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

Heartland AEA COVID-19 Dashboard for the Week Ending Nov. 27, 2020

We will provide you with COVID-19 case and quarantine data each Monday in The Connection. The numbers will fluctuate on a weekly basis, and our report will show what is current as of the previous Friday. If you have any questions, contact Nia Chiaramonte, Director of Human Resources. Thank you for your continued cooperation and flexibility as we work together to support children, students, families, educators and each other throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Clarification on PlanWithEase 403(b) Letter

Heartland AEA is part of the State of Iowa’s 403(b) plan, aka the Retirement Investors’ Club (RIC). The State has overall responsibility for the administration of the 403() plan, but for several years, RIC has used PlanWithEase (PWE) as its third-party administrator for 403(b) plan transactions. 

Recently, in an effort to increase the security of participant information, PWE has changed how participants log into their website for the first time. To log in, participants will still use their Social Security Number as their User ID, but they will now use a password that PWE creates for them. 

Participants who have never logged into the PWE website will receive a unique password from PWE in a letter via U.S. mail to their home mailing address. Participants who are already registered on the PWE website will continue to use the password they previously established. 

If you have any questions, contact Steve Jordan, Senior Payroll Specialist, at ext. 14908.

Reminder: New Agency Website Debuts Tomorrow

We are very excited to announce the launch of the Agency’s redesigned website on Dec. 1, 2020. The new site will be easier to navigate, more user-friendly and quite graphically pleasing!

As a partner in education, it’s important for us to make information regarding our services and supports easily accessible for educators, students and families. We strive to provide our partners with the most accurate, up-to-date information and share our knowledge and expertise in education. Our goal with the redesigned website is to provide visitors an easier way to learn about Heartland AEA’s services and to browse information based on their own choices. 

The new website gives better access to: 

• Professional Learning opportunities
 
• Library & Digital resources 
 
• Creative Services materials and online ordering
 
• Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment supports
 
• Special Education services
 
• Family supports
 

The website also features:

• Enhanced web accessibility for those who use screen readers
• A responsive design that allows the site to be accessible on mobile devices
• Integrated social media buttons for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn 

If you have any questions about the launch of the new site or would like to know more information, contact the Communications Department.

Reminder: Process for Communicating Inclement Weather Office Closings & Course Cancellations; Ensure Your Phone Number is Current in Employee Online

As we approach winter, we want to remind you of how our agency communicates about inclement weather office closings and course cancellations (in addition to any other type of emergency situation).





Inclement Weather 


Heartland AEA offices will typically remain open unless all schools in a region are closed and travel is not recommended—which we know does happen. In preparation for the possibility of office closings and professional learning course cancellations, read below for the process the Agency uses to communicate about closings, cancellations and delays.



  

• First, read the Agency’s Inclement Weather Policy, which can be found in the Staff Handbook in Section 11:16. If you have any questions about the Inclement Weather policy, contact Nia Chiaramonte, Director of Human Resources.



  
• Second, remember that the Temporary Remote Workplace Program can be used in extraordinary circumstances with supervisor approval. More information about the program can be found in the Staff Handbook in Section 3:4. In an inclement weather circumstance, staff members who complete timesheets have the option of taking unpaid leave, even if they have other leaves available.  

  
• Third, make sure your phone information is up-to-date in Employee Online, so you will be notified of office closings. If you are a new staff member or have a new phone number, you will receive a message from the short code 67587 asking if you’d like to opt-in to receive messages from SchoolMessenger. Reply “Yes” to receive those messages.  


Communicating Office Closures 





The Agency uses the following methods to notify staff members of office closures due to inclement weather or another emergency.   
 

• SchoolMessenger: We will send text and email messages through SchoolMessenger (an online notification system) to only those staff members who are assigned to offices that close.
• Website: We will post closing information on the front page of the Agency’s website.    
• Social Media: We will post closing information on the Agency's Facebook and Twitter accounts.  


Communicating Professional Learning Class Cancellations  



If a professional learning class or activity is canceled, the cancellation will be communicated via the agency website and social media.  





If you have any questions about inclement weather communications, contact Courtney Croatt, Communications Specialist, at ext. 14474.

