Author: Beth Strike

All staff members are invited to learn more about the results of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis conducted by Sam Miller, AEA 267 Chief Administrator. Optional information meetings will be held this month on the following dates/locations. All meetings will be held from 3-4 p.m.:

• October 12–AEA 267 Marshalltown Office, Rooms A, B & C
• October 13–AEA 267 Clear Lake Office, Rooms A & B
• October 20–AEA 267 Cedar Falls Office, Rooms A, B & C

In addition to the face-to-face meetings, a podcast will be produced to share with staff members via the November Intersections for those unable to attend.

“Meet the Team Monday” has been a huge success with our fans and over the last month, we introduced you to nine new members of the AEA 267 team:

• Lora Kester, Consultant for Reading/Language Arts has 20+ years of teaching experience. She told us that literacy is her passion and she feels fortunate to be in a position where supporting schools is a priority. In her free time, Lora loves being outdoors. She and her family enjoy riding bikes, camping and taking trips on their four-wheelers.
• Amanda Sanderman, Consultant for Science comes to us with an extensive background in education. She spent 15 years as a teacher and most recently was the School Partnerships Coordinator at Wartburg College. Amanda loves spending her free time outdoors with her husband and two teenage children. Her family serves as “puppy raisers”, where they train puppies to be placed with children with autism and veterans suffering from PTSD.
• Anna Phalen, Early Childhood Special Educator joins us from Clear Lake CSD, where she taught Kindergarten. Anna shared that education is “in her bones,” as she comes from a family of educators. In her spare time, she loves to walk and is a big supporter of the arts.
• Katie Reed, Early Childhood Special Educator received her degrees from the University of Northern Iowa and Graceland University. She previously taught at Castle Hill and in the Waterloo CSD. Katie told us she is excited to work for AEA 267 again. Her family of five, pet dogs, gardening, and baking keep her very busy when she is not at work.
• Kristin Langman, Media Technician received her degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She recently moved to Iowa from Wisconsin with her cat, Mew.
• Angie Condon, Early Childhood Special Educator comes to us from East Marshall Community Schools. She has four children ranging in age from 6 to 16. In her free time, Angie enjoys sports and family game nights.
• Paul McNamara, Intervention Specialist at Bremwood School. Paul is a retired Army Officer who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He received his degrees from the University of Northern Iowa, Webster University, and the Command & General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Paul loves to fish with his youngest daughter and enjoys coaching and mentoring his two grandchildren in his free time.
• Rebecca Rother, Teacher of Behavior Disorders at Pinecrest Center-Mason City. Rebecca earned her degrees from Buena Vista and Capella University. She worked at Newman Catholic Schools before coming to AEA 267. In her spare time, Rebecca and her family enjoy all types of outdoor activities.
• Alison March, Physical Therapist earned her degree from the University of Iowa and worked in orthopedics at Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Austin, Minnesota before joining AEA 267. Alison told us her biggest reward is helping a child make progress with their mobility and promoting their independence. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and cheering for the Iowa State Cyclones.

Be sure to “like” us on Facebook and join us in welcoming our new team members as well as congratulating those nominated to the AEA 267 “Hall of Fame!”  #MTM  #WowWednesday

The agency crisis plan has been updated and copies of the plan are in the process of being distributed to all AEA 267 administrators and offices where they should be kept in an obvious location for reference. In addition, the plan is available on the staff website (use your email login/password to access the staff website). Please take time to review the plan and familiarize yourself with our agency procedures as well as view the video on use of an AED (which are available in each of our three main offices). Taking time to review these important resources could save a life!

Given scheduling conflicts, the date for Office Support Professionals’ Day has been moved from November 6 to April 29 in the AEA 267 Clear Lake Office. The new date will coincide with Administrative Professionals’ Week which means prizes, learning and lots of fun! Please mark your calendar for this date. Official invitations and a full agenda will be available in the spring.

The Iowa Department of Education/AEA Customer Feedback Survey will be administered to all licensed educators in accredited public and nonpublic schools on October 19. The survey will be open through November 25 and serves as a chance for those we serve to share with us their feedback regarding AEA 267 services. Please promote participation with those you serve!

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, October 7, 2015 at 6 pm in the Cedar Falls AEA 267 Conference Center. The agenda for the October 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.

Iowans who make up the Council on Educator Development have spent the past two years studying teacher and administrator evaluation practices and professional development. This document represents their preliminary recommendations. The council now needs feedback on these recommendations from Iowa’s education community, including superintendents, principals, teachers, AEA professionals, and school board members.

The following link leads to an online survey, which includes instructions for submitting feedback:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CEDRec1015. The survey will be open through November 30, 2015. All survey feedback will remain anonymous.

Gathering input is critical not only to this process, it is required by law. The council was formed in the fall of 2013 in response to an education reform package adopted by Iowa lawmakers that year. The legislation, House File 215, calls for a period of feedback beginning October 1, 2015. Once the feedback is collected and analyzed, the council will use it to develop a final report in November 2016.

The council has carefully studied Iowa’s current system of evaluation in Iowa Code Chapters 284 and 284(a), as well as research and practices across the country.

The term “teacher” in the bill refers to certified staff and includes AEA staff.  AEA administrative staff are also welcome to give feedback.

