The Channel

We are pleased to announce that Karl Kurt, currently the Assistant Chief Administrator and Director of Human Resources for the agency, has been selected as the agency’s next chief administrator to begin July 1, 2026. Kurt will succeed Stan Rheingans, Interim Chief Administrator, who will continue to serve in a shared Chief Administrator role with Keystone AEA until June 30, 2026.

In his new position, Karl will continue to lead more than 500 full- and part-time staff members who provide special education and school improvement services along with technology and media support for over 62,000 students and 5,000 educators across an 18-county region in north central and northeastern Iowa.

“Karl brings deep knowledge of our agency, has established relationships with staff and partners, and possesses a commitment to doing what is best for students, families, and educators. His experience with the AEA system will serve our region well,” said Dr. Debra Rich, CRAEA board president.

Karl has been with CRAEA since 2016, where he has helped lead strategic initiatives, strengthen organizational culture, and build leadership capacity across the agency. Under his leadership, the agency launched an internal staff wellbeing program, earned Top Workplace honors, and navigated significant organizational changes through statewide educational shifts and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m honored and humbled to continue serving our dedicated staff and the districts we support as the agency’s chief administrator,” said Karl. “Our team works tirelessly to provide outstanding services and support, and I’m passionate about building on that commitment to ensure our continued success together during this important time in our agency’s history.”

Prior to joining CRAEA, Kurt served as superintendent in North Linn and Central City Community School Districts and held administrative roles in Independence Community Schools and in Ohio. 

With a foundation in school psychology, he has championed student well-being, staff growth, and continuous improvement. Known for his transparent, compassionate, and steady leadership, Karl has earned recognition as a data driven leader who makes decisions based on what’s best for all learners.

Our agency’s annual review of mandatory policies and procedural items are now available! For viewing, please visit the document as there are several important updates to read. A few examples include:

• Agency Operations (such as our vision, values, equity updates, etc.)
• Quick links available on our staff intranet (website).
• Navigating and understanding the important items in your Weblink portal.

There is plenty of information to go through, please contact Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of HR, with any questions.

If you missed the all-staff update on October 14 via Zoom, the slide deck and recording information can be found below. The next meeting (unless canceled if there are no new updates) will be held on Tuesday, November 11 from 4-4:30 pm.

• October 14 meeting slides
• October 14 Zoom recording
• Zoom link for future meetings: https://aea1.zoom.us/j/99941260595?pwd=1L7Lj66bUNsF6KqJ3t9TU3eTHuO3aB.1
• Meeting ID: 999 4126 0595
• Passcode: 713069

Great news – AEA Contact Manager is officially back up and running! AEA Contact Manager is our internal tool designed to help staff send targeted email communications to specific groups of educators. Whether you’re reaching out to fifth grade math teachers, special education staff, teacher librarians, or other targeted audiences, this platform makes streamlined, accurate communication easier than ever. What you need to know:

• Contact Manager uses data provided by local educators to create reliable contact lists and allows staff to deliver messages to the right people at the right time.
• The system will continue to be updated, and your assistance is key. If you notice missing contacts or changes needed, your input helps keep the database accurate and current. Simply use this Google Form to notify Creative Services.
• Visit our staff website and look under Communications to access the Contact Manager tool.

Need help?

If you have questions or would like support using the system, please reach out to either Phil Hendricks or Beth Strike.

We would like to welcome incoming staff for the 2025-26 school year!

April Didier, Educational Assistant – River Hills School

Professional Learning Team welcomes Jessica Dally, Administrative Assistant

Please give a warm welcome to Jessica Dally, who starts at the agency on November 24! She’ll be joining the Professional Learning office in Cedar Falls and will also be helping out at the front desk. Jessica is eager to meet everyone and learn how she can connect with your work, so please stop by and say hello when you have a chance!

Hi! I’m very excited to be joining a passionate group of professionals in my new role! I consider myself a catalyst for organizational efficiency and thrive in supportive team environments. My diverse sales/support work background allows me to bring a unique blend of skills to the agency. 

Since graduating high school, I’ve been fortunate enough to gain years of experience across diverse business sectors, including TV Media Marketing, Financial Office Managing, and Legal Assisting. These positions have equipped me with a flexible approach to problem-solving and a deep understanding of what it takes to support a successful team.

