The Channel

(L to R) Charlotte Upah (Director District 6), Dr. Debra Rich (Board President, Director District 2) and Bernice Richard (Director District 9)

Board members are often the unsung heroes of the education system and our board members are no exception. At the September 2 meeting, two special board members were honored for their years of service to the agency. Charlotte Upah (Director District 6) and Bernice Richard (Director District 9). Both board members are not returning to the board following this month’s election. Join us in thanking both of these individuals for their incredible dedication to our agency and mission.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at 6 pm in the Cedar Falls AEA 267 Conference Center. The agenda for the September meeting can be found on the agency website under About Us>Board of Directors>Board Meetings & Agendas. Official minutes will be posted the following month after board approval.

Sam Miller, AEA 267 Chief Administrator

Hopefully you are just as energized as I am following our all-staff meeting earlier this week! Seeing our entire AEA 267 team in one location together provided me with a unique opportunity to understand just how incredible an impact we can make as a service agency. Thank you for your attendance, your attentiveness and the warm welcome I received!

Toward the end of my presentation I shared a video with you featuring our staff in action. The video is set to the song “Hall of Fame” by The Script which has an inspiring message about championing a cause and finding yourself in the “hall of fame” of life. While copyright law doesn’t allow me to post the video here for another view (we had permission under a site license to show it at UNI), it has sparked an idea. What if during the 2015-16 school year, we honored one or more staff members per month who have been identified by their peers as going above and beyond to live out the agency’s Core Operating Principles? Those staff members identified could become part of our “hall of fame” at AEA 267 and recognized for their contributions. It would be great to recognize as many people as possible who are making a difference for others. Let me know what you think of this idea! Drop me an email, call or stop by the office as your schedule permits.

In the coming weeks I plan to be actively visiting with more of you and observing the incredible work you do on behalf of children, families and educators. Have a great start to the year!

Nearly 55 new AEA 267 staff members took part in this year’s New Employee Orientation which was held on August 10 at the AEA 267 Cedar Falls Conference Center. Sam Miller and Kathy Enslin, along with other central office support representatives, helped welcome new team members and orient them to the agency and our work.

All of us remember what it was like to be “new” to the organization. As you go about your daily work, please reach out to any of the following new staff members you may come in contact with and help them to become better acquainted with the agency:

• Briana Backer, SLP-Northeast Sector
• Kathy Barfels, Admin Secy-HR/Receptionist-Cedar Falls
• Taylor Baumgartner, Assessment Intern-Cedar Falls
• Melissa Blohm, Consultant for Reading/Lang Arts-Cedar Falls
• Jay Boens, Ed Asst-Pinecrest
• Allison Burchland, Sp Ed Consultant-South Sector
• Marie Butenhoff, Sp Ed Secretary-Marshalltown
• Megan Cole, Teacher of Behavior Disorders-Pinecrest
• Angie Condon, Early Childhood Sp Educator-Marshalltown
• Holli Counsell, Early Childhood Sp Educator-East Sector
• Anna Crenshaw, Teacher of Hearing Imp-Cedar Falls
• Sydney DeMaris, SLP-Northwest Sector
• Carrie Downs, Sp Ed Consultant-South Sector
• Jamie Granzow, Ed Asst-Central IA Juvenile Detention Center
• Courtney Gross, Ed Asst-River Hills
• Leigh Ann Hansen, SLP
• Patricia Heisterkamp, School Social Worker-East Sector
• Phil Hendricks, Web Developer/Designer I-Cedar Falls
• Krysta Hofler, Ed Asst-Pinecrest
• Rebecca Jenkins, SLP-NE Sector
• Kristy Johnson, Ed Asst-River Hills
• Lora Kester, Cons for Reading/Language Arts-Marshalltown
• Heidi Knoblock, Sp Ed Secretary-Grinnell
• Kristi Krmpotich, Sp Ed Consultant-Northwest Sector
• Kristin Langman, Clerk-Tech Library-Marshalltown
• Lisa Litterer, OT-Northwest Sector
• Kelcy Madison, Audiometrist-Marshalltown
• Alison March, PT-Northwest Sector
• Paul McNamara, Ed Asst/Intervention Spec-Bremwood
• Julie Miller, Sp Ed Consultant-East Sector
• Christina Smock, Assessment Intern-Cedar Falls
• Katherine Owen, Teacher of Deaf & Hard of Hearing-Cedar Falls
• Anna Phalen, Early Childhood Sp Educator-East Sector
• Sara Phillips, Ed Asst-River Hills
• Amber Post, OT-Northeast Sector
• Jennifer Poulter, Ed Asst-Pinecrest
• Katie Reed, Early Childhood Sp Educator-East Sector
• Dustin Reese, School Psychologist-Northwest Sector
• Rebecca Rother, Teacher of Behavior Disorders-Pinecrest
• Amanda Sanderman, Science Consultant-Cedar Falls
• Jennifer Schmitt, Sp Ed Consultant-Northwest Sector
• Ellen Schulz, SLP, South Sector
• Amy Sehi, SLP-Northwest Sector
• Angela Sorensen, Admin Asst for Assess/Comp Imprv-Cedar Falls
• Karen Springer, Early Childhood Sp Educator-Northwest Sector
• Brenda Streets, Clerk-Tech Library-Marshalltown
• Nicole Stucker, SLP-South Sector
• Dawn Swehla, Sp Ed Consultant-Northeast & East Sectors
• Cari Teske, Integrated Learning Specialist-Cedar Falls
• Larissa Treloar, SLP-Northeast Sector
• Andrew Voss, Teacher of Mental Disabilities S&P-River Hills
• Sarah Wessels, Sp Ed Consultant-Northwest Sector
• Sara Youngblut, COTA-NE Sector
• Tiffany Zilka, School Psychologist-Northeast Sector
• Jennifer Zitelman, COTA-East Sector

Melissa Clark

Rob Hirst

Nearly 100 staff members were recognized during the all-staff meeting for their years of service to children, families and educators served by the agency. Staff members receiving recognition included those staff members who had reached five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35-year milestones.

While these important staff members should be recognized, special thanks to Melissa Clark and Robert Hirst for achieving 40-year milestones with the agency!

A complete list of employees who were recognized, along with all the materials from August 12, is available on the staff website under Sector Resources and 2015 Kick-Off Meeting. (Remember to use your email login and password to access the staff website.)

Congratulations to all!

Please help us welcome these new superintendents to districts served by AEA 267. For a current directory of all school administrators in both public and non-public schools served by the agency, check out out the “schools” directory on our website.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, July 1, 2015 and again on Wednesday, August 12 at 6 pm in the Cedar Falls AEA 267 Conference Center. Both the official minutes of the July meeting and the agenda for the August meeting can be found on the agency website under About Us>Board of Directors>Board Meetings & Agendas.

Thank you to everyone for participating in the all-staff meeting held on August 12! It was great to reconnect, learn together and prepare for the school year ahead. Photos from the week will be available to view on the AEA 267 Facebook page later this week.

Celebrate American Education Week and Iowa’s Area Education Agencies’ 40th anniversary with discounted Iowa football tickets to the Iowa vs. Minnesota night game in Iowa City on Saturday, November 14. Tickets are available to employees in any AEA and this was offered at NO cost to the AEA system.  To order your tickets and for more information follow this link:  https://bravosportsmarketing.com/product/iowa-aea-iowa-football-tickets/

We’d welcome this opportunity from other colleges and universities. At this time, the University of Iowa is the only one who has reached out.

Please take note of the following reminders from the Human Resources (HR) office:

• September 15 is the deadline for notifying HR of intentions to change lanes on the salary schedule (certified staff).
• All professional licenses must be kept current. Professional licenses renew on the last day of the month of the individual’s birthday. To check the status of your license, please go to:  https://www.iowaonline.state.ia.us/boee/.  Please remember to send a copy of your license to the HR office.
• Unpaid days will not be granted except under unique circumstances at the discretion of Human Resources.