Shared on behalf of Ryan Wise, Ed.L.D., Director, Iowa Department of Education. Phone: (515) 281-3436.

 

One of the little things we can do to serve our customers well is to park in the back of the lot, leaving the best parking spaces for visitors to our building. It is one of those little things, but a nice thing to do as we serve our partners at AEA 267. Are there exceptions? Of course. When you are arriving just to run in and out before you are on the road again, taking advantage of a great parking space only makes sense. When you are arriving with a load of easels, boxes, stacks of books, etc. it is easier to park close to the door. But when you are arriving to stay for the day, combine a healthy walk with a courtesy to our customers.

As you arrive for work in the morning, park in the lot assigned or designated for your building, and leave the best and closest spaces for our guests. If you are unsure whether you have a designated parking spot, contact your supervisor for further information.

From Sam Miller, AEA 267 Chief Administrator:

Thank you to the nearly 350 of you who participated in the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) survey last month. Your input, along with that of the AEA 267 Board of Directors and Ad Cabinet, is truly meaningful as we take a collective breath and analyze what our agency is doing well and where we have opportunities for growth and improvement.

In the coming weeks, I will be analyzing the information and identifying themes for reflection and action. It is my hope to share those in a summary report with the board in October and potentially through office visits and other communication channels with all of you in the weeks following. Stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

It’s official! Starting this month, we will officially accept your nominations for the AEA 267 “Hall of Fame” award. Each month, we will recognize one or more staff members who do a great job demonstrating what our Core Operating Principles look like in action. Those chosen will have a feature story written about their work which will be shared both internally and externally through various agency communication channels. In addition, they will be treated to lunch with our new Chief Administrator, Sam Miller. (Sam promises to make it a fun, light-hearted luncheon!)

Use this nomination form to nominate a fellow staff member who you think deserves to be recognized!

Again this year, our office support professionals will have a chance to come together to grow professionally and network with one another at Office Support Professionals’ Day. This year, OSPD will be held on November 6 at the AEA 267 Clear Lake Office. A more detailed agenda, along with details on transportation and the day’s topics will be shared with invited staff in the near future! Get ready for a high energy of learning, incredible door prizes, and fun!

We welcomed 55 new team members this school year and to introduce all of them to you and the communities we serve, we will be featuring them each Monday on the AEA 267 Facebook page. “Meet the Team Monday” #MTM was such a huge success last year that we are excited to bring it back.

To date, we have profiled 4 new team members. They are:

• Angela Sorenson: Angela comes to AEA 267 as Administrative Assistant for Assessment and Comprehensive Improvement with a background in Criminal Justice. She recently moved back to Iowa to be closer to her family after working in Florida. Angela told us that her favorite aspect of the position is constantly being challenged to learn new things.
• Cari Teske: Cari, one of our new Integrated Learning Specialists, brings 21 years of experience in education, serving as elementary teacher, district librarian and high school principal for the BCLUW CSD. She and her husband have three boys, two in college and one in middle school. Passionate about the role technology plays in education, Cari is excited for the opportunity to support learning through the integration of technology.
• Nicole Stucker: Nicole received her MA from UNI and worked for several years at Grant Wood AEA before joining AEA 267 as a SLP. She and her husband have one young son and her favorite pastime is spending time with them. Nicole shared that she is excited to be working with Early ACCESS children this year.
• Larissa Treloar: Larissa is an Iowa State and UNI graduate and has been practicing as a SLP for five years. Her favorite activity is being “mom” to her young son. Larissa told us that everyone at AEA 267 has gone out of their way to welcome her, which she has very much appreciated.

Be sure to “like” AEA 267 on Facebook and meet the remaining new team members every Monday! #MTM

Although we can’t share this great news publicly until after September 13 when the full list of winners is announced, we have received early notification that AEA 267 has been named one of “Iowa’s Top Workplaces.” Since 2009, Register Media and Workplace Dynamics have worked together with employees to identify and honor companies across the state. Based only on employee evaluations, Top Workplaces celebrates those companies that have the state’s best working environments.

This is an exciting recognition for our agency and one we should promote (after September 13) with pride. Soon, the Top Workplaces logo will be added to the front page of our website and shared via various communication channels including our agency Facebook and Twitter pages. You can help spread the word by adding the Top Workplaces logo to your email signature using the directions below. (Again, please wait until after September 13 to do so.)

Office 2010 (Windows):

https://goo.gl/nbVhJC

Office 2013 (Windows):

https://goo.gl/7EyF6N

Office 2011 (Macintosh)

https://goo.gl/GahmNI

Entourage (Macintosh)

Please see an IT staff member and they will update you to Office 2011.

Thanks for participating in the Top Workplaces survey last spring and helping to make us one of the best in the state! Be proud to work at AEA 267.

Last month, new employees to our agency were provided with an extensive overview of the agency including our mission, vision, goals and organizational structure. The presentation served as an important part of their orientation. It was suggested that this information could also be beneficial to share with all staff members. Please take a few minutes and look at these presentation slides to familiarize yourself once again with this information. Staying knowledgeable about the agency makes us better ambassadors to our neighbors, family and friends about the important work we do!

New guidance has been shared by the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) on service purchase rules changes. If this applies to you, check out this helpful resource.