I grew up in the Cedar Falls area, spent six years in the suburbs of Chicago, and am now back here to spend time with my wonderful parents, my six crazy siblings (ranging from 34–14), my four incredible nieces, and two nephews who live down in Texas. When I’m not working, I balance life by exploring the local outdoors with my boyfriend Luke, binge-watching reality TV, and embracing the simple joys of life!

Thank you to our Central Rivers AEA team for helping get our new staff acclimated! It’s clear from recent check-ins that the start of the year has been overwhelmingly positive.

Amazing support from the team

New staff feel incredibly supported by everyone around them – from their core team, to their mentor, to the discipline lead and the leadership teams.

• “It has been a great start to the year for me. I have felt very supported by my mentor and the various mentoring opportunities that we have been given. Several colleagues have also been very willing to help with any questions or support needs that have come up.”
• “I have loved my time at CR so far, and I am so glad I made the career change.”

Resources are easy to find

New staff feel like they have what they need to be successful.

• “I feel like I have the resources and support I need! Everyone has been so willing to help if I have questions. If I ever felt I needed resources or support, I just ask!”
• “I have a great Core Team and everyone is willing to be helpful and provide guidance. My RA is also available, easy to communicate with, and supportive. My discipline lead has also been a huge support for assisting with decision-making, knowing what resources to use, etc.”

The school year is off to a great start

Overall, the first part of the year has been a success.

• “The start of this year has gone really well for me. I think the Core Team model has helped me feel less isolated and more supported. Right now, I have the support I need to continue growing in my position.”
• “The year has gone great so far! I feel on track to meet my job roles and goals!”

Live documents, helpful resources and guides can be found on our staff website.

• Updates with CRAEA Special Education doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel and important mid-month information)
• Special Education Updates

Central Rivers AEA continues to provide uPAR implementation support services to districts

uPar access update:

The Universal Protocol for Accommodations in Reading (uPAR) is a powerful protocol that helps determine appropriate reading accommodations for all students. Districts in Iowa can gain free access to uPAR through Everway’s Iowa Access for All website, which explains the tool, outlines the sign-up process, and provides a link to the required uPAR District Deployment Form.

Additionally, schools using uPAR, can apply to receive Read&Write for Google at no cost; see the application for details. (Applying for Read&Write for Google does not guarantee free access, as the license number is limited.)

uPAR training update

During the next PD window, the DE has pre-approved an Access for All Learning Package for districts on uPAR. More details will be provided as they become available.

AEA access

Once a district has uPAR access, AEA staff may request administrator-level access to review data and help support district implementation. There are two ways to request access:

1. District-Initiated Request: An LEA administrator emails Nik Poulikidas (npoulakidas@texthelp.com) at Everway to authorize specific AEA staff members for admin-level access.
2. AEA-Initiated Request: An AEA staff member emails Nik Poulikidas (npoulakidas@texthelp.com) at Everway to request access for themselves (and/or other AEA staff) and includes the LEA administrator on the email to confirm district approval. See sample email request.

Changes from past practice

This updated process was introduced to ensure stronger compliance with FERPA, as well as to streamline automatic domain-based rostering, thereby reducing the need for manual district uploads.

uPAR questions

• Central Rivers AEA staff: If you have any questions, please reach out to Jess Kite, uPAR lead. 
• Keystone AEA Staff: If you have any questions, please reach out to Tracy Grimes, uPAR lead.For more information, please refer back to a previous article regarding uPar implementation.

Live documents, helpful resources and guides can be found on our staff website.

• Updates with CRAEA Ed Services & Media doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel and important mid-month information)
• Ed Services/Media Updates

Personalized coaching is available for you

Want more of what works for you and less of what doesn’t? Central Rivers AEA offers free 1:1 coaching sessions with certified well-being coach Dr. Leslie Moore on Zoom. Sessions are available weekdays from 7:30 am–4:30 pm and can be booked up to 60 days in advance with just two days’ notice. Schedule your session online!

