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

Rush to Take Over Region 6 Regional Director Role

Heartland AEA is pleased to announce the hiring of Erin Rush as the new regional director for Region 6. Erin, who has been a Heartland AEA staff member for almost 10 years, will replace Karla Jones, who will be retiring on June 30, 2021. As a regional director, Erin will provide coordination and leadership for the provision of AEA services to Ankeny Schools, Ankeny Christian and St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic School.   

Erin’s career has centered on serving students and educators in the Heartland AEA service area. Since 2011, she has served in the following positions: 

• School Psychologist -- 2011-present
 
• Social Emotional Behavior Mental Health (SEBMH) Regional Lead -- 2017-present
   

Erin brings extensive knowledge and experience in supporting the educational systems at all levels to continually improve in meeting the individual social, emotional, behavior and mental health needs of our students.   

In August, Erin will complete her educational leadership program through Viterbo University. Prior to coming to Heartland AEA, Erin graduated with an Ed.S. degree in school psychology from Oklahoma State University.    

Please join us in congratulating Erin on her new role with the Agency.

Heartland AEA COVID-19 Dashboard for the Week Ending March 12, 2021

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. 

Heartland AEA COVID-19 Dashboard

Registration is Open for Our Next Group Wellness Challenge -- Walk the Walk!

Do good for others and do good for yourself! This six-week challenge encourages you to get involved in your community and provides best practices for making the most impact. Along the way, you’ll also receive tips for boosting your daily step count. Get up and get moving to help others and to improve your health!    

Registration is Open: March 8 - April 2, 2021 

Challenge Begins: March 29, 2021 

Join Now!

Check Out Vaccine Alerts on Twitter for Help Finding Vaccination Appointments

If you continue to need assistance finding vaccination appointments, a quick tip is to follow the @iavaccinealerts account on Twitter. The account posts every time there are appointment openings at Hy-Vee and other sites offering vaccinations. You have to be quick if you find an appointment, but the account can be helpful.

Reminder: Internal Tech Dept. Beginning Automated Zoom Updating

In an ongoing effort to keep our agency software up-to-date, the Internal Technology Department will begin automated updating of the Zoom application on your agency computer starting this week. Zoom regularly releases newer versions of its application to fix bugs and address security issues. 

Beginning March 9, 2021, Casper will begin offering updates to your Zoom app. If your Zoom application isn’t running and an update is needed, Casper will automatically install the update in the background without any notification.  If you have the application open, Casper will notify you there is an update. If it’s not convenient to do the update at the time of the notification, click the Cancel button, and Casper will remind you another time. You can see a video of that process here. If it’s a convenient time, quit Zoom and click the OK button. The update will be applied, and you will be notified when the update is complete. You can see a video of that process here. Don’t close your lid or interrupt the process by powering off your computer during the update.  

You may be wondering, can I just update the Zoom app myself? 

Yes, you can. You can still update the zoom.us app when it’s convenient for you through Self Service or by using the app’s built-in update capability under the zoom.us menu > Check for Updates. You will only see a Zoom update listed in Self Service if you don’t already have the latest version. 

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