Author: cvanbuskirk

We are delighted to announce Central Rivers AEA HR Office’s newest team member, Mary Beth Wood! Mary Beth joined our team in November 2024 as our HR Coordinator, due to Shirley Horak’s retirement. She will be based out of the Cedar Falls office. Please take a moment to read through Mary Beth’s following bio and welcome her to the agency!

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I grew up in northwest Indiana and earned a Bachelor of Science in Consumer and Family Sciences with a focus on Child Development from Purdue University. Over the past 14 years, I’ve worked in Human Resources, most recently serving as Personnel Director at Community United Child Care Centers and Preschool.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, walking with my two puppies, golfing (though I’m not very good at it), and spending time with my family. My husband, Bryan, and I have two kids – Jacob, a freshman at the University of Iowa, and Grace, a junior at Dike-New Hartford High School. I’m thrilled to join the CRAEA team and can’t wait to get to know everyone!

New Year support for your wellbeing!

Would you like support in getting more of what you want and less of what you don’t in your personal or professional life? If so, Central Rivers AEA offers 1:1 core energy leadership coaching sessions with certified well-being coach, Dr. Leslie Moore, via Zoom. All sessions are confidential and scheduled by you when you send Leslie a Google Calendar invitation. Just select “private” on the calendar invite. Reach out to Leslie with questions.

Join the February INspired Leadership workshop in Clear Lake

If you have yet to experience a two-day INspired Leadership workshop or haven’t attended in the past three years, sign up now for our two-day workshop in Clear Lake on February 7 and 21. We’d love to see you there!

Get INspiring emails delivered to your inbox!

If you would like to receive weekly emails that support your personal and professional leadership, join ESSDACK’s INspired weekly mailing list. You can also sign up to receive their INspired Leadership blog.

Microcredential stipend is available

This year, Central Rivers AEA is continuing to support staff well-being by offering a $250 incentive for completing one of three INspired Leadership micro-credentials! The options are:

• Awareness of Internal Energy
• The 4 Key Mindsets
• Overcoming Internal Energy Blocks*
• *Please note: the new micro-credential does require the first two to be earned as prerequisites.

All of these are available in our On-Demand Library, and submissions will be reviewed by Dr. Leslie Moore. If you have any questions or need help signing up, free free to schedule a quick 15-minute session with Leslie by sending her a calendar invitation!

Central Rivers AEA strives to cultivate a workplace in which everyone feels welcomed and empowered to bring their whole selves to work. Continuing work done by the Equity Committee, in partnership with the Leadership Academy, we will invest in employee development initiatives to foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture. 

“Courageous Conversations” will be featured monthly in The Channel, offering staff opportunities for self-guided learning. Starting in February, a Zoom meeting will be held on the first Friday of each month to discuss the month’s topic. (The Zoom link can be found on the CRAEA Master Google Calendar).

If you would like to join us for a Courageous Conversation about Allyship, please join the Zoom meeting on Friday, February 7 from 8:00 – 8:45 am.

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Courageous Conversations: Allyship

What does it mean to be an ally?

Ally = ACTION (it is both a noun & verb):

• Being an ally is to provide support and help educate others about behaviors, language and different perspectives.
• Don’t assume – it’s best to ask – just be willing and open.
• Microaggressions & the techniques to battle them.
  • We must be open to initiating those “tough” conversations. Just because “we were raised that way,” or “it’s always been this way,” doesn’t mean it’s always right.
  • The first step is awareness.
• *Microaggressions = the tiny, casual, almost imperceptible insults and degradation often felt by any marginalized group.
  • They are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative slights and insults to the target person or group.
  • Examples: Doing imitations of accents, mistaking someone for someone else of the same ethnicity/race, speaking over or interrupting someone in meetings, especially women or other underrepresented groups.
  • *For the recipients, they are exhausted and chip away at self-confidence and belonging.
• Behaviors of allyship include activism, using more inclusive language and combating forms of prejudice (such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism and other forms of discrimination).
• Allyship is the practice of emphasizing social justice, inclusion and human rights by members of an ingroup, to advance the interests of an oppressed or marginalized group.
• Allyship takes place in many areas of both our public and private lives.
• Allyship is not an identity – it is a process of building relationships based on trust, consistency and accountability.

