Author: cvanbuskirk

A reminder that all staff must complete the mandatory AEA-required trainings. Certified staff are allowed to use one of your 2025-2026 contract days to complete the trainings. Simply indicate on your Google calendar, “AEA Mandatory Training Day.”

If you have any questions, contact Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of HR.

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Important reminder to staff who have not taken the required training for this year; This training is required for all staff of CRAEA:

Know the laws, protect our students: Privacy training now required

All staff at Central Rivers AEA are often involved in work that includes confidential student information. This might involve copying records, processing faxes, taking phone calls, completing evaluations for Early ACCESS or special education, reviewing IEPs or consulting with a teacher on a student who requires additional support. There are likely many other opportunities that occur in our daily work. This means that we all have a need to understand the privacy laws that protect this information for students and families.  Starting this year, and annually moving forward, all staff will complete an AEA Learning Online course entitled: Protecting Student Privacy in Schools: FERPA, PPRA, HIPAA and COPPA.

This training should be completed within the first 30 days of the start of the school year to ensure we are all in compliance with these important laws. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your supervisor. Once completed, staff are expected to submit their certificate of completion to the HR department using the HR@centralriversaea.org email address.

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Note: If you are new to the agency but already have an Iowa AEA account: 

• Log in to https://training.aealearningonline.org with your most recently used login email and password.
• Change your Employment District to Central Rivers AEA using “centralrivers” as your district verification code.
• Once your CRAEA account is set up, you will need to update your email address in this system to match your CRAEA email address.

For any questions or assistance, please contact Kay Schmalen, Professional Learning Director, at kschmalen@centralriversaea.org or 641-329-4271.

Following a Board meeting on September 11, the Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors took action to partner with Dr. Cindy Yellick, chief administrator of Heartland AEA, and Nathan Wood, chief administrator of Great Prairie AEA, to lead the search for our next chief administrator. Their statewide experience will help ensure a thorough, well-informed process that reflects the needs of our agency and the districts we serve.

As of Friday, October 3, here is a high-level timeline for your awareness:

• October 3: Deadline to submit stakeholder feedback
• October 6: Deadline for applications
• October 13: Semi-finalists selection
• October 27: Semi-finalists interviews
• November 3: Stakeholder interviews
• November 5: Board action on hiring 

How you can help:

• Complete the staff feedback survey by the end of the day on October 3 if you have not already done so.
• Share the job posting with qualified candidates.
• Watch for brief updates as milestones are reached, including any opportunities to participate in interview activities.

Thank you for your continued focus on students, educators, and service during this transition. We look forward to announcing the name of the successful candidate and beginning the next chapter of our agency!

We would like to welcome incoming staff for the 2025-26 school year!

To support a timely staff replacement process and assist with budget planning, Central Rivers AEA is offering an early notification incentive for Certified, NUSS, CWA, and Administrative staff who provide advance notice of their intent to resign or retire at the end of the 2025–26 work year.

Incentive details:

• Eligible staff will receive a $2,000 incentive, anticipated payment will be June 19, 2026, if the following conditions are met:
  • Written notice of resignation or retirement is received in the HR Office before January 6, 2026.
  • The resignation/retirement is accepted by the Board of Directors.
  • The employee completes their 2025–26 employment contract. (Staff who separate before the end of the contract year are not eligible.)
  • The employee has at least three full years of service with Central Rivers AEA.
  • The employee has not previously received this incentive (limited to once per employment).

This incentive recognizes the value of early notice by allowing the Agency to plan ahead for staffing and financial needs while honoring employees’ service.

Just a reminder: the monthly Zoom update for Central Rivers AEA and Keystone AEA staff takes place on the second Tuesday of each month from 4:00 to 4:30 pm (unless canceled if there are no new updates). This month’s update is scheduled for October 14 at 4:00 pm. You can find the Zoom link on the “CRAEA Master Google Calendar” or use the link provided below.

• https://aea1.zoom.us/j/99941260595?pwd=1L7Lj66bUNsF6KqJ3t9TU3eTHuO3aB.1
• Meeting ID: 999 4126 0595
• Passcode: 713069

It’s that time of year to remind staff of the procedures for office closures due to inclement weather. The FAQs document provides a lot of information and specific examples for your reference. Please review the guidelines, and contact your supervisor if you have any questions.

In summary:

If all school(s) that an employee serves are closed, certified support staff are no longer limited to two (2) remote workdays per year due to winter weather. Beginning 2025-26, eligible staff may work remotely any time all of their assigned schools are closed due to inclement winter weather.

• No supervisor approval is required for remote work on qualifying days.
• While these days do not automatically count as the potential “virtual service” day that week, staff should ensure they are able to meet all the needed and expected face-to-face services in their districts prior to choosing to be virtual on another day.
• If any assigned school remains open, the employee is expected to report to that location. Staff calendars are generally expected to align with their district calendars to ensure adequate support, and there may be times when it is necessary to adjust their contract days in lieu of working virtually. Staff should use their professional judgment in making these decisions.

Guidelines for other staff (non-certified):

• Instructional employees (teachers, educational assistants) at River Hills, Detention Centers, and Shelter Programs should follow the schedule of their assigned resident district for late starts or early dismissals.
• Non-instructional employees who work less than 260 days should report to the nearest AEA office to finish their day if their assigned school closes early. If road conditions prevent this, they have options like using personal leave, making up the time, or working remotely if they have privileges.
• Full-year employees who work 260 days are required to work remotely if the office is closed or closes early, provided they have been approved for remote work. Hourly staff must clock in and out themselves.

