Monday, April 27, 2020

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 22, 2020

It’s the Final Countdown -- Register for Benefits Today! Failure to Enroll May Result in Loss of Your Current or Desired Benefits!

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 
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.

Important: Updated Working Days Calendar Guidance

Due to the changing nature of the school calendar landscape for the fall, we are resetting all staff workday calendars. Staff will not be required to fill out and submit their calendars until school district calendars are finalized. Keep in mind, you will not be able to submit leave in the new Leave Online system until a calendar has been submitted and approved. Please work with your supervisor who can assist with filling out calendars once we know more about school schedules for the 2020-21 school year.

Reminder: 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

April 28, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda Available

The agenda for the April 28, 2020, Heartland AEA Board of Directors Meeting is available.

Reminder: 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. 

Last week, you received an email with detailed instructions about how to 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.

Three More Agency Logo Zoom Virtual Backgrounds Available

We’ve added three more backgrounds to our repository of Zoom virtual backgrounds – two early childhood classroom/home type settings and a traditional classroom setting. 

Take a look at the nine 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