An ally actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts and actions that benefit people as a whole.

Who Can Be an Ally?

Everyone! Each of us are a part of a dominant group at different times. For example: white women can be allies to people of color, men can be allies to women, able-bodied people can be allies to people with disability, economically privileged people can be allies to those who are not, etc.

Helpful learning: What Does It Really Mean To Be An Ally?

LEA updates: January’s LEA updates that will be shared through Leadership Connections on January 15 are now available.

Updates from Amy Starr: Amy’s updates for January are now available for viewing.

Harvest: Take a moment to watch this brief video from Annette and reflect on the updated Harvest guidance.

Live documents, helpful resources and guides can be found on our staff website.

• Special Education Updates
• Updates with CRAEA Special Education doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel)

Live documents, helpful resources and guides can be found on our staff website.

• Ed Services/Media Updates
• Updates with CRAEA Ed Services & Media doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel)

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Insignia, Media’s new reservation system, is live

Central Rivers AEA switched to Insignia – our new online catalog designed to simplify access to our extensive collection of resources. From boxed book sets and audiobooks to VR headsets and the Starlab planetarium, this new platform offers a wide range of physical items to enhance learning and engagement in classrooms. Reach out to Cari Teske, Director of Media, with questions.

Congratulations to Central Rivers AEA’s Dr. Elizabeth Voigt, Occupational Therapist, on being named a 2024 recipient of The Courier’s 20 Under 40 Awards!

A Waterloo native, Elizabeth is deeply committed to her profession and community. She volunteers at her church, offering presentations on occupational health for mothers, and serves on the Program Committee at House of Hope, where she helps strengthen programs that empower families and break the cycle of homelessness in the Cedar Valley.

Elizabeth’s true passion is supporting children through occupational therapy services in local schools. In her spare time, she creates “Occ-Health” boxes to help kids develop fine motor skills while having fun.

Congratulations, Elizabeth, and thank you for all you do!

Congratulations to Perla Greenwood, who was recently honored with the School Social Worker of the Year Award at the Iowa School Social Workers Association – ISSWA (ISSWA) conference!

Perla’s dedication to school social work, her creative approach, and her meaningful impact on students and the community showcase her leadership. Through her work at Central Rivers AEA and as ISSWA Treasurer, Perla leads and inspires with genuine passion.

Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs) have launched a new strategic plan for the statewide system. This comprehensive plan outlines the AEAs’ commitment to serving as educational partners, supporting schools and driving positive outcomes for students across the state. The plan builds on the strengths and core values of previous individual AEA strategic plans and aligns closely with the State of Iowa’s Board of Education’s goals and standards.

Key priorities of the new plan include:

• Serving students and educators: Addressing immediate needs and providing ongoing support to ensure all students have access to high-quality education.
• Driving impact: Achieving meaningful and lasting positive outcomes through evidence-based strategies and collaborative partnerships.
• Fostering excellence: Striving for excellence in service delivery, emphasizing collaboration, relationships and continuous improvement.

Iowa’s nine AEAs will take the plan to their boards for adoption. AEAs will begin to layer the plan into existing AEA strategic plans, creating a more cohesive approach to serving Iowa’s students and educators.

“The new plan is an important step in ensuring that Iowa’s AEAs are meeting the needs of Iowa’s students and educators,” said Stan Rheingans, shared Chief Administrator of Central Rivers AEA and Keystone AEA. “This plan will help us to better align our work across the system and with the state’s educational standards.”

Central Rivers AEA gives you the option to receive your IRS Form W-2 and Form 1095 electronically. These forms will only be provided electronically if you give your consent. Employees who consent to receive their W-2 and/or 1095 forms online will not receive paper copies. Those who do not consent will continue to receive paper copies of these forms.

