The Channel

Please plan to attend one or more of the upcoming retirement open houses honoring AEA 267’s 2015 retirees. The celebrations will be held on Tuesday, May 12 (Cedar Falls Conference Center); Wednesday, May 13 (Clear Lake Office); and Thursday, May 14 (Marshalltown Office) from 3:30-5 p.m. at all locations. These celebrations present a wonderful opportunity to congratulate our honorees and recognize them for their dedication and years of service.Those being honored this year include:

Cedar Falls

• Rick Bagnall, School Psychologist-NE Sector, retiring end of 2014-15
• Elwood Bernard, Lead Custodian/Maint-Cedar Falls, retired 4/30/15
• Cheryl Breitbach, Educational Assistant-River Hills, retiring end of 2014-15
• Loretta Brimmer, Educational Assistant-River Hills, retiring end of 2014-15
• Cathy Edwards, School Psychologist-East Sector, retiring end of 2014-15
• Sandi Embrey, Educational Assistant-River Hills, retiring end of 2014-15
• Dr. Roark Horn, Chief Administrator, retiring end of 2014-15
• Sue Hotzel, Admin Assistant for Assessment/Comp Improvement, retired 2/27/15
• Dianne Hyde, Bus Driver- River Hills, retiring end of 2014-15
• Dyan Johnson, Professional Learning Secretary/Receptionist, retiring end of 2014-15
• Clair Judas, Special Ed Technology Specialist-Cedar Falls, retiring end of 2014-15
• Sandy Lawry, Admin Secretary-SpEd Technology, retired 11/30/2014
• Karen Marrah, Educational Assistant-River Hills, retired 9/16/14
• Brad Mattocks, Teacher of Mental Disabilities-River Hills, retiring end of 2014-15
• Kate McElligatt, School Social Worker-Cedar Falls, retiring end of 2014-15
• Kim Merner, Early Childhood Special Educator-Cedar Falls, retiring end of 2014-15
• Katy Rohle, Itinerant Teacher of Hearing Impaired-Cedar Falls, retiring end of 2014-15
• Shirley Sinnott, Special Education Consultant-NE Sector, retiring end of 2014-15
• Drinda Williams, Consultant for Reading/Lang Arts-Cedar Falls, retiring end of 2014-15

Clear Lake

• Harold Jay Colsch, Special Education Coordinator-NE Sector, retiring end of 2014-15
• Barbara Johnson, Speech-Language Pathologist-NW Sector, retiring end of 2014-15
• Leah Marth, School Social Worker-Osage, retiring end of 2014-15
• Mary Jane Michaels, Occupational Therapist-St. Ansgar, retiring end of 2014-15
• Linda Shepp, Special Education Consultant-NW Sector, retiring end of 2014-15
• Mark Shepp, School Psychologist-NW Sector, retiring end of 2014-15
• Karen Trettin, Occupational Therapist-Charles City, retiring end of 2014-15
• Tracy Voss, Graphic Design Specialist-Clear Lake, retired 12/31/2014

Marshalltown Office

• Belinda Blackburn, School Social Worker-South Sector, retiring end of 2014-15
• Kay Feltz, Speech-Language Pathologist-South Sector, retired 12/31/2014
• Mindy Kunkel, Clerk Technician (Library)-Marshalltown, retired 3/31/15
• Loretta Kvapil, Speech-Language Assistant-South Sector, retired 9/2/14
• JoEllen Lee, Clerk Technician (Library)-Marshalltown, retiring end of 2014-15
• Karen Madison, Early Childhood Sp Educator-Marshalltown, retiring end of 2014-15
• Sharon Niewahner, Special Ed Consultant-South Sector, retiring end of 2014-15
• Linda Vann, Professional Development Trainer-Cedar Falls, retiring end of 2014-15
• Karen Visser, Early Childhood Special Educator-Marshalltown, retiring end of 2014-15

If you have not already done so, please mark your calendar to attend the 2015 all-staff meeting on Wednesday, August 12 at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) campus. While we have not finalized all the details on the day yet, we are hoping to be able to offer carpooling options for staff. Stay tuned for more details to come this summer.

Effective immediately, staff can enroll for their 2015-16 benefits online in the IVisions self-service portal. All benefits-eligible employees must complete this process even if you are making no changes, declining insurance, resigning, or retiring .This is your only opportunity to make changes for the upcoming year without a life event.

Specific benefit details may be found in the IVisions portal under, My Benefits > Information Center. To choose your benefit coverage, select the My Benefits>Benefits Enrollment. Rates and previous year selections are shown as you make your new selections.

Please refer to the email you received on May 4th for details regarding plan changes. General questions may be directed to Human Resources. Please direct specific questions to Betty Beauregard, Benefits Specialist. The open enrollment period ends May 25.

AEA 267’s Board of Directors volunteer countless hours of their time each year to ensure that every Iowa student, family and educator served by our agency receives excellent service. Please join us in honoring our board members and consider sending a thank you note, email or making a phone call to one of the incredible AEA 267 Board of Directors. They deserve our appreciation!

