The Channel

American Education Week is November 18-22! In the spirit of building a supportive and caring work environment, we’re excited to launch a week-long Random Acts of Kindness Challenge for our staff! This initiative encourages everyone to take a few moments each day to brighten a colleague’s day with small, thoughtful gestures.

Throughout the week, consider trying some of these ideas:

• Send a quick thank-you email to someone who helped you recently.
• Give a teammate a shout-out during a meeting.
• Leave a positive note on someone’s desk.
• Offer help on a project or task.

At the end of the week, we’ll celebrate those who took part and share some memorable acts of kindness that reflect our team spirit. Let’s make kindness a daily habit – one small act at a time!

To support a timely staff replacement selection process and assist in budget planning, the Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors approved an incentive be provided for Certified, NUSS, CWA, Administrative Staff and River Hills School staff who provide early notification of their intent to resign or retire at the end of the 2024-25 work year.

The proposed incentive would be administered as follows:

1. Commitments of separation by resignation or retirement at the end of the 2024-25 work year, and
2. Notification of resignation or retirement received in the Human Resources Office before January 2, 2025, and
3. Accepted by the Board no later than the regular meeting on January 8, 2025,
4. Will receive an early notification incentive payment of $2,000, payable June 20, 2025,
5. Subject to the employee fulfilling their individual employment contract obligations for the 2024-25 work year. Staff resigning or retiring who separate prior to the end of the 2024-25 work year are not eligible for the early notification incentive.
6. Staff must have worked for Central Rivers AEA for three full years to receive this incentive.
7. Staff may only receive the incentive once per their employment with Central Rivers AEA.

Please note, paraeducators at River Hills with three full years at CRAEA are eligible for early retirement. As long as you fulfill your 2024-2025 contract, you will qualify for the early retirement incentive. To qualify, notify Karl Kurt, Director of HR/Assistant Chief Administrator, by January 2, 2025, if you plan to retire or resign at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

We need volunteers*! Mark your calendars for December 7, 9 am – 12 pm, at the W Fieldhouse, Wartburg College, for the first Go Baby Go Iowa event in Waverly! Central Rivers AEA is proud to partner with Go Baby Go Iowa to make this special day happen!

Go Baby Go is a special project where health professionals, engineers, students, and volunteers team up to modify ride-on toy cars for kids with mobility challenges, giving them a fun way to move and interact.

*Volunteer Build Day is November 23, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, also at the W Fieldhouse. Join us in making a difference! Whether you want to apply for a car, sponsor a ride, volunteer, or help on Race Day, we’d love your support!

• Become a sponsor/volunteer today! Submit the registration form: https://bit.ly/3Ygfm6Q
• Drive registration form: https://forms.gle/H3KaQidxkgi61Nbh8
• Flyer for more information

For questions, contact Kimberly Sommermeyer at ksommermeyer@centralriversaea.org.

If you missed the all-staff update on October 10 via Zoom, the slide deck and recording information can be found below. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, November 14 from 4-4:30 pm. (We will plan to send a link to the recording shortly after the meeting so you won’t need to wait until the next edition of The Channel for details!)

• October 10 meeting slides
• October 10 Zoom recording
• Zoom link for future meetings: https://aea1.zoom.us/j/93464974419?pwd=Q2hl1s1RZIcSHzDYbdAl9ARPrXdLAY.1
• Meeting ID: 934 6497 4419
• Passcode: 002870

Don’t forget to update your voicemail greeting and set an “away” message for your email during the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks to let callers and emailers know when to expect a response. All Central Rivers AEA offices will be closed on November 28-29 in observance of Thanksgiving.

Voicemail example

“Hello, this is (your name). Our offices are closed beginning Thursday, November 28 and will reopen on Monday, December 2nd. Please leave your name, number and a brief message and I will return your call on the 2nd. Thank you and happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Central Rivers AEA.”

Email “away” message example

Thank you for your email. I will be out of the office on Thursday and Friday, November 28-29. All Central Rivers AEA offices are closed in observance of Thanksgiving. I will respond to your email upon my return on Monday, December 2. Thank you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Please note the office closure dates for the Christmas holiday break are December 25, 2024 – January 1, 2025. Offices will reopen on Thursday, January 2.

