The Channel

Iowans who make up the Council on Educator Development have spent the past two years studying teacher and administrator evaluation practices and professional development. This document represents their preliminary recommendations. The council now needs feedback on these recommendations from Iowa’s education community, including superintendents, principals, teachers, AEA professionals, and school board members.

The following link leads to an online survey, which includes instructions for submitting feedback:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CEDRec1015. The survey will be open through November 30, 2015. All survey feedback will remain anonymous.

Gathering input is critical not only to this process, it is required by law. The council was formed in the fall of 2013 in response to an education reform package adopted by Iowa lawmakers that year. The legislation, House File 215, calls for a period of feedback beginning October 1, 2015. Once the feedback is collected and analyzed, the council will use it to develop a final report in November 2016.

The council has carefully studied Iowa’s current system of evaluation in Iowa Code Chapters 284 and 284(a), as well as research and practices across the country.

The term “teacher” in the bill refers to certified staff and includes AEA staff.  AEA administrative staff are also welcome to give feedback.

Shared on behalf of Ryan Wise, Ed.L.D., Director, Iowa Department of Education. Phone: (515) 281-3436.

One of the little things we can do to serve our customers well is to park in the back of the lot, leaving the best parking spaces for visitors to our building. It is one of those little things, but a nice thing to do as we serve our partners at AEA 267. Are there exceptions? Of course. When you are arriving just to run in and out before you are on the road again, taking advantage of a great parking space only makes sense. When you are arriving with a load of easels, boxes, stacks of books, etc. it is easier to park close to the door. But when you are arriving to stay for the day, combine a healthy walk with a courtesy to our customers.

As you arrive for work in the morning, park in the lot assigned or designated for your building, and leave the best and closest spaces for our guests. If you are unsure whether you have a designated parking spot, contact your supervisor for further information.

From Sam Miller, AEA 267 Chief Administrator:

Thank you to the nearly 350 of you who participated in the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) survey last month. Your input, along with that of the AEA 267 Board of Directors and Ad Cabinet, is truly meaningful as we take a collective breath and analyze what our agency is doing well and where we have opportunities for growth and improvement.

In the coming weeks, I will be analyzing the information and identifying themes for reflection and action. It is my hope to share those in a summary report with the board in October and potentially through office visits and other communication channels with all of you in the weeks following. Stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

It’s official! Starting this month, we will officially accept your nominations for the AEA 267 “Hall of Fame” award. Each month, we will recognize one or more staff members who do a great job demonstrating what our Core Operating Principles look like in action. Those chosen will have a feature story written about their work which will be shared both internally and externally through various agency communication channels. In addition, they will be treated to lunch with our new Chief Administrator, Sam Miller. (Sam promises to make it a fun, light-hearted luncheon!)

Use this nomination form to nominate a fellow staff member who you think deserves to be recognized!

Again this year, our office support professionals will have a chance to come together to grow professionally and network with one another at Office Support Professionals’ Day. This year, OSPD will be held on November 6 at the AEA 267 Clear Lake Office. A more detailed agenda, along with details on transportation and the day’s topics will be shared with invited staff in the near future! Get ready for a high energy of learning, incredible door prizes, and fun!

We welcomed 55 new team members this school year and to introduce all of them to you and the communities we serve, we will be featuring them each Monday on the AEA 267 Facebook page. “Meet the Team Monday” #MTM was such a huge success last year that we are excited to bring it back.

To date, we have profiled 4 new team members. They are:

• Angela Sorenson: Angela comes to AEA 267 as Administrative Assistant for Assessment and Comprehensive Improvement with a background in Criminal Justice. She recently moved back to Iowa to be closer to her family after working in Florida. Angela told us that her favorite aspect of the position is constantly being challenged to learn new things.
• Cari Teske: Cari, one of our new Integrated Learning Specialists, brings 21 years of experience in education, serving as elementary teacher, district librarian and high school principal for the BCLUW CSD. She and her husband have three boys, two in college and one in middle school. Passionate about the role technology plays in education, Cari is excited for the opportunity to support learning through the integration of technology.
• Nicole Stucker: Nicole received her MA from UNI and worked for several years at Grant Wood AEA before joining AEA 267 as a SLP. She and her husband have one young son and her favorite pastime is spending time with them. Nicole shared that she is excited to be working with Early ACCESS children this year.
• Larissa Treloar: Larissa is an Iowa State and UNI graduate and has been practicing as a SLP for five years. Her favorite activity is being “mom” to her young son. Larissa told us that everyone at AEA 267 has gone out of their way to welcome her, which she has very much appreciated.

Be sure to “like” AEA 267 on Facebook and meet the remaining new team members every Monday! #MTM

Although we can’t share this great news publicly until after September 13 when the full list of winners is announced, we have received early notification that AEA 267 has been named one of “Iowa’s Top Workplaces.” Since 2009, Register Media and Workplace Dynamics have worked together with employees to identify and honor companies across the state. Based only on employee evaluations, Top Workplaces celebrates those companies that have the state’s best working environments.

This is an exciting recognition for our agency and one we should promote (after September 13) with pride. Soon, the Top Workplaces logo will be added to the front page of our website and shared via various communication channels including our agency Facebook and Twitter pages. You can help spread the word by adding the Top Workplaces logo to your email signature using the directions below. (Again, please wait until after September 13 to do so.)

Office 2010 (Windows):

https://goo.gl/nbVhJC

Office 2013 (Windows):

https://goo.gl/7EyF6N

Office 2011 (Macintosh)

https://goo.gl/GahmNI

Entourage (Macintosh)

Please see an IT staff member and they will update you to Office 2011.

Thanks for participating in the Top Workplaces survey last spring and helping to make us one of the best in the state! Be proud to work at AEA 267.

Last month, new employees to our agency were provided with an extensive overview of the agency including our mission, vision, goals and organizational structure. The presentation served as an important part of their orientation. It was suggested that this information could also be beneficial to share with all staff members. Please take a few minutes and look at these presentation slides to familiarize yourself once again with this information. Staying knowledgeable about the agency makes us better ambassadors to our neighbors, family and friends about the important work we do!

New guidance has been shared by the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) on service purchase rules changes. If this applies to you, check out this helpful resource.