Author: Beth Strike

David Barajas, CEO of the Marshalltown Regional Partnership, has been named a Friend of the AEA by Iowa’s Area Education Agencies. Barajas received the award during a presentation at the AEA Boards of Directors’ Conference on March 30 in Johnston. This is the first year for the awards and it is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate outstanding individuals for their contributions to education and the AEA system.

The Friend of the AEA acknowledges contributions by policymakers, citizens, board members, school district partners, businesses, and organizations who have been great partners and demonstrate strong support for furthering the mission of Iowa’s AEAs.   

Barajas was nominated by Debra Holsapple of Marshalltown High School who stated that: “As a business leader in the community, David is always looking to support the students and members of Marshalltown Community Schools. Barajas has been instrumental in bringing Project Lead the Way Biomedical and Engineering programs to a reality at Marshalltown High School.  Barajas has also been involved in raising funds to complete renovation projects at the school.”

“It is our pleasure to select David Barajas as a Friend of the AEA,” said Sam Miller, AEA 267 Chief Administrator. “ He has been a great supporter of the Marshalltown Community School District, and actively participates in the work of Iowa’s Area Education Agencies.”

The Iowa Legislature established Iowa’s Area Education Agencies in 1974 to be an effective, efficient and economical means of identifying and serving children from birth to age 21 who require special education services. This decision was a result of the federal law mandating a free, appropriate, public education for children with disabilities. Since that time, Iowa’s nine AEAs continue to provide services to every public school district and accredited, nonpublic school in Iowa. While Special Education comprise about 80 percent of the services offered, the mission of Iowa’s AEAs it to improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children.

Please plan to attend one or more of the upcoming retirement open houses honoring AEA 267’s 2017 retirees. The celebrations will be held on Tuesday, May 16 in the Cedar Falls Conference Center; Wednesday, May 17 in the Clear Lake Office; and Thursday, May 18 in the Marshalltown Office from 3:30-5 p.m. at all locations.

These celebrations present a wonderful opportunity to congratulate our honorees and recognize them for their dedication and years of service. Those being honored this year include:

 

Cedar Falls

• Judy Bodecker, Educational Assistant at River Hills School
• Ronald Danielson, Educational Assistant at Woodhaven Youth Shelter
• Donita Dust, Speech Language Pathologist
• Janice Dykstra, Consultant
• Mary Hanneman, Special Education Consultant
• Kim King, School Psychologist
• Sandy Lichty, Sp Ed Consultant
• Chris Merkel, School Social Worker
• Cindy Millett, Early Childhood Special Educator
• Connie Olsson, Educational Assistant at River Hills School
• Brenda Reiher, Detention Center Teacher, N IA Juv Detention Center
• Dennis Sinclair, Area Director of Special Education
• Vicki Uhlenhopp, Special Education Nurse-Instruction, River Hills

Clear Lake

• Shirley Crippin, Speech Language Pathologist
• Dennis Molln, School Social Worker
• Mary Moritz, Itinerant Teacher of Vision Impaired
• Barb Oelberg, Print Technician
• Nancy Prins, Speech Language Pathologist
• Jill Schager, School Social Worker

Marshalltown

• Donita Anders, Early Childhood Educator
• Carol Bottom, School Psychologist
• Jane Boyle, Service Area Secretary
• Stan Ernster, Speech Language Pathologist
• Linda Langland, School Social Worker
• Mark Proescholdt, Van Driver
• Carol Sandholm, Special Education Consultant

Open enrollment for annual benefits has been set for May 1-17. All benefits-eligible employees must complete this process even if you are declining insurance, resigning or retiring. The deadline is May 17.

If you are considering retirement at the end of the 2016-17 year, please let the Human Resources office know as soon as possible. This will help to ensure that plans can be made for future staffing and also to celebrate your years of service with the agency.

Please contact Shirley Horak for more information.