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 6 pm in the Cedar Falls Conference Center. Prior to the meeting the board was recognized for their commitment and dedication to AEA 267 in honor of School Board Recognition Month. During the meeting, the board:

• Heard a program review regarding Special Education Compliance from Justin Stockdale, Special Education Coordinator (NW Sector) and Greg Koppes, Principal of Bremwood School.
• Approved the agreement with OneNeck for 2015-2017 for technology security.
• Approved the contract with CenturyLink for telephone service in Cedar Falls beginning July 1, 2015 through 2017.
• Approved the agreement with the University of Northern Iowa for the Cooperative Student Teaching/Practicum Program for 2015-16.
• Approved the Iowa AEA Resolutions.
• Approved the Assignment and Assumption Agreement with the Iowa AEA.
• Ratified the Collective Bargaining Contract for 2015-16 with the AEA 267 Education Association. This group received a 3.51% total package increase.
• Ratified the Collective Bargaining Contract for 2015-16 with the Communication Workers of America. This group received a 3% total package increase.
• Set the administrative and non-union support staff salaries and total package costs for 2015-16. Both of these groups received a 3% total package increase.
• Heard a variety of reports from directors and fellow board members.

Sam Miller

Area Education Agency 267 (AEA 267) is pleased to announce that Sam Miller, currently superintendent at Solon Community School District, has been selected as the agency’s new chief administrator.  Miller will succeed Dr. Roark Horn, who is leaving the agency to become Executive Director of School Administrators of Iowa (SAI), beginning July 1, 2015. Horn has led the agency since 2010. The board officially hired Miller at their regular meeting on Monday, April 6, 2015.

“We are extremely proud to offer the position to someone with the breadth and depth of experiences that Mr. Miller has,” said Dr. Debra Rich, AEA 267 board president. “Sam’s track record of exemplary leadership, along with his value for relationships and collaboration with stakeholders, are a perfect fit for AEA 267.”

Miller has previously held positions as Superintendent and Middle/High School Principal at Davis County Community School District in Bloomfield, Iowa; Vice Principal/Athletic Director at Knoxville High School, in Knoxville Iowa and Special Education Teacher at the Ottumwa Community School District. He has been with the Solon Community School District since 2010.

Miller earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in K-12 Physical Education from the University of Iowa; a Master of Arts degree in Special Education from Morningside College; a Master of Science degree in Educational Administration from Drake University; and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Drake University.  Miller is in the process of earning a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northcentral University.

Please join us in welcoming Mr. Sam Miller to AEA 267!

Spring is just around the corner and the target date for open enrollment of benefits has been set for May 4. Please watch your email and announcements in the iVisions portal. All benefits-eligible employees must complete this process even if you are declining insurance, resigning or retiring.

Thank you to the 545 staff members who responded to the Des Moines Register Iowa’s Top 100 Workplaces survey. Recently, a sample of the results were shared with the AEA 267 Human Resources Office revealing the following:

Workplace statements asked on the survey were grouped around six factors including: “Alignment” (e.g. the agency is going in the right direction), “Execution” (doing things efficiently and well), “Connection” (feeling genuinely appreciated, reaching individual potential), “My Job” (training, expectations, flexibility, etc.), “My Manager” (cares about employees, helps me learn and grow, makes it easier to do my job, etc.); and “My Pay & Benefits”. The agency scored highest in the “My Manager” category. The lowest scored category was “Execution”.

Unfortunately, the company that administers the survey, Workplace Dynamics, has explained that in order for us to receive the full results, the agency would need to pay over $6,000 for even a basic report and over $17,000 for an expanded report. Given the fact that we already have data from our own internal continuous improvement survey, a decision was made not to spend the funds for the full results and to abandon our pursuit of the “Top 100 Workplaces” designation.

For many years, AEA 267 employees under the Master Contract between the AEA 267 Education Association and the Agency were issued contracts for the following year prior to the beginning of April even if negotiations between the Association and the Agency were not completed. The Agency was doing this in good faith so that employees would know their employment status. In discussions with the Association during the summer of 2013 it was brought to the Agency’s attention that this practice was in violation of Iowa State Code 279.13.

Iowa Code 279.13.1 states that contracts issued must contain the following information for them to be valid:

• They must be in writing;
• They must state the number of contract days;
• They must state the annual compensation to be paid;
• And, they must contain any other matters that are mutually agreed upon.

By issuing individual contracts that do not have the correct annual compensation, the Agency was violating the code. This became an issue when individuals attempting to be hired elsewhere were not released from their Agency contracts, preventing them from being hired by a new employer. The Association made the Agency aware that under 279.13.3 employees have 21 days from when they are issued a legal contract to either sign their new contracts or resign. Because the contracts that the Agency issued were in violation of the law they were not valid and therefore the Agency could not hold these individuals as it was within the 21 days from the date when the Association and the Agency came to agreement on the 2013-2014 Master Contract.

As was the case last year, the Agency has again this year agreed with the Association not to issue contracts until a settlement is reached for the 2015-2016 Master Contract. Under Iowa Code 279.15.1 the Agency must issue Reduction in Force (RIF)/Termination notices no later than April 30. Because “teacher” contracts continue, if you do not receive a RIF notice you will have a contract issued to you after the Association and the Agency settle the Master Contract.

Although issuing individual contracts after the Master Contract settlement is different from the past practice of the Agency, the Agency and the Association are working together to do what is best for the employees while also following the law. If you have any questions regarding this information please feel free to contact either Kathy Enslin or Jack Clement, ISEA Director (Hawkeye UniServ Unit).