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

Federal Payroll Tax Relief Update: Heartland AEA Has Chosen Not to Participate

As you may be aware, on Aug. 8, 2020, President Trump signed an executive order to provide temporary relief from the collection of Social Security taxes for many employees. The relief would apply: 

• to salaries and wages earned from Sept. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020, and 
• to employees earning up to $104,000/year. The employee’s share of Social Security taxes is 6.2%, and the tax rate is applied to your taxable wages. 

Significantly, the payroll tax relief would be a delay or deferral of the tax unless the U.S. Congress votes to forgive the taxes. Without congressional action, employers would be required to double an employee’s Social Security tax withholding from January to April to recoup the unpaid amount. 

Heartland AEA Has Chosen Not to Participate

Employers were not mandated to participate in this tax deferral, and Heartland AEA has chosen not to participate. The primary factors in our decision: 

1. The tax relief is temporary. While an employee’s take-home pay would increase from September-December, it's very possible that Social Security tax withholdings would double from January-April to collect the unpaid taxes. 
2. The tax holiday was intended to help staff who were harmed by the economic downturn from COVID-19. Families of some of our employees may have been negatively impacted, but our staff received full pay during the last several months of the economic downturn. 
3. Our financial software is not set up to discontinue withholding of the employee share of Social Security tax for a few months, and then to double the tax withholding for the following four months. 

If you have any questions, contact Kurt Subra, Chief Financial Officer.

Get Your Water Bottles Ready! Registration for First Wellness Challenge, “Fill’er Up,” Opens Today

No carbs. Low fat. No meat. All meat. It’s easy to get lost in the world of fad diets and overlook one simple, sustainable way to improve your health – drinking more water! Join this four-week challenge and track your water intake as you discover the short- and long-term benefits of proper hydration. 

Join on the Heartland AEA Wellness Portal! 

Registration opens today, and the challenge runs Sept. 28 to Oct. 25, 2020. 

Still need a portal account? 

Visit the Heartland AEA Wellness Portal and: 

1. Select JOIN NOW. 
2. Enter your first name, last name and Employee ID. (You can find your Employee ID number in the Employee Dashboard > Employee Online.) 
3. Confirm your information. 
4. Create a username and password, then complete your profile. 5.
5. To enroll in the challenge, select JOIN CHALLENGE on your portal dashboard.

Reminder: Heartland AEA 2020-21 Wellness Program is Here!

 The 2020-21 Wellness Program officially launched Sept. 1, 2020! We have linked up with Navigate Wellbeing Solutions to bring you a brand-new Heartland AEA Wellness Portal. No matter where you stand in your wellness journey, this program has something for everyone! Look for all the information on the Intranet > Wellness Program. 

If you have any questions, contact Britini Jones, Human Resources Associate.

Reminder: 2020-21 Teacher Quality Course & Study Group Registration Info is Here!

Registration for Teacher Quality (TQ) courses and study groups begins Oct. 9 and ends Nov 1, 2020. TQ courses and study groups are offered as an optional format for professional learning for our Certified staff. They meet for 15 hours off-contract time, and participants are eligible for a stipend upon completion of the course. All Certified staff members are eligible to register for these opportunities. TQ opportunities are offered Nov. 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021.  

Heartland AEA has a strong commitment to time spent in service to our partners. TQ courses will be offered at times when service to children, educators and families is least impacted. TQ courses and study groups will be offered between Nov. 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021, outside of contract hours Monday through Friday or on weekends, with only a few exceptions. 

TQ Timeline for 2020-21 

Study Groups 

Online and Remote TQ Courses

Repository of Course and Study Groups Here is the list of courses and study groups that were offered in 2019-20. If you want to request the syllabus for one of those courses or study groups so you can offer it, contact Dawn Peitzman. You can also create a new course or study group. Here is the running list of TQ courses and study groups approved for 2020-21. This list will be updated as courses and study groups are approved.  

Creating Study Groups 

Study groups must have at least four participants, and one participant must agree to be the study group facilitator and will not receive license renewal credit for the study group. The content must align with Heartland AEA’s four goals and/or support a specific job-alike function.   

Anyone who wants to participate in a study group on a book that was used last year or wants to create a study group for a new book still needs to fill out this form to indicate their interest in forming a study group between Sept. 7 and Nov.1, 2020. The Professional Learning Dept. will work with interested participants in writing new proposals and support them in entering the proposal in the AEA Professional Learning Registration System. Study groups can begin after Nov. 1 or Dec 1, 2020, depending on which window (see above) you submitted your study group proposal under. This allows time for books to be ordered and distributed.  

TQ Participant Stipends  

Those who complete a TQ course or study group and meet eligibility requirements will be provided a stipend. Eligible participants will receive $700 for completing a course/study group, and facilitators will receive a $750 stipend for facilitating a course/study group.  

License Renewal Credit to Move on the Salary Schedule 

Heartland AEA has changed its policy on paying for license renewal credit for TQ courses and study groups. If you want to use them to move on the salary schedule, the Agency will cover the license renewal fee for one TQ opportunity for which you are receiving a stipend even if you use it to move on the salary schedule. If you take additional TQ opportunities and want to use the additional credits to move on the salary scale, you will need to pay the license renewal fee. In order to have the license renewal fee covered, you will select “Purchase Order - HL” on the Payment Selection page. In the Purchase Order Number field, enter HEART (all capitals) and complete the required fields on the form. No other action will be needed on your part.  

FAQ Document 

Here is a frequently asked questions document that will help answer questions about Teacher Quality.  

Questions 

If you have any further questions about TQ payment or guidelines, contact Kevin Fangman, Chief Academic Officer. 
If you have any further questions about courses or study groups, contact Brandie Gean, Licensure & Conference Center Manager.

Reminder: A Menu of Offerings Is Available for 2020-21 Technology Lunch & Learn Sessions!

 All agency staff members are encouraged to take advantage of Technology Lunch & Learn sessions for 2020-21! These sessions will provide tips, tricks, hints and skills for proficiency in using varied tools and resources for increased productivity in the workplace and will address our Heartland AEA Technology Competencies. 

Offered twice a month, these learning sessions vary in topics. Participants may attend one or all of the sections offered throughout the 2020-21 school year. The format includes 20 minutes of new learning and 20 minutes of guided practice with members of our Instructional Technology Team. Each session will be held virtually, with a link to be shared upon registration. 

Professional Learning Sessions 

See the list of dates and topics for this year’s learning sessions. 

As they were last year, each session will be recorded and archived. To access the recorded sessions, go to the Intranet > Technology > Professional Learning. 

Register Now! 

HL - 2020-21 Technology Lunch and Learn - 190361 

Log in to the AEA Professional Learning Registration System using your AEA Login, which is the same email and password you use to login to the AEA Learning Online Learning System (e.g. Mandatory Reporter, Bloodborne Pathogens). You will have to register for each section you wish to participate in.

Change Ahead! Beginning Sept. 27, Zoom Will Require All Meetings to have a Passcode or a Waiting Room Enabled

You as a Zoom user, have the choice of which (or both) of these options you would like to turn on for your meetings. If you take NO action before Sept. 27, Zoom will automatically enable a Waiting Room for your meetings. 

If you already have a Passcode or Waiting Room enabled, your settings will remain the same for your current selection. You can change your security preference at any time by logging onto your account online at zoom.us, under “Settings: Security.” 

Learn more and view times for Zoom help sessions with our Multimedia Specialists…