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Follow the steps below to access your electronic consent* options for your W-2:

• Log into Web Link
• Select Employee Information ? Payroll and Compensation ? W2s

• Review IRS W2 Consent Terms ? Select to receive W2 electronically through Web Link or Select to continue receiving W2 in paper form ? Continue

*If you consent to electronic delivery but later change your mind, you can update your preferences through the electronic consent link. Simply select the option: I want to continue receiving my W-2 in paper form but would like to view my W-2 through Web Link.

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Follow the steps below to access your electronic consent* options for the 1095 form:

• Log into Web Link
• Select Employee Information ? Payroll and Compensation ? 1095s

• Review IRS 1095 Consent Terms ? Select to receive 1095 electronically through Web Link or Select to continue receiving 1095 in paper form ? Continue

*If you consent to electronic delivery but later change your mind, you can revisit the electronic consent link to update your preferences. Select the option: I want to continue receiving my 1095 in paper form but would like to view my 1095 through Web Link.

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You have until January 13, 2025, to decide how you want to receive your 2024 W-2 and Form 1095. If you consent to electronic delivery, you will be able to view and print your W-2 forms from 2022 onward, as long as you maintain your consent. If you choose not to consent, you will receive paper copies of your W-2 and/or 1095 form.

Electronic delivery allows you to access your W-2 sooner than through the mail, and it helps save costs for Central Rivers AEA. You will receive an email when the 2024 W-2s and 1095 forms are available online.

For questions about your W-2, contact Shane Wolf, Payroll Specialist, at (319) 273-8203. For questions about your 1095 form, contact Kevin Klobassa, Benefits Specialist, at (319) 273-8202.

Starting December 16, the “working location” feature in Google Calendar will no longer be available due to inconsistent use. Please continue to share your working location, but instead use the Calendar Event feature to ensure that your location is complete for each event. If you work in one location all day (e.g. office based staff), simply create a calendar event and name the working location as the event title. If you have any questions, talk with your supervisor or the Tech Help Desk. Examples of how to update your calendar are provided below.

Incorrect Example:

The old “working location” feature – this will not be available on Google Calendars beginning December 16.

Correct Example:

Be sure to update your Google Calendar to reflect your working location via all day “Calendar Events.” For example, if you are working from home, create an all-day Google Calendar event that is titled, “Virtual Services.”

The same would go if you are at an office – Cedar Falls Office, Clear Lake Office or Marshalltown Office.

During their December board meeting, the Board waived Board Policy 401.12 and approved December 24, 2024 to be included as one of the identified office closed days for 2024-25 winter break. The board waived the policy this year out of respect for all employees who might have holiday traditions and for those who may be traveling for Christmas. It was also noted that our LEA partners are closed on this day. If you have any questions, reach out to your direct supervisor.

Please join us in thanking the Board of Directors for their care and support!

Don’t forget to change your voicemail greeting and schedule an “away” message to your email during the Christmas holiday break so that callers and/or e-mailers will know when they can expect to hear from you. All Central Rivers AEA offices will be closed on December 24 – January 1 for the Christmas holiday break. All CRAEA offices will reopen on Thursday, January 2.

Email “away” message example

Thank you for your email. I will be out of the office beginning Tuesday, December 24 through January 1 and will respond to your email upon my return on January 2. All Central Rivers AEA offices are closed for winter break. Thank you and have a wonderful holiday!

Voicemail example

Hello, this is (your name/title). All Central Rivers AEA offices will be closed for winter break beginning Tuesday, December 24 and will reopen on Thursday, January 2. Please leave your name, number and a brief message and I will call you when I return. Thank you and have a wonderful holiday!

If you need assistance with either task, please contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@centralriversaea.org or 319-273-8231.

