Enjoy these photos of your teammates showing off their AEA pride as part of the 40th anniversary #iowaaea campaign on Twitter. Want to get in on the fun? Snap a photo of your team or yourself with one of the “I Am AEA” or “We Are AEA” signs available through your service area director and send it to Beth Strike to post to the agency Twitter account. Or, post it yourself and tag @aea267 and use the hashtag #iowaaea. For more pictures, check out the agency Facebook or Twitter sites!
Are you on Facebook? Please “like” the AEA 267 Facebook page so you can keep up with daily news regarding the agency. Here are two stories we recently shared that you may have missed.
“Education vs. Domestic Violence” event deemed a huge success
Representatives from Waterloo Community School District, Cedar Falls Community School District, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools, the University of Northern Iowa, Sylvan Learning Center, Kaplan University, AEA 267, and Upper Iowa University participated in a wing eating contest to raise money for the Cedar Valley Friends of the Family domestic violence shelter. AEA 267’s own Rod Ball put up a valiant effort eating 44 hot wings in eight minutes, bested only by Henry Shepherd of Waterloo Community School District. The event was a lot of fun for a great cause! Thanks to everyone who donated and supported the event.
Horn, Vincent present to Senate Education Committee
Dr. Horn and Dr. Paula Vincent (Heartland AEA Chief Administrator) presented to the Senate Education Committee the week of February 16 in Des Moines. Their mission was to help those in the legislature come to an even better understanding of the critical mission of Iowa’s AEAs in helping the state’s students, families, and school districts. By all accounts this was a highly successful presentation. Senators were particularly interested in the work that AEAs are doing with some recent focus issues such as dyslexia and autism, and seemed pleased with the response. Pictured with Horn and Vincent is Dr. Tom Lane, AEA 267 Legislative Liaison for Iowa’s AEAs.
If you are considering retirement at the end of the 2014-15 year, please let the Human Resources office know as soon as possible. This will help to ensure that plans can be made for future staffing and also to celebrate your years of service with the agency.
Please contact Shirley Horak for more information.
The AEA 267 Board of Directors met on Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 6 p.m. in the Cedar Falls Conference Center. During the meeting, the board:
The AEA 267 Foundation Meeting was held immediately following.
Not doing anything on Friday, February 27 at 8 p.m.? Make a trip to Beck’s Sports Grill in Cedar Falls to support our very own Rod Ball who will represent AEA 267 in the first annual “education vs. domestic violence” fundraiser to support Cedar Valley Friends of the Family. For eight minutes, Ball will compete against representatives from Waterloo Community Schools, Cedar Falls Community Schools, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools, UNI, Kaplan University and Upper Iowa University to see who can eat the most buffalo chicken wings. Each representative will seek donations (per wing or in a lump sum) which will go directly to benefit the Cedar Valley Friends of the Family domestic violence shelter.
Interested in supporting this great cause? Download the donation form and send your donations directly to Rod Ball/Keri Hudson in the AEA 267 Cedar Falls Special Education Building.
As part of their February board meeting, the AEA 267 Board of Directors engaged the services of G. Tryon & Associates, a professional search firm based out of Des Moines, to lead the search for a replacement for Dr. Horn. The board established a rigorous timeline for the process, with the expectation of securing a new leader by April 8 (to officially begin work July 1). Staff will be invited to serve on focus groups to assist the board in the final stages of selection.
“The board takes this process very seriously,” said Dr. Deb Rich, AEA 267 Board President. “Given the reputation of the agency, we are confident that we will have many talented candidates to choose from.”
Updates on the process will be provided monthly via Intersections.
In the spring of 1974, the Iowa Legislature passed House File 1163 establishing Iowa’s 15 area education agencies with the same service areas as the merged area schools (community colleges). The AEAs, as they came to be called, began operating on July 1, 1975. So if you do the math, that means the AEAs will be celebrating an important anniversary in 2015 – 40 years!
With the establishment of the area education agency system, Iowa became a national leader in providing regional, intermediate educational services. Our Iowa system continues to be among the most respected in the country. Though 44 other states have some kind of educational service agency, the scope of those agencies varies from state to state. None have the unique partnering relationship that Iowa’s AEAs have with local districts.
The AEAs are planning ways to observe this milestone year throughout 2015. If you have feedback or memories to share, don’t hesitate to contact Beth Strike.
One of the first fun ways we’ll celebrate is by doing a selfie social media campaign! We hope you will join us and encourage your co-workers to take part in the fun. Each service area director and office has two signs (ask to use them!), one saying “We are AEA” and the other “I am AEA.” Hold one of these signs as you take a selfie or a group photo in the office, in a meeting, in a school, on a home visit – wherever! Post your photo on Twitter and/or Facebook with the hashtag #iowaaea and email your photo to Beth Strike. (Please remember that signed consent forms are needed if you post any photo with a child.)
We hope this will be a fun activity to kick off our celebration. Be watching for other 40th anniversary ideas we’ll be sharing soon!
