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 

FYI: Update on FASTBridge Learning System: Iowa’s New Data System for K-6 Literacy

From the Iowa Department of Education:

As you know, the State of Iowa is transitioning to a new statewide data system for K-6 literacy through FASTBridge Learning. To help school districts prepare, comprehensive training will be provided beginning July 25 through the end of October consisting of webinars followed by regional face-to-face trainings. Because this training is critical to successful implementation of the new data system, the Departments asks for your support in ensuring districts’ full participation.

Participating in all parts of the training is necessary, particularly because we will be implementing a “train-the-trainer” model and participants will be expected to train users locally. Although some elements of the new data system will be familiar – such as the test administration view, the automatic flow of data from the student information system to the FASTBridge system and a ticketing system for technical support – there are many new and different features in the system and in some of the tests. Also, the login and navigation experiences are different, and users will not be able to make the transition to the new system without the information presented in these training sessions.

The Iowa Department of Education has arranged for FASTBridge to conduct the professional learning at three levels (superintendents and principals received registration dates and details for the webinar sessions in a previous email; face-to-face training dates are still being finalized):

District and School Manager (Webinar, July-August): Technical training for 1-2 staff in each district and school who will manage staff and student accounts in the FASTBridge application, have access to setup options, and have the ability to run district-level reports.

     
Getting Started with FAST (Webinar, July-August): Training for literacy leaders in each district and school on how to navigate and use the FASTBridge application, understand the differences in assessment administration, have a basic understanding of the reports in the FASTBridge application, and use the knowledge base and ticket system for support. The people attending this training will then need to provide this content to all the teachers in the district and schools who will be using the FASTBridge application.

Data Reports and Interpretation, Interventions and Progress Monitoring (In-person, September-October): Training for literacy leaders on interpreting reports, understanding additional data displays, and setup of progress monitoring and interventions.

We will provide ongoing communication and support throughout this important transition. For regular updates, please sign up to receive emails through an Early Warning System Listserv.

Reminder About Fee for Mandatory Reporter Training

As a reminder, for those of you who are scheduled to take the Mandatory Reporter training through AEA PD Online: due to the cost of upkeep and development of the AEA PD Online system, AEAs are no longer able to provide this training module at no cost. As of July 1, 2011, a $25 fee has been charged to complete the Mandatory Reporter training. 

At this point, Heartland AEA employees are not able to claim this charge for reimbursement. Also, be aware that this training is not available at no cost for school personnel; all educators pay $25 to complete the training once every five years.

If you have additional questions or comments, contact Evan Abbey, Director of AEA PD Online, at ext. 14511.

August Birthdays

2 Bryce Carlton

2 Andrea Richmond

5 Christine Esser

5 Meghan Rupiper

5 Jeff S. Weinberg

5 Paige Wintz

7 Jennifer Etnyre

7 David Hammer

7 Keri Steele

8 Vicki DeMoss

9 Jen Gilmore

10 Cassie Frericks

10 Erin Sawyer

10 Jean Vesely

11 Kristi Allison

11 Candice Green

12 Mary Cabeen

12 Sadie Harbaugh

12 Jana Schneckloth

13 Teri Hazen

13 Hope Johnson

13 Molly Nugent

14 Patty Shelton

15 Bob Brown

15 Val Hubert

15 Angela O’Brien

15 Amy Pickering

17 Brenda Pierce

17 Rhonda Weiss

18 Cyndi Ballard

18 Kris Larsen

21 Brooke Hamann

21 Shannon Harken

21 Linda McAtee

21 Nicole Patton

22 Sheri Haupert

22 Kim Pickett

23 Lisa Lumbard

24 Jessica Pottebaum

24 Jenny Sumner

25 Vicki Sanders

26 Faye Allen

26 Stephaney Jones-Vo

26 Carrie Van Zanten

27 Paige Amundson

27 Jerica Ballard

27 Tim Blakeslee

27 Sandy Darveau

27 Stacey Warren

27 Linda Wegner

28 Trisha Conner

28 Kristin Orton

28 Judy Sofen

29 Mary Heaberlin

29 Robin Heuser

30 Amy Ramsey

30 Lesley Stucker

30 Kurt Subra

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 

From the Chief Administrator...Hello Heartland AEA!