Looking for clipart or photos to add to your presentation?  Worried what copyright allows for usage?  iClipArt is the answer for you.  iClipArt is a purchased online database with over eight million images.  You can choose anything from clipart, photos, web clipart, sounds, animations and videos. Learn how Laura Rinnels from our Clear Lake office uses it to enhance her work.  Need to know the agency username or password? Contact Media Services for all the information you will need to get started.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Monday, April 10, 2017 in the Cedar Falls Conference Center. The board packet is available online and the minutes will be published online after approval at the next month’s board meeting.

As an organization, we’ve made a lot of change this year. Choosing a new name, purchasing a new facility, selecting the next Executive Director of Special Education, implementing a regional administrator model, making shifts in personnel to better align with district priorities…as a system, we’ve tackled a lot.

The research on change tells us that, if not managed well, too much change at once can lead to a decrease in organizational efficiency. Put simply, people within the organization become distracted by a “what’s going to happen next” preoccupation rather than being attentive to their role in helping the organization succeed and continually innovate. The leader’s role is to stay out front, keep reiterating the vision, and embrace opportunities to listen to the concerns and expressions of anxiety that others may be feeling. This can be exceptionally challenging in an organization as complex and geographically spread out as ours–but it can still be done.

As we move through the coming months, I want to express again to you that I am interested in your feedback and it is often used to refine and improve decision making. As an example, we’ve used staff feedback around meetings to make improvements to our Regional and Discipline meetings for 2017-2018.

Call, email, stop by (if your travels bring you to Cedar Falls) or set up an appointment to visit. My role is to make clearer the rationale for the decisions that we are making and listen to how they impact you in your role within the agency. I welcome those conversations, and always appreciate the opportunity to discuss the rationale and factors that guided our decision.  I think these honest conversations help all of us to stay on the same page.

Later this spring, I plan to organize a series of meetings at each of our three offices to talk further about our vision, priorities, and how the changes we have made  will positively impact the student, schools, and families we serve.  These meetings will present another opportunity for you to learn more and ask questions that you may have.  

While change can be challenging, it’s an outgrowth of an organization that is dedicated to continuous improvement and in tune with the needs of those it serves. As the author John C. Maxwell points out, “Change is inevitable…growth is optional.” Let’s be an organization that continues to grow and thrive.

The Wellness Challenge just ended its seventh week and all the staff participating are to be commended, as team scores are tight. With only three weeks left to go of the challenge, be sure to fill out your scores each week. (Rankings are shown below, however, a couple teams have not been reporting and a few may not be up-to-date.)

 

1. CreActive Services
2. Healthy Habits
3. Region 6, The Roundabouts
4. Hot Mess Success
5. Region 1, Beverly’s Hillbillies (check out how the “Hillbillies” are rallying team spirit by watching their “inspirational” rap.)
6. Sam’s Club
7. Fuchsia Flurry
8. Region 2, Willing, But Reluctant
9. Region 8, Crazy Eights
10. Region 3, Underground Roadies

Copies of the book Eat, Move, Sleep are available for check out to any staff member interested in finding out how to improve one’s overall health simply by making small specific changes. Contact Lori Thomas if you would like to check out a copy.

As was previously announced, Amy Knupp, currently a Regional Administrator with the agency, has been selected as the agency’s next Executive Director of Special Education.  Amy will succeed Dr. Mary Stevens, who is retiring effective December 31, 2017.

Amy started with AEA 267 as a team representative and school psychologist. She has also been an adjunct professor for Kirkwood Community College. Earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and family services, a Master of Arts degree in educational psychology, and an Education Specialist degree in school psychology from the University of Northern Iowa, Amy also holds a Director of Special Education endorsement.

We had a chance to talk with Amy and find out a little about her vision for the agency.

What do you believe is our biggest challenge going forward as an agency? The continuation of integrating services throughout all areas within the AEA in the most efficient way possible.  Another challenge will be to continue to use the resources we have to provide the best services for our schools, students, and families.  

What will the first 100 days of your leadership look like?  I will be very busy working with Dr. Mary Stevens to plan for the year!  I will also be meeting with stakeholder groups so I can learn all the aspects of the agency…working with Ad Cabinet to develop plans which focus on our agency goals…and meeting with staff/discipline groups to acquire information on current practices and long range plans.   

What do you think are our greatest strengths as an agency?  Our greatest strength is our employees!  We have very dedicated and hard working employees.   We also have strong leaders driving our agency with innovative ideas that push the agency forward. All of these entities will lead our agency to excellence!

What do you want people (who haven’t had a chance to work with you previously) to know about you?  I am very passionate about student achievement and closing the achievement gap. I like to hear about, and be involved in, innovative practices that lead to increased achievement for all students. I want everyone to know I have an open door policy so everyone is welcome to stop in, introduce yourself and talk with me.

Please join us in congratulating Amy on her new position. We look forward to her leadership!

In an effort to provide more “DIY” options to staff when it comes to recording video and audio material, “Mobile Video Kits” have been assembled for staff use.  There are currently two Mobile Video Kits available for staff to checkout from the AEA 267 media center.

Each kit includes accessories that staff can hook up to their tablet in order to record video content on their own.  Staff who do not have an AEA 267 tablet can check one out from the media center to use with the kit. The kit includes:  a 57-inch aluminum tripod with a tablet mount, a professional tablet microphone, a microphone windshield for outdoor recording, a set of headphones to monitor audio, and a quick start guide explaining how to set up all the kit materials.  Contact the AEA 267 media center to reserve one today and feel free to contact Sarah Lalk for further information or training on how you can use this new tool!

Did you know that the AEA 267 Creative Services department receives approximately 100 orders per day? Orders currently come in via two different email addresses, an online form on the website, van mail, walk-in, as well as Digital Storefront, a virtual “store” for print.  That’s a lot of channels to manage for workflow as well as track for accurate billing!

A new Google order form has been developed and is being piloted. While the form seems straightforward from the user’s side, with the help of advanced Google coding, the “back side” of the form automates the workflow and billing incredibly saving Creative Services staff time and eventually increasing efficiency.

If you would like to participate in the pilot, feel free to use this form when submitting your order during the week of March 6-10. We know the form isn’t perfect, so share your experience in using by responding to this survey when you are done. If you have questions or concerns while submitting your order, please direct them to Dave Johnson.

In an effort to ensure greater continuity between our regions and allow for more opportunities to meet as a full agency, the following dates have been selected for 2017-18 for regional/agency team meetings. While locations of the meetings have not been fully finalized, please reserve each of these dates and schedule professional and personal obligations around them as attendance will be mandatory. Locations are listed where they are known. All meetings are scheduled for 9 am-3 pm.  More details will be sent out to you as they are finalized. (In general, Regional Meetings will take place in the AM and Discipline/Content Teams will meet in the afternoon. The day of the week for the meetings will rotate as suggested to help ensure that services by direct service providers are more equally spread out and don’t always occur on the same day of the week.)

• August 14, 2017: Central Rivers AEA, 1521 Technology Parkway, Cedar Falls (All staff kick-off meeting)
• September 12, 2017
• October 18, 2017
• November 17. 2017
• December 21, 2017: Central Rivers AEA, 1521 Technology Parkway, Cedar Falls (All staff)
• January 23, 2018
• February 19, 2018
• March (date determined by Regional Administrator)
• April 26, 2018
• May 23, 2018: Central Rivers AEA, 1521 Technology Parkway, Cedar Falls (All staff)

We received news last month that Dr. E. Robert (“Bob”) Stephens died peacefully on the morning of Feb. 9.  For those not familiar with Bob Stephens, he wrote the original legislative language to create the AEAs in Iowa. He also served nationally on the Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA) Board. The AESA has three awards nationally that honor individuals, and one is named after Bob. (The AEA system also honors his legacy with an award named after him.)  He was truly a champion for education, especially for educational service agencies and was relentless in his pursuit to serve students and staff. We’ve lost a giant in our field, and he will be missed.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Monday, March 6, 2017 in the Cedar Falls Conference Center. The board packet is available online and the minutes will be published online after approval at the next month’s board meeting.