Year: 2016

Over the past few months, we introduced you to the newest members of AEA 267 on the agency Facebook page. Recently, we profiled the last three participating team members:

• Jennifer Zitelman, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, earned her degree from the University of Iowa and prior to joining AEA 267, worked in pediatrics.
• Sara Youngblut, COTA, received her degree from Hawkeye Community College and in her free time enjoys photography, crafting, and sewing.
• Tiffany Zilka, School Psychologist Intern, is completing her internship with us, serving as a Team Representative. She spends her spare time watching Netflix and hanging out with her dog.

Be sure to like the AEA 267 Facebook page so you do not miss out on our next featured series coming soon!

In recent years, smaller numbers of staff have been actively using the Grinnell and Charles City Offices. Each of the office spaces have become increasingly expensive to maintain which is why the AEA 267 Board of Directors will take action in the near future to officially close both on June 30, 2016. Staff members currently assigned in the Charles City or Grinnell offices will have an opportunity to work remotely or office out of a local school district they are currently serving. While the decision was a challenging one, the change will help to redirect more resources to keeping staff in the field in a time of decreasing financial resources.

While it’s been an unseasonably mild winter so far, undoubtedly a major weather event is in our future. Please be aware that the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for inclement weather have been updated on the staff website and in the portal under My Toolkbox>Inclement Weather.

If you use a Windows computer you may have received notifications from Microsoft encouraging  you to upgrade to Windows 10. We do not recommend an upgrade at this time, so please disregard all notifications to upgrade to Windows 10 until further notice.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors accepted, with regret, the retirement notice of Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of Human Resources, Kathy Enslin, effective June 30. Enslin has served the agency since 2013 when she took the position on an interim basis. Prior to taking the position with AEA 267, Enslin served as the superintendent at Denver and North Kossuth Community School Districts.

The agency will begin the search process for a new Assistant Chief/Director of Human Resources later this month. It is anticipated that Enslin’s replacement will be on board by July 1.

“I have truly enjoyed the time I spent at AEA 267,” said Enslin. “I have great admiration for the expertise and experience of the staff here and I have found the work to be highly rewarding. This has been an incredible place to finish out my career.”

Thank you to everyone who donated both cash and prizes for the 2015 Food Bank Drive. Together, we were able to raise $1,633 to help stock food pantries in Iowa. What a great accomplishment! Special thanks to Kerri Wilson, Jane Boyle, Beth Strike, and Lori Thomas for their support and assistance with this process.

On December 21, a random number generator was used to pick the winners of the prizes donated by our administrative staff. The winners were:

Cari Teske, AEA 267 Integrated Learning Specialist, will be hosting several sessions to improve your skills and confidence in using Google Apps for Education. During the workshop participants will be organizing and creating files in Google Drive and working through a Google Doc including sharing privileges and linking information.

This course is intended for AEA 267 staff who are just getting started with Google Apps. Register online through My267. (Course #15360)

If you are unable to attend any of these sessions, additional training may be scheduled at your convenience. Please contact Cari to set up an alternate date.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, January 6, 2016 in the Cedar Falls AEA 267 Conference Center. The board held a work session at 4 pm to discuss the professional development plan update for the Chief Administrator. The regular board meeting took place at 6 pm.
The agenda for the January meeting can be found on the agency website under About Us>Board of Directors>Board Meetings & Agendas. Official minutes will be posted the following month after board approval.