Reminder: Have You Completed Your Online ALICE Training for 2020-21?

 As Heartland AEA continues to make improvements in our agency’s safety and security, all staff are required to complete the online ALICE training once each school year. By the end of the 2020-21 school year (June 30, 2021), all Heartland AEA staff members should take the hour-long online training to become familiar with the ALICE program and the techniques it teaches in response to an armed intruder event.  







ALICE stands for:    

• Alert: Get the word out! “Armed Intruder in building” instead of “Code Red,” or “Bring the purple folder to the office.” Use clear, concise language to convey the type and location of the event.    
• Lockdown: Good starting point. We will continue to lockdown in secure areas.    
• Inform: Communication keeps the intruder off balance and allows for good decision-making. 
• Counter: Apply skills to distract, confuse and gain control.    
• Evacuate: Reduce the number of potential targets for the intruder and reduce chances of victims resulting from friendly fire when help arrives.    

In short, using the ALICE method will give you more tools to use in the event of an armed intruder/active shooter. We want to provide you with the knowledge that if faced with a life or death situation there are methods that can be applied to enhance your chance of survival. 

 

 



Again, you are expected to complete the ALICE online training by the end of June 2021.   



The training has been assigned to all Heartland AEA employees in the AEA Learning Online Learning System. 

To access the training:  

• Visit the AEA Learning Online training site. 
• Enter the email and password used for your AEA Login and click log in. 

Assistance 

If you need assistance accessing the site, contact: 

Carol Naylor, Professional Learning Registrar


If you have any questions about the training or the ALICE program in general, contact 

Dustin Gean, Operations Manager

Emergency Response & Safety Team Lead and Certified ALICE Trainer

Clarification About Dec. 24 on Working Days Calendars

In celebration of Winter Break:   

• Dec. 23, 2020: Agency offices will be closed to the public, but the day will be considered a normal calendar/workday.  
• Dec. 24, 2020 - Jan. 3, 2021: Offices will be closed to staff and the public.  
• Jan. 4, 2021: Offices reopen to staff and the public. 

Please note that for staff with working days calendars, Dec. 24 is showing up as a workday. Please disregard this as it is an agency holiday. 

Last Call: Early Notification Letters Due to HR on Dec. 4

Last year, Heartland AEA filled 45+ vacancies in the Certified Union and Management staff employee groups. It has been to the Agency’s advantage to enter the recruitment cycle as early as possible.  






For 2020-21, the Heartland AEA Board of Directors has again approved an Early Notification Incentive for staff who have a signed contract and who notify Heartland AEA of their intent to not renew their contract for the 2021-22 school year by Dec. 4, 2020. Details are listed below.





Early Notification Incentive Process & Requirements   

• Certified Union and Management staff who do not plan to return to Heartland AEA for the 2021-22 school year must submit early notification letters of resignation that are effective at the end of the 2020-21 work year.   
• Early notification letters must be received in the Human Resources Department by 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 4, 2020.   
• Heartland AEA’s Board of Directors acts on early notification letters no later than the regular meeting on Dec. 8, 2020.   
• Departing staff must fulfill their individual employment contract obligations for the 2020-21 work year.   


Early Notification Incentive   

• A $1,500 early notification incentive will be paid on June 30, 2021, to employees fulfilling these requirements.

If you have any questions about the early notification incentive, contact Nia Chiaramonte, Director of Human Resources, at ext. 14534.

Want to Learn More About What "Future Ready" Really Means for Students & Educators?

Future Ready is part of the AEA System’s Strategic Plan. But what does “Future Ready” really mean and what does it mean at Heartland AEA? Did you know we have a Future Ready team? What metrics are we using? All of these questions will be covered in the one-credit course “Introduction to Future Ready at Heartland AEA.” 

The course was set up as a TQ course but is open to anyone who wants to participate and learn. The course begins the week of Dec. 8 with one Zoom meeting, and the remainder of the course will be asynchronous. If you have any questions, contact Sue Schirmer, Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant.

Course #: 190560 HL - TQ: Introduction to Future Ready at Heartland AEA (Graduate Level)

Section # 295199