The Channel

Did you know that there are 2,023 school board members representing K-12 education in Iowa? Collectively, they help to ensure accountability and results for the $3.9 billion dollars in education spending in our state. Every year, school and AEA board members volunteer countless hours of time for the benefit of Iowa students. AEA board members especially, often go without the recognition they deserve for their efforts. Unfamiliar with who the men and women are serving on the AEA 267 Board of Directors? Learn more today and say “thank you” for their service!

In case you missed it or don’t receive the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, the newspaper published an extensive feature story on Sunday, May 1 about the agency’s efforts around Second Chance Reading and the impact those efforts are having on students. Becky Williams, AEA 267 Consultant for Reading/Language Arts, was featured in the article.

Dr. Roark Horn, AEA 267 Chief Administrator, was also featured in the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier along with his daughters, Shannon and Megan. All three from the Horn family will receive degrees from the University of Northern Iowa at commencement exercises on Saturday, May 7.

Edie Penno, AEA 267 Special Education Coordinator, appeared as the feature guest on a recent broadcast of KSMQ TV’s “Heart of the Matter” program. Penno shared information about autism and AEA 267 autism services.

The Board met May 4, 2011 at 6 p.m. in the AEA 267 Conference Center for their regular meeting. Members were each presented a certificate of recognition by Dr. Horn for Board Appreciation Week.

During the board meeting, the board:

• Accepted with regret the retirement of Pat Hagerstrom, Special Education Consultant (Cedar Falls), effective end of 2010-11 school year.
• Accepted the resignations of Laurie Field, Teacher of Mental Disabilities (Irving Elementary in Waverly); Michelle Keough, Teacher of Multi Disabilities/SCI (Union Middle School in Dysart); Christopher McClain, Teacher of Multi Disabilities/SCI (Clarksville Elementary); and Laura Mullaney, School Psychologist (Roosevelt Elementary in Mason City); all resigning at the end of the 2010-11 school year.
• Motioned to hire Joshua Schneiderman, Teacher of Multi Disabilities (Durant Elementary, Sumner) and Sandra Ubben, Consultant for Mathematics (Cedar Falls).
• Approved an agreement with Jester Insurance for Agent of Record services for AEA 267’s Workman’s Comprehensive Insurance Program.
• Approved the EMC Insurance program for 2011-2012.
• Approved a recommendation to terminate a licensed staff contract.
• Approved the amended contract for 2010-11 and approved the contract for 2011-12 with Iowa Department of Human Services for services provided at the Iowa State Training School, Eldora.
• Approved the contract with the Iowa Juvenile Home for Psychologist Services.
• Heard a variety of reports from directors and fellow board members.

Three area paraeducators recently received the 2011 AEA 267 Outstanding Paraeducator Award. Peg Hennings, Union Community School District; Judy Bodecker, AEA 267 Castle Hill School; and Stephanie Mulford, CAL Community School District all were recognized.

Other nominees included Ann Brown, Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District; Rayjean Cory, AEA 267 River Hills School; Judy Crom, West Fork Schools; Dawn Doeden, AEA 267 Castle Hill; Courtney Friest, South Hardin Community School District; Robert Gross, AEA 267 River Hills; Brenda Hagenow, Tripoli Community School District; Julie Hussey, Blessed Sacrament; Janie Laipple, Cedar Falls Community School District; Donna Ponto, AEA 267 Four Oaks; and Marjean Wyatt, AEA 267 Castle Hill.

Congratulations to both the winners and nominees!

Please watch for a yellow envelope coming to you via van mail with information related to:

• Health and Dental insurance enrollment for Plan Year July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012
• Flexible Benefit Plan
• Health Care Reform Changes and Disclosures

This will be your only opportunity to change insurance plans and sign up for Flexible Benefits if desired. The enrollment deadline is June 2, 2011.

For more information, contact Betty Beauregard, Benefits Specialist at (319) 273-8202.

Nearly 1,700 teachers and administrators responded to the annual Iowa Department of Education AEA Customer Feedback Survey administered this spring. While responses are down slightly from a high of approximately 1,900 last year, the information will provide an abundance of quality feedback from which to continually refine and improve our programs and services. More details to come regarding results!

Guided by suggestions from staff members and AEA 267 administration, the agency will pilot two new programs which will provide eligible employees with an opportunity to work from their home on a temporary or more permanent basis.

The Remote Work Site (RWS) program is designed for those employees whose responsibilities are suited to conducting all of their office work at a remote site, such as their home office. In this type of arrangement, the employee retains access to shared AEA 267 office space when needed rather than maintain an assigned office.