A new Assistive Technology (AT) team, with members from Keystone and Central Rivers AEA, is now in place. The team is conducting a needs assessment to identify training priorities for discipline teams. Once complete, staff will receive focused, bite-sized professional learning opportunities based on the findings.

The process for making an AT request:

1. Targeted AT Needs: Contact the Discipline Lead for assistance.
2. Targeted/Intensive AT Needs: If the Discipline Lead cannot assist, contact the Regional Administrator.
3. Intensive AT Requests: The RA will forward these to the Intensive AT Support Team for further review.

This process ensures timely and effective support for assistive technology needs. If you have questions, please view the AEA support for addressing AT concerns document, or reach out to Annette Hyde, Executive Director of Special Education.

New DE Policy & Procedures webinars

Annette watched the first webinar on exiting students from special education, and she says it’s excellent – definitely worth your time. You can watch the recording here. Recordings are also available on the DE website under Special Education Guidance. Here’s the information for the next webinar:

• Date: December 11 | 8:30 am
• Topic: Shortened School Days: Smart Use in Special Education
• Presenters: Rachel Bosovich, Ivan Gentry and Brittany Beverage
• Zoom link | Passcode: 431127

Session description: This session will cover when a shortened school day may or may not be appropriate for special education students. Participants will receive checklists to guide decision-making for students with medical or behavioral needs, helping IEP teams determine appropriate plans, including shortened school days or homebound instruction. Additionally, participants will learn how to access and use ACHIEVE data to make informed decisions for students and systems in special education.

Future 2025 dates in the Special Education Policy and Practice webinar series (topics TBD):

• January 15
• February 12
• April 9
• May 14

Hearing screenings for ‘25-’26

We’ve received many questions about universal hearing screenings for next year. As shared in the fall, these screenings are expected to move to a fee-for-service model. While this decision hasn’t changed, we’re in discussions with the DE to clarify our role from a child find perspective. If asked, please let people know we’re working to finalize the decision, but for now, it remains fee-based. We’ll share more with administrators later this winter. For further questions, they can reach out to Annette Hyde or their Regional Administrator.

IEP goals for students on alternate assessment

IEP goals are expected to include short-term objectives. While there’s no specific number required, each goal should go beyond just an annual target. IEP teams should use the advanced goal features to create more time-sensitive objectives for these students, following guidance from i3.

Parent verification & portal updates

ACHIEVE now includes a banner about age-of-majority students. Teachers need to review and validate these students’ IEPs. Statewide, 37,000 parents still need verification – please remind teachers to complete this if they haven’t yet. We’re also testing an issue with verifying surrogate parents and will share updates soon. All verifications must be completed by December 15. The Parent Portal launches in February 2025! See the FAQ for details. Two webinars for LEA and AEA Administrators (not AEA staff) will help districts prepare. Information has been shared via email and admin reports.

Evaluation timelines

Last month, we reminded staff to notify their RA if an evaluation is approaching the 60-day deadline (or 45 days for EAs). The Department of Education expects Central Rivers AEA to meet these timelines 100% of the time. We’ve discovered that ACHIEVE sometimes miscalculates these deadlines – this document provides more details. If you encounter this issue, please submit a ticket with detailed information so we can address it and ensure the timeline is accurate.

SE admin report

December’s SE Admin Report is now available for viewing.

PK, K & PK LRE charts

Clarification on when to choose “both” on the goal stepper for PK, K and PK LRE Charts can be viewed in this PK-K Clarification document.

Parent portal update

In our recent Team Rep discipline meeting, we discussed that AEA staff could share draft EERs with parents through the portal. However, after reviewing the Q&A, we’ve confirmed that parents won’t have access to the portal until after a student is found eligible and consent is signed. This means draft EERs will need to be shared using current methods, even after the portal launches. The portal is expected to go live in late February 2025. Stay tuned for more details and training opportunities.

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Live documents, helpful resources and guides can be found on our staff website.

• Special Education Updates
• Updates with CRAEA Special Education doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel)