Author: Beth Strike

Winter weather is right around the corner. Stay current with agency office closings and professional learning cancellations by ensuring that you are signed up for the official agency notification system, School Messenger. Not sure if you signed up last year? New to the agency this year? Contact Shirley Horak in Human Resources for more information.

Please note that the agency will also be posting messages on the front page of our website if you prefer to receive announcements that way.  

For questions related to how work time is accounted for during inclement weather, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions developed by Human Resources and the Business Office.

The deadline for next bingo challenge is October 10, 2018. Enter your information on or before to receive your gift card!

Creative Services staff members have started their own challenge as part of the Own it! theme. In late September, the group started a 21-day “complaint free” challenge patterned after the work of Will Bowen.  The challenge reinforces a mindset of gratitude and interrupts established patterns of negative thinking.  Great job, team!

Anyone know who this kind staff member is who placed this sign on the pop machine in the Clear Lake Office? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Let us know how you are Own(ing) it! Send a picture of your team or an individual shot to Beth Strike so we can share it with others.

Cedar Falls site led by Katie Kimber

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9/25/18 to 11/6/18

4:45 – 5:45 pm — Bring your own mat if you will be on site.

Note:  No Class on 10/18/18 due to a previously scheduled event.

The Cedar Falls Sessions will be available via Zoom.  Click here for the recurring Cedar Falls Zoom link.

Marshalltown site led by Stacie Huffman

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9/25/18 to 11/6/18

6:30-7:30 am — Bring your own mat if you will be on site.

The Marshalltown Sessions will be available via Zoom.  Click here for the recurring Marshalltown Zoom link.

 

For the past few years, Bravo Sports has worked with Iowa college football teams offer discounted tickets to games. Iowa State & UNI aren’t included this year. However, the flyer link below details the available opportunities.

https://bravosportsmarketing.com/product/aea-iowa/

Here’s another look at the new staff members who joined our agency this year. Get to know each through this slide deck with individual slides for each new staff member!

Advocating for your choice of political candidate is part of what makes our country great. But knowing where the line is when it comes to your role as a public employee is important. School district and AEA employees may use their professional titles or identify themselves as a school district or AEA employee in publicly advocating for a political candidate which also includes the use of their individual social media account (not the district or AEA account). However, a school or AEA employee crosses the line if s/he makes statements on social media during contract time. In addition, individual school or AEA employees should not use their school or AEA email accounts for political advocacy (even off contract time). Need further clarity?

Contact Karl Kurt, Director of Human Resources/Assistant Chief Administrator.

The purpose of the Central Rivers AEA website is to provide a dynamic forum of communication designed to educate and inform the communities and school districts about AEA programs, services, events, and other general information relating to the AEA or its school districts. In addition, the site serves as a central repository of resources in support of the services provided in real-time by the employees of the agency.

Most Central Rivers AEA programs & services are represented by official web pages developed using the official agency WordPress content management system. However, the agency recognizes some staff prefer to use other popular systems such Google Sites, Wix, Weebly, etc. to share documents and collaborate on projects. A guide has been developed to provide guidance on this topic and help staff to decide when platforms can be used. If you author web pages in your professional role, please review it!

Finally, an online module is being created by our technology integrationists to help learn more about WordPress and website accessibility. More information coming in November! This will be helpful for those who currently author pages for the website or plan to in the near future.

Questions? Contact Kay Schmalen or Beth Strike.

Have you been tagged on a recognition thread recently and received a notification email that was unfamiliar? Chances are you’ve been recognized for something positive in the Quantum Workplace system being rolled out through Human Resources. While most Certified staff members have been piloting the system for several weeks at the direction of their Regional Administrator, it’s time to bring everyone on board.

What is Quantum Workplace? Essentially, it’s an employee engagement software used to recognize employees, help them keep track of their goals and progress, gather organizational feedback, and facilitate conversation between supervisor and employee. Over time, everyone will receive an introduction to all the components in the system, but for now, we’ll start with the recognition function. For those who hadn’t been exposed to the system previously, watch for a “welcome” email with login directions. Once you are in the system, enjoy reading the recognitions that others have written and start getting in on the fun!

Questions? Contact Karl Kurt.