The Temporary Work Site (TWS) program provides eligible employees with the flexibility to work remotely on an intermittent basis either because of inclement weather (when the employee had planned to work in the office) or to accommodate work on a special project.

Both programs are voluntary. A group of employees will participate in pilots based on their interest and eligibility.

For more information visit the RWS/TWS page on the staff website (login: aeastaff/password: aea267ia).

There appears to be some internal confusion around the concept of the new Site Superintendent position. Please accept this as our effort to fully inform you about the position and to collectively address the questions that have been raised.

How the concept evolved

Very early on in Roark’s visits with our partner districts, he ascertained that one of the major issues facing us was clear and easy access to information about our services. On almost every visit he was told that LEA’s chose to not fully explore AEA opportunities because they were either unaware of those opportunities or, if they did try to explore a bit, the complexity of figuring out ‘who to contact for what’ was daunting. He was expressing to them that he wanted our agency to be the first place they called for help; they told him if that was the goal, we needed to provide procedures so they could access our system quickly and effectively.

The answer to this dilemma was to find some way for them to have one person to call for their needs; it would be ideal if this person were someone who they had a prior relationship with, or someone they could build a relationship with quickly.

Additionally, recent retirements at the administrative and management levels had resulted in changes in coverage with the Area Director duties. This factor supported the design of a new model to address these responsibilities. This new model needed to be responsive to a combination of onsite building issues, district services, and AEA staff needs, with the ongoing goal of maintaining a continuity of services to our educational partners and AEA 267 staff.

Knowing that resources were tight and getting tighter, it made sense to look at these as two parts of the same problem, as opposed to two different problems. The challenge was to improve our accessibility to our LEA partners, while at the same time providing everyday decision-makers on site.

That was the birth of the Site Superintendent concept. We were able to implement this on a pilot basis in Clear Lake starting January 1, and we have received such strong feedback that the board decided in March to make that position permanent and establish a similar position at the Marshalltown office. Both positions will be funded by a portion of the dollars saved through attrition and reduction in administration and management personnel.

What is a Site Superintendent?

A Site Superintendent is a ‘one call’ access point for our LEA partners with any questions or issues they have for the AEA. While requests can still be made through individual staff members, this position offers a quick way to get information and assistance when others are out in the field. In a sense, a Site Superintendent serves as a liaison between LEA partners and our services. The person also assists districts with management needs such as transportation training, OSHA questions, and buildings and ground issues.

At the same time, the person is on site to serve as a daily presence in the building and to provide the day-to-day decision-making service necessary to allow our sites to work with maximum efficiency.

Executive leadership experience is sought for this position so that service can be provided at all levels. In other words, if administrators in our partner districts need help, they are going to want to speak to or work with someone who has experience with the issues they are dealing with. There are also elements of facility management associated with this position in the sense that major contracted work for our property is sought and funneled through the Site Superintendent. Also, experienced decision-makers are optimal for helping staff with the complexity of their issues; most often this will occur using a consultative model.

It would be impossible to give a full listing of how a Site Superintendent will serve the Agency, as during our pilot in Clear Lake we have seen uses and support not even dreamed of when the position was conceived. Having said that, some very apparent advantages include: someone on site to consult, someone who will listen to your issues and provide support and guidance, someone who will be able to help clarify procedures and expectations, and someone who will make decisions on practical matters such as weather calls. A Site Superintendent is not charged with evaluating certified staff, but may be responsible for evaluation and management of clerical and custodial staff at each site.

This concept and position is truly an effort to serve both our partners and our internal staff, and to solve the dual problems mentioned above.

Mark your calendar to attend one or more of the upcoming retirement celebrations honoring our colleagues. These celebrations present a wonderful opportunity to congratulate and recognize those retiring for their dedication and years of service.

Tuesday, May 17—Cedar Falls Conference Center
Wednesday, May 18—Clear Lake Conference Center
Friday, May 20—Marshalltown Conference Center

Each celebration will begin at 3:30 p.m. and end around 5 p.m.

