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

We Can’t Have Receptions, But We Can Still Honor Our Retirees!

We are disappointed that we can’t honor our staff with our typical retirement receptions due to COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean we can’t recognize our retirees with memories and good wishes! Please see the links below to a Flipgrid for each retiree where you can record messages to send our retirees off in caring Heartland AEA style! 

Flipgird Instructions 

• Click on a Flipgrid link. 
• Click “Log in with Google.” 
• Click the green + to add your video. 
• Record a message for our honored retirees. 
• After reviewing your video, you can click the arrow to proceed to the next step. 
• Take a picture of yourself for your thumbnail. This is how you will show up on the grid before your video is played. 

Cindy Bruns (Special Education Consultant/KN)
Sue Ford  (Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant/GC)
JoAnn Hansen  (Speech-Language Pathologist/AM)
Linda McAtee (Speech-Language Pathologist/JO)
Terry Mendell  (Lead Parent & Educator Coordinator/KN)
Cheryl Risen (Special Education Consultant/JO)
Deborah Rohweder  (Speech-Language Pathologist/JO)
Deb Smith  (Shelter Care Teacher/PCDC)
Linda Wegner (Special Education Nurse/AM)

Reminder: Annual Eligibility Notice for 403(b)/457 Retirement Plans

Heartland AEA offers employees the opportunity to voluntarily save for retirement by participating in the Iowa Department of Administrative Services’ Retirement Investors’ Club (RIC) 403(b) and/or 457 plans. You are eligible to participate in these plans whether or not you are actively contributing to them. 

Some highlights of the RIC plans are: 

•  The minimum contribution is $12.50 per pay period.
•  You have the option of pre-tax contributions (before state and federal income taxes are computed) and/or post-tax Roth contributions. You should work with your financial advisor to determine what is best for your retirement planning. 
•  The Agency does not offer matching funds, but it is still very beneficial for you to start saving for retirement, even if you are only able to start with a small amount. 
• For 2020, the maximum amount you may contribute per year is 100% of your compensation up to $19,500. Also, if you are age 50 or older, you may contribute an additional $6,500. In some cases, you may also be able to make additional catch-up contributions. A calculation is required to determine if you’re eligible for this special provision. 

There are three basic steps to start participating in the RIC plans: 

• Create an account with one of the plan investment providers. 
• Make your investment election (how you want your money invested). 
• Complete Heartland AEA’s Election Form to being your payroll deduction. Election forms can be found on Employee Online > Menu > Payroll Information > Retirement. 

To learn more about these plans, visit the RIC’s 403(b) webpage and the RIC’s 457 webpage. Use the left-hand navigation section to find out more information on these plans. This Notice is not intended as tax or legal advice. Employees are encouraged to contact their financial advisor or tax professional with any tax or legal questions. 

If you have any questions about participating in these retirement plans, contact Steve Jordan, Senior Payroll Specialist.

May 2020 Educator Connection Newsletter Available

Last week the Communications Department sent out the fourth and final issue of the Educator Connection newsletter for the 2019-20 school year. The Educator Connection is intended to keep educators in the Heartland AEA service area better connected to our agency and to the many programs and services we offer to educators, students and families. The newsletter is emailed to educators and automatically archived on our agency website. Anyone can also subscribe to the newsletter via the webpage.      
 

Heartland AEA Educator Connection May 2020 

• Visit Our Central Hub for COVID-19 Resources for Families, Students, Educators and Administrators 
• Essential Printing Services Are Available Through Heartland AEA 
• Heartland AEA English Learner Newsletter May 2020 Available 
• New -- Check Out These Ebook Reading Guides to Spark Students' Imaginations! 
• Hundreds of New Ebooks Have Been Added to MackinVia  Free Digital Professional Teaching and Learning Resources 
• Numeracy Project Training to Continue 
• Change in Format of AEA Professional Learning Activities; Instructors, Contact Us 
• Welcome to Wellness Weekly, a Shareable Resource for Educators, Families and Students  
• Heartland AEA Virtual Supports: New Webinars & Additional Courses

OTC Drugs & Feminine Hygiene Products Now Eligible for Reimbursement Under Flex & HRA Plans Without Prescription

As a result of the CARES Act (COVID-3 Stimulus Bill), enacted on March 27, 2020, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are now eligible for reimbursement under the Agency’s medical flex and HRA plans without a prescription. 