If you need assistance with either task, please contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@centralriversaea.org or 319-273-8231.

With winter weather almost here, be sure you are signed up to receive Central Rivers AEA weather alerts* via text, call or email regarding closings or professional learning cancellations. *If you are already signed up, you do not have to do anything.

Staff members can contact Phil Hendricks, for assistance with signing up.

Central Rivers AEA strives to cultivate a workplace in which everyone feels welcomed and empowered to bring their whole selves to work. Continuing work done by the Equity Committee, in partnership with the Leadership Academy, we will invest in employee development initiatives to foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture. “Courageous Conversations” will be featured monthly in The Channel, offering staff opportunities for self-guided learning.

November’s Courageous Conversations: Understanding Unconscious Bias

The exploration of bias is not about villainizing one group over another or making anyone feel guilt, shame or fear. It’s about making progress on our biases and understanding how they limit possibilities for us or others.

Common Definition: Bias is a preference for or against a thing, person or group compared with another. Biases may be held by an individual, group or an institution.

Example of Conscious Bias: Extroverts make the best leaders.

Example of Unconscious Bias: When hiring, you gravitate towards an applicant because they share the same alma mater.

Helpful learning: The Neuroscience of Unconscious Bias

Recognizing bias

“Everybody is biased. The truth is, we all harbor unconscious assumptions that can get in the way of our good intentions and keep us from building authentic relationships with people different from ourselves. By becoming more self-aware, we can control knee-jerk reactions, conquer fears of the unknown, and prevail over closed mindedness. In the end, our central message is that you are not the problem – but you can be the solution.” -Dr. Tiffany Jana

Self-awareness is KEY!

Questions/steps to consider:

• PAUSE – Give yourself a moment to reflect.
• Ask yourself – Why did I choose to say that? Why did I think that? Why did the person react in that way?
• Ask yourself – What am I assuming? Are my assumptions based on fact or experiences, or on something less concrete?
• If the “why” is not clear, ask a trusted colleague. (Depending on your role, you might not be getting “real feedback.” Ask for it. By doing so, you’ll create an environment where it’s safe to give and receive feedback.)

Unconscious Bias training opportunity

Registration for the full-day Disrupting Bias learning session, offered by Gina Weekley and MaKenzie Hakeman, is now open and will be offered at each Central Rivers AEA office location. Interested in participating? Sign up using this Google form by January 28, 2025.

Wellmark has redesigned its Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to make it easier for members to understand their cost-sharing details. The new layout provides a clearer breakdown of services, notes, and costs. Employees will begin receiving this updated EOB form soon. Please remember, the EOB is not a bill – any payments due will come directly from your provider or care facility.

If you have questions about the new EOB, feel free to contact Kevin Klobassa in the Business Office.

Empower half-hour

Are you interested in learning a quick, practical way to release catabolic energy? Join us for the “Empower Half-Hour” with Dr. Leslie Moore, Certified Professional Coach at Central Rivers AEA! On November 15, from 8:30 to 9:00 am via Zoom, Dr. Moore will lead a session to help you access more positive, productive energy around specific situations. Sign up today to receive a calendar invite!

Microcredential stipend available

This year, Central Rivers AEA is continuing to support staff well-being by offering a $250 incentive for completing one of three INspired Leadership micro-credentials! The options are:

• Awareness of Internal Energy
• The 4 Key Mindsets
• Overcoming Internal Energy Blocks* (available soon)
• *Please note: the new micro-credential does require the first two to be earned as prerequisites.

All of these are available in our On-Demand Library, and submissions will be reviewed by Dr. Leslie Moore. If you have any questions or need help signing up, free free to schedule a quick 15-minute session with Leslie by sending her a calendar invitation!

Well-being support for YOU!

Would you like support in getting more of what you want and less of what you don’t in your personal or professional life? If so, Central Rivers AEA offers 1:1 core energy leadership coaching sessions with certified well-being coach, Dr. Leslie Moore, via Zoom. All sessions are confidential and scheduled by you when you send Leslie a Google Calendar invitation. Just select “private” on the calendar invite. Reach out to Leslie with questions.