Those being honored include*

Cedar Falls

• Peggy Aarhus, Educational Assistant, AEA 267 River Hills School
• Connie Cizek, Educational Assistant Sign Language Interpreter, West High School, Waterloo CSD
• Connie Collins, Teacher of Multi Disabilities, Durant Elementary, Sumner CSD
• Dianne Deike, Educational Assistant, Irving Elementary, Waverly CSD
• Pat Hagerstrom, Special Education Consultant
• Joan Greenlee, Teacher of Behavior Disorders, Carey Elementary, Waverly
• Joan Lentz, Speech-Language Pathologist, Cedar Falls office
• Sharon Lynn, Educational Assistant, AEA 267 River Hills School
• Judy Miller, Educational Assistant, AEA 267 Bremwood School
• Janice Moser, Sign Language Interpreter, Waterloo West High School
• Mary Nichols, Special Education Consultant, Cedar Falls office
• Linda Williams, Principal, Castle Hill School
• Wendy Wilson, Educational Assistant, Sign Language Interpreter

Clear Lake

• Carolyn Borger, Lending Library Coordinator, AEA 267 Clear Lake office
• Dr. Bruce Jensen, Area Director of Special Education, Clear Lake office
• David Kobes, School Psychologist, Belmond-Klemme Jr./Sr. High School
• Patricia Notestine, Speech-Language Pathologist, Clear Lake office
• Sandra Pippert, Teacher of Behavior Disorders, AEA 267 Four Oaks School
• Bill Schutz, Manager for Facilities Program, Clear Lake office
• Lorna Schutz, Admin Secretary-SPED Systems, Clear Lake office
• Tom Fey, Interim Site Superintendent, Clear Lake office

Marshalltown

• Tom Adams, School Social Worker, Lenihan Intermediate School, Marshalltown CSD
• Judi Barber, Speech-Language Pathologist, Grinnell office
• Diane Eilers, Itinerant Teacher of Hearing Impaired, Marshalltown office
• Terry Eygabroad, Consultant for Math, Marshalltown office
• Keith Greufe, Lead Custodian/Maintenance, Marshalltown office
• Carolyn Maschmann, Speech Language Pathologist, Grinnell
• Jacquilyn Mason, SLP, Marshalltown
• Janis Smith, Speech-Language Pathologist, Eldora office
• Arlys Stevens, Physical Therapist, Eldora office

*known as of April 8, 2011

The Board met April 6, 2011 at the Ellsworth Community College Campus in Iowa Falls for a Joint meeting of AEA 267, North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) and Iowa Valley Community College. The regular board meeting was held at 7 p.m. after the joint meeting.

During the meeting, the board:

• Heard a program review by Julie Graber, Consultant for Technology and Learning, on Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW). The goal of this professional development initiative is to increase student learning by engaging students in authentic intellectual work. Authentic Intellectual Work is defined by three criteria: construction of knowledge, through disciplined inquiry, to produce discourse, products, and performance that has value beyond school.
• Accepted with regret the retirements of Judy Barber, Speech-Language Pathologist (Grinnell); Jacquilyn R. Mason, Speech-Language Pathologist (Marshalltown); Carolyn Maschmann, Speech-Language Pathologist (Grinnell); Mary Nichols, Special Education Consultant (Cedar Falls); Patricia Notestine, Speech-Language Pathologist (Clear Lake) all retiring end of 2010-11 school year.
• Accepted with regret the resignations of Eric Doyle, Technology Systems Specialist (to become non-union employee for 2011-12); Julie Duer, Speech-Language Pathologist (Marshalltown); Susan Jarnagin, School Psychologist (Clear Lake); Shawna Perry, Speech-Language Pathologist (Waterloo); and Virginia Warner, Teacher of Behavior Disorders (AEA 267 Bremwood School), all resigning end of 2010-11 school year.
• Motioned to hire Melissa Hesner, Consultant for Science (Cedar Falls).
• Authorized purchase of a 19-passenger bus for pre-school programs.
• Approved purchase of two Info Tech delivery vans.
• Authorized the administration to purchase computers for the 2011-12 school year.
• Approved resolution for Iowa School Cash Anticipation Program (ISCAP) participation.
• Approved resolution for Iowa Schools Finance Information Services (ISFIS).
• Renewed the lease with North Iowa Community Action Organization for the Charles City sector office.
• Heard a variety of reports from directors and fellow board members.
• A Board Strategy Session for Collective Bargaining was held immediately after the Board meeting.

What’s happening in the legislature with respect to potential cuts to the AEA system? What decisions have been made regarding budget? AEA 267 Chief Administrator, Roark Horn, provides an update in his latest podcast.

If you haven’t been using the AEA Online databases and resources, you’ve been missing out! But if you are a new user, you’ll love the new line-up of resources coming your way beginning August 1. Iowa AEA Online is a virtual library that provides no-cost access to 12 high-quality, web-based resources for accredited public and non-public PreK-12 schools. Students and staff have access at school and at home. Iowa AEA Online is funded and supported by Iowa’s Area Education Agencies.

The 2011-12 AEA Online line-up includes:

• AccuWeather (PreK-12): Local and international weather conditions and forecasts for research, presentations and projects. AP Images (PreK-12): Over 7 million primary-source photographs from the 1800’s up to a minute ago, over 1.9 million sound bites from the 1920’s up to a minute ago, 230,000 maps, charts and timelines, and 2.5 million text news stories from The Associated Press.
• Atomic Learning (PreK-12) Professional development resources and curriculum materials to infuse 21st century skills into the classroom. Includes access to over 50,000 tutorials.
• BookFLIX (PreK-3): An online literacy resource that pairs fictional video storybooks with related nonfiction books. Read-aloud feature provides accessibility to all readers. Vocabulary feature and interactive games extend student learning.
• Britannica Digital Learning (PreK-12): A suite of products designed to support student research and classroom instruction, Britannica Digital Learning offers an extensive collection of reference and learning materials that are curriculum aligned and age-appropriate.
• CultureGrams (K-12): An insider’s perspective on daily life and culture, including the history, customs, and lifestyles of the world’s people.
• Gale – Cengage Learning (PreK-12): An eResource package offering screened and reliable content from magazines, newspapers, and reference materials. Ten different resources are designed for age-appropriate access.
• iCLIPART For Schools (PreK-12): A collection of more than 7.8 million royalty-free photos, clipart, fonts, animations, and sounds that can be used in multimedia presentations, Inspiration diagrams, school websites, worksheets, newsletters, posters, signs, and more.
• Learn360 (PreK-12): Educational streaming media offering thousands of full-length digital videos, video clips, images, audio files, newsreels, speeches and a comprehensive library of teaching resources from educational publishers.
• SIRS Issues Researcher (9-12): Exploration of the origins, perspectives, and essential questions under debate on over 300 pro/con social issues. Review thousands of highly targeted articles, primary sources, statistics, websites, and multimedia. Articles are read-aloud enabled and searchable by Lexile reading levels.
• soundzabound (PreK-12): Licensed audio that can be used without copyright infringement in videos, podcasts, and other forms of multimedia. The MP3 audio files are cross platform for use in any Mac or PC software that incorporates audio.
• Teen Health & Wellness (7-12): Provides students with nonjudgmental, straightforward, standards-aligned, curricular and self-help support. Topics include diseases, drugs, alcohol, nutrition, mental health, suicide, bullying, green living, online safety, financial literacy, and more.

To learn more, contact Deb Culp at 641-844-2492. Download a flyer with complete information as a reference.

An incredible day of learning and making connections is being planned for the annual Office Support Professionals’ Day (OSPD) on Monday, March 21 from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the AEA 267 Clear Lake Office. AEA 267 Chief Administrator, Roark Horn, and AEA 267 Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of Personnel, Dr. Anne Sullivan, will begin the day with a welcome and motivational message followed by two high-level sessions around the following three topics:

• Google Apps – including Google docs; spreadsheets, drawings, gmail; calendar, presentations and forms. Google Apps are on the internet and can be shared easily with others.

• Adobe Acrobat Pro – software allows the user to create, read and manage Portable Document Format (PDF) documents. Some of the features include: converting existing forms into fillable PDF forms or creating originals using templates; ability to transmit files between computers with different applications; combining and compressing a variety of files into one PDF. This session is just an introduction to PDFs. More in-depth training will be offered at a later date.

• Digital Storefront – simplifies and automates the entire print procurement and production process. Delivers added convenience and time savings for print customers; improves productivity for print shops.

All of these tools will help you be more efficient and effective in your positions. We will also have the opportunity to tour the newly remodeled Clear Lake Office. We will end the day with an uplifting message.

Please register online at http://www.aea267.k12.ia.us by March 14, 2011.

1. Click on Professional Development.
2. Click on AEA 267 Offerings.
3. Enter user name and password (information was transferred from previous system) or create a new account. If you have forgotten your user name and password – Click “Forgot Password” and enter your email. You will receive your user name and password in an email immediately.
4. Under the Course Section of the page, enter Section #6254 and Course #3981.
5. Click on any blue print in the section box.
6. Click on Register. When registering must accept/decline that you’ve read the disclaimer messages –both course specific and general course registration (refund policy).
7. You will see a registration confirmation which you may print.

If you have questions or concerns about the registration process,
please contact Hether Gustafson at 319-268-7662. If you need special accommodations or have special dietary needs, please contact Kerri Wilson at 319-273-8201.

See you there!

New Section 504 resources now available on the AEA 267 website

The AEA 267 Equity Committee has added a new section to the AEA 267 website filled with resources and tools regarding Section 504. Visit today if this information is helpful in your role!