I am now a week into my new job as your administrator and wanted to take some time to introduce myself to all of you with this brief letter of introduction until such time as we can meet in person. Getting to meet over 600 people across 11 counties is no small task, but it’s something that I'm looking forward to. In the meantime, here’s a quick bio and a bit of self-reflection from the new guy….

For the past 16 years, I've lived in Ottumwa, where I was both associate superintendent and superintendent of the Ottumwa Schools, before becoming the chief administrator at Great Prairie AEA in 2011. Prior to this, I spent two years in the Heartland AEA area as the superintendent at Stuart-Menlo/West Central Valley. Prior to that experience, I was an elementary and middle school principal in Arizona and in Burlington. I began my teaching career in 1982, teaching language arts and reading in Carroll. I attended Luther College and later graduated from the University of Iowa. I did my master's and doctoral studies at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz, and I grew up in Carlisle (Class of '78). I am married to my wife, Kris, and we have two grown children, one living in Des Moines and one living in the Minneapolis area.

That’s where I’ve been, but more importantly, here’s what I believe. I am a staunch advocate of the AEA system and of public education in general. Iowa’s education system has served me well, served my family well and I believe served the State of Iowa well. I am of the firm belief that one of the things that sets our system apart and makes Iowa a great place to live is our strong educational service agency system. I am extremely proud of the work we do as AEAs, and I never pass up the opportunity to share our story with anyone who will listen. We do more than just serve school districts--we create hope and provide equity of opportunity for teachers, kids and families in every zip code in Iowa.  

To further share with you the things I believe and think are important after six years in the AEA system, I decided to let my farewell letter to staff at Great Prairie AEA become part of my introduction at Heartland AEA. Here is that farewell post. 

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we'll be in touch again soon!

Jon Sheldahl

Chief Administrator

Update: Guthrie Center Office In New Location, Winterset Co-Location on Hold

Guthrie Center Office

The Guthrie Center regional office is up and running in its new location at the AC/GC High School at 906 School Street in Guthrie Center. The office will keep the phone numbers, fax number and P.O. box number from the previous office. 

The new office is located inside the front door of the high school and to the right. Staff will spend the rest of the summer and early fall getting unpacked and settled into the new area. There is no longer a sound booth in the Guthrie Center office—one is now located in the Carroll regional office.

Tinna Walberg, regional director serving schools in Region 1 noted, “We are excited about the collaborative possibilities we could have with students and teachers in the building now that we are here.” 

Winterset Co-location

After further discussion with the Winterset Schools about a possible Heartland AEA co-location at Winterset Middle School, the decision has been made to hold off on a co-location for this school year. If the need for a co-location in our western service area continues, the Agency will discuss the possibilities with Winterset and other partners at a future time. 

Reminder: Use the FSA Store to Purchase Your FSA and HRA Eligible Products; 121 Benefits Reminders

The FSA Store was founded on the idea that it should be simple and easy to use your FSA or HRA plan. This e-commerce site was built to take the guessing games out of eligibility. The site hosts over 6,000 products that are FSA and HRA eligible, in addition to tools and resources. And through the Agency’s new FSA/HRA administrator, 121 Benefits, you now have access to the FSA store! This is a great place to shop if you need to spend down some of the money in your Flex account! You can access it at the web link above or through a link in your 121 Benefits account.

• The largest selection of FSA and HSA eligible products that can be purchased online using the medical debit card or any major credit card.
• Free shipping on orders over $50.
• FSA Eligibility List is searchable and sortable by plan type and eligibility.
• FSA Calculator to assist participants in understanding how much to allocate.
• Prescription Processing: every product denoted as FSA eligible or FSA eligible with prescription.
• Extensive Learning Center Q & A
• Customer Service 24/7, chat and phone support 
  

Use the code on the coupon below (121MAIL) for $10 off your first order!

Up and Running With 121 Benefits 
Everything is up and running with our new vendor, 121 Benefits! Just a reminder...there is a weekly deadline of noon on Fridays. You must submit a request for reimbursement by Fridays at noon in order to be paid on the following Friday. If you have any current pending claims, you will receive your first one this Friday.

As always, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, if you have any questions.