The Channel

If you have already been approved for the Remote and/or Temporary Work Site Program(s) and you still qualify for participation, you need only complete the re-application form found on the staff website and submit it to your supervisor for his/her approval. Your supervisor will review the re-application form and return it to you. Your completed application must be received by the AEA 267 Personnel Office no later than Monday, March 31, 2012. If we do not receive your application by that date, we will assume that you do not wish to participate.

New Participants:

Thank you for interest in the Remote Work Site Program and/or the Temporary Work Site Program! Please read about the program requirements and details found on the staff website.   If you are still interested in applying, please complete the application form found on the page and submit it to your supervisor as soon as possible. Your supervisor will then review your application and return to you. Your completed application must be received by the AEA 267 Personnel Office no later than Monday, March 31, 2012.  If we do not receive your application by that date, we will assume you do not wish to participate.

If you have any questions, please submit them to your service area contacts, Larry Erion or Dr. Mary Stevens.  You can also call Dr. Anne Sullivan, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of Personnel.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met February 8, 2012 at 6 p.m. for a public hearing on the 2012-13 AEA 267 proposed budget. The regular board meeting was held immediately following.

During the meeting the board:

• Heard a program review from Dr. Carol Sensor, Special Education Coordinator for Special Projects and Services Improvement, regarding the Learning Supports Team, including information on the team’s structure, goals, and the content areas supported.
• Approved resignations, employments and retirements. (See related post on Educational Services Director position.)
• Approved the 2012-13 AEA 267 budget.
• Approved the Second Reading of Board Policy 204.12 – Consent Agenda.
• Discussed how to proceed with a name change for our agency. The board discussed a list of “top 10” names from the previous process of naming and decided to give further thought over the next month to other options for a name.
• Reviewed the mileage reimbursement rate. Voted to keep the current rate at $.37/mile.
• Approved seeking quotes for the nutrition programs.
• Heard Dr. Roark Horn’s recommendations for satellite offices. Voted to close the Tama and Iowa Falls offices of AEA 267.
• Set a date for the deadline for filing objections to petition for reorganization of the Woden-Crystal Lake and Forest City Community School Districts (March 30 at noon) and set the date for hearing on objections filed (April 4).
• Heard a variety of reports from directors and fellow board members.

Immediately after the regular meeting was adjourned, the AEA 267 Foundation Meeting was held.

What’s happening with our agency’s budget? What can we expect for next year? Dr. Roark Horn, Chief Administrator, files this report. (Be sure to click the play button.)

Everyone wants to present the most professional image they can in the work place; and now more than ever, we want our educational partners (and our colleagues) to view us as the “leaders in learning” that we truly are. Still, most of us value the opportunity to be more casual occasionally. Although it is has been customary in some offices to enjoy a norm of “casual Fridays” we’d like to extend that approach agency-wide. Thus, if you are someone who enjoys dressing more casually, please feel comfortable doing so on Friday (and yes, this includes dressy jeans for those that enjoy them). Please use your professional judgment in choosing “casual professional” choices. On other days, the expectation for dress is “official professional” which does not include jeans. Thanks for your cooperation!

Note: Exceptions to casual Friday attire would include presenting to outside partners, following the dress norms or policies of the district you serve, participating on an interview committee, and/or other circumstances which warrant more formal attire.

How can we structure our agency to provide administrative support to our AEA staff and local school districts so we can optimize our effectiveness in positively impacting children, families and educators? How can we work to ensure that even in times of declining resources and enrollment, we can still maintain high quality services? An important part of the answer to these questions is in a plan to redefine Special Education sector boundaries.

In this important podcast, Dr. Mary Stevens discusses the restructuring of the AEA 267 Special Education sectors, providing explanations and rationale behind the decision. (Be sure to click the play symbol.)

Download Mary’s Powerpoint presentation here. Download the new sector map here.

Citing a need to move from the past to the future, the AEA 267 Board of Directors took steps to begin the process of renaming the agency during a discussion at their meeting held earlier this week.

The issue of renaming is not a new one and has bubbled up many times both internally and with groups the agency serves over the years. Although clearly renaming presents some additional cost and effort, the board believes firmly that doing so is a strategic and important move at this time.

An expedited process will be used in developing a new name. Board members will review a list of the most popular names originally suggested and are expected to make a final selection so that the new name and brand can be in place by July 1, 2012.

Did you know that even if you don’t regularly check out resources from the agency’s Lending Library system that we still need you to update your Medianet profile? Medianet, the database that houses all of the AEA 267 employee contact information for resources checkout is the same database that the AEA Contact Manager (login: aeastaff/password: aea267ia) system uses for sending important emails to staff.

If you haven’t already, please take five minutes to follow the simple directions below for updating your profile!

Directions for updating your profile for AEA Contact Manager:

From our Get Media page – http://www.aea267.k12.ia.us/media/ – click on the link in the right column – Job Assignments-AEA 267 Staff. Log into Medianet using your client number and password. (If you have questions or need help with your Medianet login, please contact a member of the library staff in either Cedar Falls, Clear Lake or Marshalltown.) In the top section of the page, please check all of the appropriate boxes that relate to your AEA 267 job assignment (the lower section is for our LEA clients). Please do not check areas that you are not truly affiliated with or that you simply have an interest in. When done, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the green submit button.

Questions? Contact Deb Culp at 641-844-2492.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met January 4, 2012 at 6 p.m. in the AEA 267 Cedar Falls Conference Center for their regular meeting. During the meeting, the board:

• Accepted the 2010-11 Audit Report. It was noted that the AEA 267 Business Office is doing excellent work and the agency had zero citations in the audit report.
• Approved the 2012-13 proposed budget for publication.
• Heard a report from Dr. Anne Sullivan on the remote worksite program. The board gave approval to continue the program and commended staff members involved in the pilot for their participation.
• Heard a proposal from Dr. Mary Stevens on restructuring the sectors. (See related post and podcast.)
• Approved retirements/resignations.
• Approved the first reading of board policy 204.12 – Consent Agenda.
• Approved the 2012 Extended School Year Calendar.
• Approved the 2012-2013 Office Calendar.
• Approved the Professional Development agreement with Drake University.
• Increased the depository bank limit with Wells Fargo Bank.
• Approved an agreement with Timberline Billing Services.
• Approved an agreement with Marshalltown Community Schools for the Ladders to Learning Program.
• Discussed a change to our agency name. (See related post.)
• Discussed changing the date for the April meeting with the community colleges. The board decided to stay with their regular meeting on April 4 but also hold a special meeting with community college representatives on April 19 (time and location to be announced).
• Heard a variety of reports from directors and fellow board members.

A strategy session for collective bargaining was held after the board meeting.