Congratulations to the March Central Rivers AEA staff who were nominated for a Difference Maker Award by our LEA partners (school administrators, superintendents, principals, teachers, etc.) For our March nominees, here is what our LEA partners that nominated you had to say:
Dr. Delann Soenksen, Special Education Consultant
“Dr. Soenksen’s leadership capabilities complement our district’s leadership team in ways that we never imagined. I was apprehensive to add others to our admin team from an outside organization, however, I have no regrets with this decision. She has been such an asset to our leadership team in so many ways – too many ways to mention. We are grateful to have Delann as part of the Mustang team!” -East Marshall CSD school administrator
Jennifer Reese, Special Education Consultant
“Jennifer does a great job of communicating with us her schedule, keeping special ed teachers on track with IEP schedules, IEP support/writing new IEPS and consulting with us for re-evals. She does a great job checking in on us and is always open to work with us when needed via in-person, email, zoom, or a text/phone call. Jennifer’s knowledge is immense and greatly appreciated!” -GMG Community School District school administrator
Dr. Ashley Reichert, Special Education Consultant
“Ashley has supported me individually as an educator and as a parent of a child with dyslexia. She offers various strategies when working with students who may not be progressing on their goals and consistently provides direction and is conversation-centered around what is best for the student. Ashley’s communication style is professional, non-threatening and supportive. She has had a tremendous impact on me as a special education teacher. Thankful for her!” -AGWSR/Central Springs CSDs teacher
Shannon Sterling, School Social Worker
“Shannon has done a remarkable job building capacity as a school social worker for Irving Elementary. Over the years, I’ve witnessed her ability to navigate challenging and complex situations with genuineness, professionalism, and empathy, which makes her exceptional in her role. She is always willing to improve and challenge herself to be her best version. Shannon has impacted our students, staff, and families throughout our partnership, directly impacting our success. We are thankful that she is a part of our Irving Family!” -Waterloo CSD school administrator
Jennifer Cline, Special Education Consultant
“Jennifer is my “go to” person when I am working with a struggling student. She offers support, strategies to try, or helps me to start the IEP process when/if necessary. She has an enormous wealth of knowledge when it comes to education, especially special education. Her demeanor when working with parents has always been something I strive to achieve – respectful, validating, and very helpful. We are lucky to have Jennifer!” -BGM Community School District teacher
Tara Davis, Special Education Consultant
“Tara has been an integral part in helping North Tama serve students. She has brought many ideas to our PK-12 building, including helping members across our building sign-up for the intensive literacy course. Her efforts have ensured that our special education department across our district has high-quality, research-based instruction to incorporate throughout our entire district. Our staff feels so supported by Tara, and we are lucky to have her!” -North Tama/Hudson CSDs school administrator