Some common examples of OTC drugs: 

• Aspirin 
• Tylenol 
• Cough, cold and flu medications 
• Allergy medications 

Some common examples of feminine hygiene products: 

• Tampons 
• Pads 
• Liners 
• Menstrual cups and sponges 

Take some time to track down your receipts -- these expenses are eligible retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020. 

121 Benefits CARES Act Updates

New Teacher Project Releases Resource to Assist Schools to Accelerate Student Learning

The New Teacher Project (TNTP) reimagine learning has released a resource for schools focused on proven strategies to accelerate student learning. Their guidance helps school administrators and district stakeholders organize around the following key questions:  

1. How do we create a plan to accelerate learning? 
2. How do we accelerate learning in the next two years? 
3. What other challenges should we be anticipating as we plan to accelerate student learning?  

This document has been shared with curriculum directors and superintendents and can serve as a resource for you as you engage with our partners.   

Restarting School: Planning for Acceleration in the 2020-2021 School Year

May 2020 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda Available

The agenda for the May 12, 2020 Heartland AEA Board of Directors meeting is available.

Tips for Signing PDFs Using Your Computer or iPad

With an increased need to sign PDF documents while away from the office, here are some tips on how to do it using your agency-issued devices at home, without the need for a printer.  

If you are using your agency-issued laptop, this short video will show you how to sign PDFs using the Preview app on your Mac.  

There is also this Heartland AEA Tech Tip on how to sign PDFs using the Notes app on your agency-issued iPad.

Reminder: Update Your Zoom to Version 5.0 & Enable Permissions in Mac 10.15 Catalina

Update Software to Version 5.0 by May 30
Zoom recently released its software version 5.0 as part of its roadmap to upgrade security and encryption for all meetings. All staff needs to upgrade their Zoom app by May 30, 2020. Instructions on how to upgrade can be found in this document. Version 5.0 is also available for iOS, so staff who use Zoom on their agency-issued iPad would need to upgrade through Self Service on the iPad or through the App Store. Anyone using Zoom after May 30 will be forced to upgrade before joining a meeting. 

Enable Permissions for Zoom in New Operating System
MacOS 10.15 Catalina added some security settings, so after you upgrade your computer, you will need to re-enable those security permissions for Zoom. When opening Zoom the first time after your computer upgrade, you will be prompted to allow Zoom to use your camera, your microphone and to share screen. This support article walks you through how to update those permissions. If you have any questions, contact David Hammer., Multimedia Specialist.

If you have any questions about either of these items, contact David Hammer, Multimedia Specialist.

Reminder: Design of Google Sharing Interface to Change Soon

The Internal Technology Department has been advised that Google has redesigned the sharing dialog that you currently use to share files from Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms on the web. This will replace the current interface used to share files and manage members of shared drives. See this G Suite webpage to learn more. 


What’s Changing 
Google is updating the interface you use to share files from Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms on the web. This will replace the previous interface used to share files and manage members of shared drives.  

GIF

Google has made several changes to the sharing experience. These make it easier to perform common tasks, avoid accidental permission changes and quickly see who has access to a file. Specifically, you may notice: 

• Separated, task-focused interface: The new sharing dialog highlights essential user tasks like sharing a file, changing permissions and viewing file access. The redesign also visually separates sharing with people and groups from link-sharing.  
• Quick “copy link” button: Google has added a “copy link” button to make it easier to get the link without changing link permissions.  
• Easily see current access: The new interface more clearly shows who currently has access to the item, making it easier to quickly audit and change permissions.  

The new sharing interface for Google Drive and Docs editors’ files. 

The old sharing interface for Google Drive and Docs editors’ files. 

You are likely to start seeing these changes over the next two weeks. If you have any questions about the new interface, contact Tim Weets or Marquis Jones in the Internal Technology Department. 

Reminder: Update Your Computer’s Operating System and Antivirus

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. 

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) as soon as possible once you have access to your Time Machine backup drive and have a current backup.

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