Author Archives: Beth Strike

Mark your calendars! The 2019-20 all-staff meeting will be held on August 13 in Cedar Falls! Watch for details on the day in upcoming issues of The Channel.

The second round of the “OWN It” Bingo Challenge is off to a fantastic start with almost 350 staff members getting a Bingo! The deadline to submit February’s Bingo is Thursday, February 28. Let’s keep up the great work!

The Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors met on Wednesday, February 6 for a public hearing on the proposed budget for FY 2019-20 followed by their regular monthly meeting. The agenda is available online a minimum of 24 hours prior … Continue reading →

Central Rivers AEA staff members are invited to assist with strengthening of relationships and culture within our organization by participating in a climate and culture audit. Since the health of an organization begins with individuals, the agency felt it was … Continue reading →

Traditional organizational charts often depict the hierarchy of an organization but fail to depict the vital role that every employee plays in the organization. Last month, Ad Cabinet took another shot at our traditional organizational chart and created a second … Continue reading →

Several staff members recently participated in CPR training to ensure each location has people ready to assist in the event of an emergency. Shout out to Carolyn Wanatee and Larry Wylie in the Marshalltown offices and Dr. Carol Sensor, Laura … Continue reading →

Iowa’s AEAs bestow three awards annually to outstanding candidates for their contributions to education and the work of Iowa’s AEAs. These awards are the Friend of the AEA Award, E. Robert Stephens Award, and the Innovative Creator Award. Further details … Continue reading →

The board of directors approved the office calendar for 2019-20 at their January meeting. The calendar contains the required 260 workdays and lists holidays and office closed days for the school year and can be found on the staff website … Continue reading →

The Culture & Climate Committee has created another round of bingo challenges for January through May. New cards were distributed at the December regional meetings and can also be downloaded from the portal. Be sure to submit your January Bingo … Continue reading →

In the past couple days, the agency has received several fraudulent emails pertaining to direct deposit/banking information requests.  Please be careful when communicating any personal or sensitive business information via email. Emails may appear to be sent from valid accounts … Continue reading →

It’s hard to believe that it’s time once again for what’s quickly becoming an annual tradition. The Ugly Christmas Sweater competition will be held on December 19 for Rivers Hills staff and December 20 for all others. Separate contests will … Continue reading →

Hats off to the Marshalltown staff who worked together to make blankets for families impacted by tornado damage. Many children and families will be warmer this winter because of your efforts. Amazing!  

The Climate & Culture Committee wishes to thank staff for participating in the Crazy Sock Day!  Overall, Central Rivers AEA raised $746.00 in donations to be given to the House of Compassion in Marshalltown.  The Clear Lake office staff raised … Continue reading →

Just a friendly reminder that employees on a reduced contract will continue to have that option. Reduced contracts are considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the programmatic and workload needs of each department or discipline. Key considerations are … Continue reading →

The Culture & Climate Committee would like to applaud each one of you for accepting, attempting, and/or completing the Own it! Bingo challenge. Just a friendly reminder that bingo submissions are due on Friday, December 14. Even if you have … Continue reading →

The deadline for submission of EQ individual 16 hours is December 20, 2018, with payment made on January 18, 2019. Please submit your hours on this Google document. The next and final deadline for submission will be June 8, 2019, … Continue reading →

As many of you know, I spend a fair amount of time traveling around our service area meeting with those in our local school districts that are the recipients of your service. On a near daily basis, I’m meeting with … Continue reading →