As you know, a committee comprised of staff and administration developed a proposal over the last several months to address concerns with our current mileage policy. While the proposal had merit in addressing some of the issues, continued conversations among administration, staff and board have caused the Business Office to rethink implementation for the 2018-19 year. Thus, the current mileage policy will remain in effect with no change.
Thank you to everyone who participated on the mileage committee, had one-on-one conversations with administrators about individual situations, or shared their thoughts and ideas for improvement in some way. We appreciate your input and participation in the process!
Expense reimbursements must be submitted by July 6 to be eligible for payment. If your travel for 2017-18 is complete, you do not need to wait until the end of the month to submit. Early submissions are strongly encouraged! These final reimbursement requests will be processed and paid each week as they are received.
Mark your calendars now! The all-staff meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 14 at the Cedar Falls Conference Center. A detailed agenda will be sent closer to the actual date.
Summer hours will begin on Monday, June 11 and run through Friday, August 10th. Official office hours will be 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. during that period. If you are going off contract for the summer, please ensure that your voicemail greeting and “out of office” email message indicate who is handling inquiries in your absence along with when you plan to return. Enjoy the sunshine!
The Iowa Hawkeyes and Bravo Sports Marketing invite all employees from Iowa’s AEAs to enjoy the excitement of Iowa Hawkeye football this fall. Take advantage of discounted pricing for select Hawkeye football games. Tickets are available to employees in any AEA and this was offered at NO cost to the AEA system.
The Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors held a joint meeting with the area community colleges on Monday, June 4, along with their regular monthly meeting. The board packet can be viewed online and the minutes will be available online after approval. July’s board meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 11 at 6 pm.
Educator Quality fund claims entered and approved before June 15 will be paid on June 30. Final submission is due July 1 and will be paid on July 31. Questions? Please contact Shirley Horak.
Sam Miller, Central Rivers AEA Chief Administrator
Earlier this month, the Governor’s Education Policy Advisor (Linda Fandel) and Senate and House Education Committee leadership directed Iowa’s AEAs to look for increased efficiencies through the AEA system. Last week, the AEA chief administrators met again with Senate and House Education Committee leadership to ensure a common vision and timetable for this task and had a very healthy discussion around the development of a five-year plan designed to maximize efficiencies in Iowa’s AEAs while creating greater equity of services for all Iowa students.
Dr. Tom Lane, Iowa’s AEA Executive Director, has been following up these conversations, and we have collaborated on an agreement. Senators Sinclair and Kraayenbrink (Chair of Education Appropriations Committee) have agreed to language that calls for a reduction of AEAs from nine to seven and a reduction of AEA chief administrators from nine to seven. The timeline for accomplishing this will be five years. We anticipate that this language will be added in a late standings or appropriations bill before the session ends in April. The agreement provides the AEAs with a reasonable timeframe, while also providing a firm commitment to legislators. A five-year restructuring plan will help ensure a re-aligned AEA system that further enhances equity, innovates new statewide systems and helps us better articulate these efficiencies to all stakeholder groups.
We understand that this is an important announcement, and it may leave you with many questions. As an AEA system, our leadership team is committed to providing you with regular, timely updates as more details of this long-term process unfolds. I also want to mention that the early messages I’m receiving are that staff out in the field will likely feel much less of an impact of any future changes than those of us in administrative positions. I believe firmly that working for the AEA system is and will continue to be a secure and rewarding career choice. Although it may feel otherwise, the legislature deeply appreciates the value of our services. What you do matters to each and every child, educator and family you come in contact with.
As you know, a committee comprised of staff and administration developed a proposal over the last several months to address concerns with our current mileage policy. While the proposal had merit in addressing some of the issues, continued conversations among administration, staff and board have caused the Business Office to rethink implementation for the 2018-19 year. Thus, the current mileage policy will remain in effect with no change.