All staff:

• If severe weather causes a delay, you may arrive up to one hour late without using leave time or making up the hours.
• Please inform your supervisor as soon as you know you’ll be late, so they know you’re safe and can adjust your schedule if needed.

For more details, see “A” under the General FAQs section.

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Winter weather notifications

With winter weather almost here, be sure you are signed up to receive Central Rivers AEA weather alerts* via text, call or email regarding closings or professional learning cancellations. *If you are already signed up, you do not have to do anything.

Staff members that need to register can contact Phil Hendricks, for assistance with signing up.

Join our October INspired Leadership workshop in Cedar Falls

If you have yet to experience a two-day INspired Leadership Workshop or haven’t attended in the past three years, you might wish to sign up online for our two-day workshop in Cedar Falls on October 16 & 21 from 9:00 am–3:00 pm each day.  Registration closes at noon on Tuesday, October 14. The goal of the workshop is to enhance your well-being, life satisfaction and assist you in meeting your personal and professional goals. Reach out to inspired@centralriversaea.org with any questions you may have.

Personalized coaching is available for you

Want more of what works for you and less of what doesn’t? Central Rivers AEA offers free 1:1 coaching sessions with certified well-being coach Dr. Leslie Moore on Zoom. Sessions are available weekdays from 7:30 am–4:30 pm and can be booked up to 60 days in advance with just two days’ notice. Schedule your session online!

The agency is partnering with the Hy-Vee Pharmacy to offer flu shot clinics for employees and their families. The vaccination schedule is as follows:

Friday, October 24

• Cedar Falls office (Central Perk): 1521 Technology Parkway – 7:30-9:30 am
• Clear Lake office (Room C): 9184 265th Street, Suite B – 8:00-10:00 am
• Marshalltown office (Room F): 909 South 12th Street – 7:30-9:30 am

Friday, October 10

• River Hills School (large conference room): 2700 Grand Blvd, Cedar Falls – 8:00-10:00 am

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Please complete the 2025 flu shot registration form if you wish to participate. During the morning of the clinic, remember to bring:

• A copy of your driver’s license.
• A copy of your insurance card (front/back).
• A completed flu shot consent form.
  • Cedar Falls office location only: In lieu of printing off the consent form, Cedar Falls Hy-Vee is providing the option to complete an online consent form. After you sign up for your flu shot, the link for this form will be sent to you approximately two weeks prior to the event.

Flu shots may be covered at no cost to employees and their family members with proof of insurance. Please contact Kevin Klobassa (319-273-8202) with any questions.

Our office buildings, grounds and River Hills School are always looking spotless, thanks to our custodial/maintenance team! While they may be more behind-the-scenes, their hard work does not go unnoticed!

Cedar Falls office:

• Kevin McKenzie, Supervisor of Buildings/Maintenance
• Shyla English, Lead Custodian/Maintenance
• Derrek Grapp, Custodian

Clear Lake office:

• Skyler Wood, Lead Custodian/Maintenance

Marshalltown office:

• Micheal Ballhagen, Lead Custodian/Maintenance

River Hills School:

• Jessica Devries, Lead Custodian/Maintenance
• Todd Thompson, Custodian
• Cory Teepe, Custodian

Central Rivers AEA is excited to announce a new partnership with North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC). Beginning this fall, NIACC will utilize two rooms in our Clear Lake office to support the expansion of its aviation program. The location offers students close access to the Mason City Airport while also making effective use of space in the building that has been underutilized.

This one-year agreement not only supports higher education opportunities in our region but also brings additional revenue to the agency. It’s a great example of how we can creatively repurpose resources to benefit students and strengthen our connections with educational partners.

Stan Rheingans, who has served as interim chief administrator for Central Rivers AEA since July 1, 2024, has announced his plans to retire effective June 30, 2026. During his tenure—through a shared services arrangement with Keystone AEA—Stan has provided unwavering leadership as our agency navigated the early implementation of HF 2612, one of the most complex chapters in our history.

“Stan’s steady hand and clarity of purpose helped our agency focus on what matters most for students and educators, even amid significant change,” said Dr. Deb Rich, president of the CRAEA Board of Directors. “We are grateful for his service and our partnership with the Keystone AEA Board.”

The CRAEA Board of Directors will begin the process of seeking a new chief administrator to start July 1, 2026. Details regarding timeline and opportunities for staff input will be released in the near future. An announcement will go out to superintendents on Monday.

On behalf of the Board and our leadership team, thank you, Stan, for guiding Central Rivers AEA through a pivotal period. We wish you all the best!

As a reminder, beginning July 1, 2025, van delivery became a purchased service for school districts as part of the implementation of HF 2612. While some districts have opted to continue this service, others have not. (Please refer to the August edition of The Channel for more information of this document which details which districts have purchased van mail delivery.)

Regardless of whether a district has purchased van delivery, AEA staff members will still receive delivery of necessary professional items such as adaptive equipment, test kits, Creative Services orders and interoffice mail. These will be delivered to the office location within the school building you have designated. Please confirm this location with our delivery team by emailing delivery@centralriversaea.org when requesting pick-up or delivery.  

To ensure we are managing limited delivery resources responsibly, van delivery is reserved strictly for professional purposes. This means only work-related items such as those listed above should be requested for delivery. Personal items – including birthday cards, gifts or other non-work-related packages – should not be sent via van delivery. Routes are jam packed given our partnership with public libraries so drivers appreciate your consideration in requesting additional stops.