrooms in May, we have to prioritize the health and safety of Iowans,” said Gov. Reynolds. “With our students at home, we must rely on continuous learning plans that are in place and prepare school districts for ‘Return to Learn’ in the fall. I greatly appreciate the work of Director Ann Lebo and all our school administrators, educators, and staff during this unprecedented time.” 

The decision, which was announced today during Gov. Kim Reynolds’ press conference, is based on recommendations from the Iowa Department of Public Health to ensure the health and safety of Iowa students, teachers, school administrators and other school staff. View that press conference here. 

“Iowa teachers should be commended for how quickly they have transitioned from the classroom to online and distance learning,” said Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo. “Our schools have really stepped up to the plate and worked hard to develop and implement continuous learning solutions in only a matter of weeks. We appreciate everything schools and families are doing to support children’s well-being while continuing to support their academic progress while school buildings are closed.” 

The governor and the Iowa Department of Education also announced that the state of Iowa will: 

• Waive instructional time requirements for the remainder of the 2019-2020 regularly scheduled academic year for schools that continue to provide continuous learning through one of two approved options, voluntary educational enrichment opportunities, required educational services, or a combination of the two. 
• Require schools to submit a Return to Learn Plan to the Iowa Department of Education by July 1 outlining ways they will address disruptions to learning as a result of COVID-19. This could include summer school, enrichment activities or other opportunities to address the needs of learners. 
• Waive the requirement that schools start no earlier than Aug. 23, allowing school districts and nonpublic schools to make local decisions about the length of their 2020-2021 academic year. 

The governor had previously ordered schools to close through April 30. All of Iowa’s 327 public school districts, as well as 179 non-public schools, currently offer continuous learning through one of the approved continuous learning options outlined above. Continuous learning encompasses a variety of approaches used to extend learning beyond brick and mortar buildings — online learning, e-learning, distance learning, including paper packets, and virtual learning. 

School buildings will remain closed through the end of the school year except for approved meals site locations participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program and those providing temporary emergency childcare. An announcement on summer sports activities and when other school-sponsored activities can resume will be made by June 1. 

For more information, visit the Iowa Department of Education’s COVID-19 Guidance and Information webpage.

10 Days Left to Enroll in Benefits for 2020-21; VOYA Life Insurance Enrollment Information Added

Enrollment Begins: April 1, 2020 

Enrollment Ends: April 30, 2020 

The Agency’s annual benefits enrollment is open to all full-time and 96-day employees from April 1 through April 30, 2020 at 4 p.m. for the 2020-21 benefit year, which begins July 1, 2020. Full-time employees may enroll in health and dental insurance and medical flex spending plans, while part-time staff (96-day) may enroll in the medical flex spending plan. (Note: This enrollment period is not for the dependent care plan, which is done in November.) You will need to make enrollment selections even if you choose not to make any changes to your benefits for next year. 





This is the time you can add and/or drop family members to your health and dental plans without a life event or change of status. Annual enrollment time is also the only time during the year you can change your deductible—you aren't able to do that during the year, even with a life event or change of status. 

Health Insurance Plan Information 

• 2020-21 Health Insurance Plan Choices 
• Summary of Benefits Coverage - $1,000 Deductible 
• Summary of Benefits Coverage - $2,000 Deductible 

The Summaries will help you decide between the two coverages by comparing the information provided in each Summary, as well as provide scenarios for costs of common medical events. 

VOYA Life Insurance Enrollment
During our annual benefit enrollment, employees who didn’t opt for additional life insurance coverage through VOYA can also enroll. Complete the enrollment form and submit it to Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist. Existing employees who are enrolling for the first time will be required to fill out an Evidence of Insurability form. Existing employees who are already enrolled but who want to increase their coverage may also do so at this time. Existing employees may increase your coverage, but if you choose to increase it over $10,000, they will be required to fill out an Evidence of Insurability form. Enrollment will be during April but will be effective on July 1, 2020.

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 

Questions? 
If you have any questions about the new plans or need assistance with enrolling, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, to set up a meeting.

Stop Stressing, Start Living Healthier…Take the “Chill Out” Challenge!

Stress is an inevitable part of life. How we choose to handle stress can make a world of difference. Being physically active and practicing relaxation techniques, including mindfulness, can improve your mental outlook and physical health. This challenge will provide you with tips and resources to effectively manage stressors as well as help you to increase your activity – a great stress reliever! Sign up today and start to CHILL OUT! 

Key Dates 
Challenge start date: 
April 27 

Challenge end date and last day to record participation
May 24 

Last day to sign up for the challenge
May 4 

Chill Out Challenge Flyer

2020-21 Staff Work Calendars Set-Up and Ready to Go; Complete Your Calendar by June 5

2020-21 work calendars have been added to the Employee Dashboard for all staff who need to complete a work calendar. The link to this function is found in the Calendar Online Forms folder on the Leave Online tab. You may need to log out and log back into your Dashboard before you start the calendar process.   


   


The calendar presented will be the default calendar based on your individual pay assignment. This will look very similar to the Online Calendar View function. However, functionality is built into the interface to allow the personalization of the calendar to reflect your schedule. This is done by simply clicking on the day in question. 

Each time a day is clicked, it will change to one of the following:

  

• Blue X – represents a non-working day 
  
• Green / – represents a half working day 
 
• White Space – represents a full working day 
  
• A yellow H represents unpaid holidays and a yellow H followed by an asterisk (*) represents paid holidays. Sundays and holidays cannot be changed. 