Enhance your well-being & earn $250

Central Rivers AEA continues to encourage our staff to enhance their well-being by offering a $250 incentive for submitting evidence of understanding and skills in one micro-credential related to INspired Leadership! To learn more about microcredentials, review the Micro-credential Explanation document. To learn about and/or register for a microcredential you are interested in, choose and select: 1) Awareness of Internal Energy, 2) 4 Key Mindsets, and 3) Overcoming Internal Energy Blocks [requires both prerequisite microcredentials above]. Evidence submitted will be reviewed by Dr. Moore.

To start a micro-credential, click its link and then select “Log in here” in the orange box beneath the title.

• If you forgot your login, select “Lost Password” to get a password reset link.
• Didn’t receive a link after five minutes? You might not have an account. Please contact Kay Schmalen, Director of Professional Learning, at kschmalen@centralriversaea.org.

Leverage the new Zoom Scheduler “booking link” to save time and streamline appointment scheduling.

Zoom Scheduler is a new feature that helps you book meetings faster. It can link directly to your Google Calendar and lets you create specific time slots when you are free. You then share those slots with others, and they can pick a time that works for everyone, automatically adding it to both calendars. More details about this new feature include:

• Automatic text reminders for meetings can be beneficial for attendees, especially for guardians and caregivers outside the agency.
• Streamline your meeting scheduling with school partners by utilizing the Zoom scheduler. This tool allows them to book 30-minute meetings with you during specified time slots.
  • For quick and easy connections, consider including your booking link in an email or signature, eliminating the need for back-and-forth scheduling.

For more information, check out the tutorial and FAQs document.

We have updated the Iowa AEA statewide slide Google templates to help make your professional development presentations even better! We collaborated with the Ed Services Directors to add four key slides that will help guide you in creating engaging presentations:

• Accessibility Statement: To ensure your materials are usable by everyone.
• Inclusive Welcome: To warmly greet all participants.
• Engagement Strategy: To help you plan ways to keep your audience involved.
• Optimistic Closure: To end your session on a positive and forward-looking note.

We also added new icon options in two different colors for you to use. You can find these refreshed templates on our staff website: Communications > Communication guides & agency templates > Iowa AEA templates.

We’re always looking for ways to celebrate the impact of our work – and that starts with the students we serve.

Do you know a student who’s made big strides in their learning or reached a milestone thanks to the support you or your team provided? We’d love to share their story as a way to highlight Central Rivers AEA services and the powerful results they lead to.

If you have a story in mind, complete this quick Google Form to get started. Let’s keep shining a light on the difference we’re making together! For questions, please reach out to Contessa Van Buskirk, Communications Specialist.

The special programs staff from Brookhaven Youth Shelter truly showed their spirit last week! They didn’t just attend their professional learning session; they nailed their Halloween costumes by dressing up as the fun crew from Inside Out. The team spent the day diving into SOAR: Supporting Ongoing Achievement Responsibly and figuring out how to put this process into action in their classrooms.

We absolutely love seeing this kind of dedication – you all consistently go above and beyond for students! A big thank you to Theresa Smith, Consultant for Ed Services, for leading the session and to the teacher from North Iowa Juvenile Detention Services for “stepping up to the plate.” Bonus points to the staff at the Clear Lake office who also dressed up while attending Child Find training!

(Extra Halloween bonus… We couldn’t do anything without our “super” IT team!)

Don’t forget to update your voicemail greeting and set an “away” message for your email during the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks to let callers and emailers know when to expect a response. All Central Rivers AEA offices will be closed on November 27-28 in observance of Thanksgiving.

Voicemail example

“Hello, this is (your name). Our offices are closed beginning Thursday, November 27 and will reopen on Monday, December 1. Please leave your name, number and a brief message and I will return your call on the first. Thank you and happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Central Rivers AEA.”

Email “away” message example

Thank you for your email. I will be out of the office on Thursday and Friday, November 27-28. All Central Rivers AEA offices are closed in observance of Thanksgiving. I will respond to your email upon my return on Monday, December 1. Thank you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Please note the office closure dates for the Christmas holiday break are December 24, 2025 – January 1, 2026. Offices will reopen on Friday, January 2.

If you need assistance with either task, please contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@centralriversaea.org or 319-273-8231.