Get INspiring emails delivered to your inbox

If you would like to receive weekly emails that support your personal and professional leadership, join ESSDACK’s INspired weekly mailing list. You can also sign up to receive their INspired Leadership blog.

Special Ed quarterly reports

Under HF2612, we’re required to send districts a quarterly report summarizing the special education services they received. These reports went out on October 30, so you may get questions from schools. This first-quarter report used only ACHIEVE data; Harvest data is still being refined and isn’t included yet.

Missed timelines

The Department of Education (DE) tracks whether we meet timelines set by IDEA for Early ACCESS and Special Education evaluations. Our goal is to meet 100% of these timelines, though rare situations may cause delays. If you anticipate missing a deadline, please inform your RA in advance to explore solutions.

Family validation

Please complete all family validations for your roster. Here are resources to help finish up:

• Family Contact Validation Training Video for AEA Staff 
• Family Contact Validation Training Slides for AEA Staff
• Iowa IDEA Parent Guidelines
• User Guide – ACHIEVE Family Contact Validation
• Example Scripts for Family Contact Validation 

Some teachers can’t finalize IEPs because family validation isn’t complete and districts haven’t provided guidance. Below are resources sent to districts. If you have a connection with the principal in your building, feel free to share these; if you encounter any resistance, let your RA know.

• Parent Validation FAQ
• Parent Portal FAQ
• Training Resources
• New ACHIEVE website (to house resources)

Foster parent roles

We received clarification that foster parents with court-assigned education rights still need to be appointed as a surrogate to serve as the parent for IDEA purposes. Court-assigned rights typically apply to general school decisions like registration and attendance. Refer to our CRAEA surrogate parent process for more details.

Legacy IEPs in ACHIEVE

We’re now able to rename Legacy IEP PDFs in ACHIEVE. Data techs are working on this, but if you’re in an IEP and have time, please rename them using this format: Legacy IEP [Date] Annual Review (e.g., Legacy IEP 12.12.20 Annual Review).

Preschool status

There’s been confusion around full-time vs. part-time status for preschoolers with IEPs. According to the Department of Education, “full-time” applies to preschoolers attending 20+ hours per week; under 20 hours is considered part-time. We’ll provide training on documenting this and resources to support PK teachers. For support-only preschoolers, the roster will always show full-time, as it doesn’t impact district funding.

Roster changes

To transfer students in ACHIEVE when they switch teachers, buildings, or districts, the facilitator can update the roster, but the new facilitator should review and update all activities and services right away. Central Rivers AEA will send rosters in fall and spring for review and cleanup. Facilitators are encouraged to manage roster changes directly between these clean-up times. Please avoid submitting tickets for roster changes unless there’s a technical issue. For questions, contact your RA. This information will also be shared with LEA SE Directors in the November updates, due around November 15.

Weighting review requests

Thank you for adapting to the new IEP weighting review process! If your district asks for an IEP review, please include the student’s name, district, and date of birth for quicker processing.

Live documents, helpful resources and guides can be found on our staff website.

• Special Education Updates
• Updates with CRAEA Special Education doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel)

Quarterly summaries:

On October 30, Stan Rheingans emailed superintendents and school business managers a summary of first-quarter services. If there are any questions, schools can reach out to the contacts listed in the top right corner of the report or to their district’s regional administrator.

Live documents, helpful resources and guides can be found on our staff website.

• Ed Services/Media Updates
• Updates with CRAEA Ed Services & Media doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel)

There are new features in Read&Write for Google Chrome (the Premium version is still free for teachers)! The word prediction tool now includes Co:Writer, offering flexible spelling suggestions based on phonetic spelling. It also adds topic-specific dictionaries for quicker word prediction, a familiar feature for Co:Writer users. You can even set word prediction to appear only when needed, which is handy for more challenging words.

The customizable Read&Write toolbar now offers Horizontal, Vertical and Writing View options. You can also create user profiles to easily switch between the tools you need for different tasks. For reading webpages (outside of Google Docs), Rewordify has been added. It highlights complex words and suggests simpler alternatives to improve comprehension. You can toggle between the simplified and original text.Learn more about these features and others at https://academy.texthelp.com.