  
• At the top of the screen, two numbers will be presented.  
• The number on the left is the number of working days based on the days selected as such—in other words, the total of the white spaces (full days) and green slashes (half days).  
• The second number is the number of days expected to work based on the pay assignment. These two numbers must match when the calendar is submitted.  
• When the calendar is submitted, it will be routed to your current supervisor just as a leave request would be. And, just as with a leave request, the supervisor will review and can approve or reject the calendar. Applicable emails are sent to you and your need-to-know person as well. A help doc named “Calendar Online Entry Documentation” is available on the Help tab. This document describes in detail all the functions of the interface. 




  
• If you are transferring regions, please work with your new supervisor to fill out your calendar. It will still go to your current supervisor for approval but check with your new supervisor on specific days.   
• Once approved, your 2020-21 calendar can be viewed by you, your supervisor and your need-to-know person.   
• Also, all subsequent changes to the 2020-21 calendar must be submitted via the Calendar Exchange Online request system after July 1, 2020.  
• The working days calendars are due before summer break or June 5, 2020, whichever comes first.  
• As a reminder, your calendar will need to be submitted and approved in order to take leave for next fiscal year in the new leave system. 


If you have any questions, contact Whitney Wolf, Human Resources Generalist, at ext. 14432.

Reminder: Agency’s New Leave Online System is Up and Running!

The Agency’s new and improved Leave Online system is live and ready to be used! Remember that 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. 

Don’t Forget to Enter Leave from April 8-12 
Both Leave systems were unavailable from April 8 through April 12. If you took leave for this time period, you should enter the leave into the new Leave Online system now that it is available.  

Take a look at this short video tutorial and the system User Guide before you begin using the new system. 

Leave Online System Video Tutorial 
Leave Online System User Guide 

Questions? 
If you have any questions about the new Leave Online system, contact Britini Jones, Human Resources Assistant.

Online Wellness Apparel Store Open for All Staff for the Next Two Weeks; Still Time to Use Your Wellness Incentive for Apparel

Back for April…The Heartland AEA online store where staff can redeem their Wellness incentive for agency logo apparel is open for ALL employees today through April 30, 2020! Employees who have earned their $40 coupon towards logo apparel will receive a separate email with specific ordering information once Interactive Health has notified us.   




But new this year—all employees can purchase any items in the store (and shipping) at their own cost during the two-week period when the online store is open monthly through June 2020. Important reminder: if you are not ordering apparel with your Wellness credit, you’ll need to pay for shipping using Spee-Dee Delivery or UPS or pick up your purchase at P&M Apparel in Polk City. 

Still Time to Use Your Wellness Incentive 
If you missed your assigned month to use your coupon code for logo apparel for your Wellness incentive and/or you haven’t yet ordered, please visit the online store and place you order this month using your previously emailed coupon code. 


P&M Apparel Heartland AEA Online Store   





If you have any questions, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist.

Special Education Staff: Please Take 5 Minutes to Complete the Family & Educator Partnership Survey

Heartland AEA Certified special education staff is encouraged to complete the Iowa Family & Educator Partnership (FEP) annual survey, available now through April 30. 

The survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete, and all answers are anonymous. Your participation will help FEP focus on supports during the upcoming year. 

As a reminder, your Heartland AEA FEP staff are listed on the Agency’s FEP webpage. Thank you for your participation!

Action Needed: Update Your Computer’s Operating System and Antivirus by May 15

The Agency is preparing to upgrade all of its Mac computers to Apple’s current operating system, macOS 10.15 (Catalina). Having all staff using the same operating system will enhance our security and simplify the process of providing support. After you’ve completed the upgrade to macOS Catalina, we ask that you install the latest version of Symantec Endpoint Protection from Self Service for improved compatibility with the new operating system. The update will be available under the Utilities category in Self Service. 

Later this week, you will receive an email with detailed instructions about how you will perform this upgrade. This will be a fairly simple process, but it will take some time. For example, if a new computer is being upgraded and the needed “Install macOS Catalina” installer is already located in your Applications folder, the process could take as little as 30 minutes. If an older model is being upgraded and the needed “Install macOS Catalina” installer isn’t already in the Applications folder, then it could take 2-3 hours to download the needed installer and perform the update. So you’ll want to plan your time according to what computer you have and whether you already have the “Install macOS Catalina” installer in the Applications folder. 

Included in the email you’ll receive later this week is a short video we encourage you to watch prior to doing the upgrade so you know what to expect. NOTE: You will need 23 GB of free space in order to perform the upgrade. You will also need to do a Time Machine backup on your external hard drive just prior to performing the upgrade. If you don’t have your Time Machine drive with you, DO NOT attempt to do the upgrade.  

For those of you who upgraded your operating system as part of the pilot group, thank you for your willingness to help us test the process. If you were part of the pilot, there’s no need for you to do any additional upgrades at this time.  The Internal Technology Department asks that you complete the upgrade to macOS 10.15 (Catalina) by May 15.  

If you have any questions, contact Mike Permann in the Internal Technology Department.

Reminder: Agency Logo Virtual Backgrounds for Zoom are Here!

Wish you had a different background to display when you’re using Zoom? 

Take a look at the six different options with the Heartland AEA logo we have for you to choose from! 

Agency Logo Zoom Backgrounds 

Instructions on Adding Virtual Backgrounds to Zoom