The Channel

We’re excited to announce that the Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors has again approved a retention incentive payment as an early contract signing bonus for all Central Rivers AEA eligible staff members! This incentive is a direct reflection of the Board’s appreciation for your ongoing dedication and commitment to the educators, students and families we serve. It’s also a way to recognize the exceptional work you’ve done, particularly during the challenging times we’ve navigated together.

Here are the key details regarding this incentive:

• Amount: $500 per eligible staff member.
• Payment Date: This incentive will be issued as a separate deposit in September 2026, rather than in June as it was last year. Standard payroll tax withholdings will apply.
• Eligibility: To receive this incentive, you must:
  • Accept and return your employment contract within five business days of receiving it. (Please note: You still have the standard 10 days for Classified, NUSS and Administrative staff and 21 days for Certified staff to sign your contract/NOC, but only five business days to receive the incentive).
  • Have received an employment contract/NOC during the 2025-26 school year and remain employed with CRAEA through the 2026-2027 school year.
• Proration: The $500 incentive will be prorated based on your FTE for the 2026-2027 school year, if you work less than 1.0 FTE.
• Ineligibility: Staff members who have received an early notification incentive are ineligible for this retention incentive.
• Recoupment: If you receive this incentive and do not fulfill your 2026–2027 contract in full, the entire $500 will be subject to repayment. This replaces last year’s prorated repayment structure.

To confirm your understanding of these requirements and to receive the incentive, please sign and accept your contract within the five-day time frame. If you choose not to receive the incentive, please wait until after the five-day time frame to sign your contract, or communicate your decision to the Human Resources Office.

We are truly grateful for your continued commitment to our agency.

As we continue moving forward together, the agency is kicking off a new monthly series designed to help all staff better understand our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan – and, just as importantly, what it means for your work every day.

Whether you support students directly, work in operations, provide professional learning, or serve behind the scenes – this series is meant to help CRAEA staff see how our shared goals and values align with the many ways we serve.

We invite you to engage with this series along the way. Have questions? Want to share reflections or ideas? Feel free to leave comments on each post. Your input helps strengthen our collective understanding and supports ongoing alignment as an agency.

Schedule:

• January: Introduction to the Strategic Plan + Mission & Vision – Stan Rheingans, Chief Administrator
• February: Core Values – Karl, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of Human Resources
• March: Goal #1: Promoting safe, orderly, and welcoming learning environments – Annette Hyde, Executive Director of Special Education
• April: Goal #2: Promote equity in education by closing achievement and opportunity gaps – Tesha Moser-Zimmerman, Executive Director of Educational Services
• May: Goal #3: Ensure consistent quality in the delivery of AEA services to Iowa’s accredited schools – Karl Kurt (Wrap-up/Summary)

Thank you for taking time to follow along each month and for the work you do every day to advance our mission. We’re excited to build shared clarity and momentum around the Strategic Plan – and we hope this series helps every staff member feel connected to the bigger picture.

If you missed the all-staff update on Tuesday, February 10 via Zoom, the slide deck and recording information can be found below. The next meeting (unless canceled if there are no new updates) will be held on Tuesday, March 10, from 4:00-4:30 pm.

Resources from 2/10/26:

• Recording
• Slides
• Zoom link for future meetings: https://aea1.zoom.us/j/99941260595?pwd=1L7Lj66bUNsF6KqJ3t9TU3eTHuO3aB.1
• Meeting ID: 999 4126 0595
• Passcode: 713069

We would like to welcome incoming staff for the 2025-26 school year!

We’re always looking for ways to celebrate the impact of our work – and that starts with the students we serve. Do you know a student who’s made big strides in their learning or reached a milestone thanks to the support you or your team provided? We’d love to share their story as a way to highlight Central Rivers AEA services and the powerful results they lead to.

If you have a story in mind, complete this quick Google Form to get started. Let’s keep shining a light on the difference we’re making together! For questions, please reach out to Contessa Van Buskirk, Communications Specialist.

Check out some of our submitted stories for inspiration:

To help block “calendar spam” and keep your schedule clutter-free, we’ve updated our security settings. Previously, invites from all sources were added to your calendar automatically. Now, an event from outside the CRAEA domain will only appear on your calendar after you click “Yes” or “Maybe” in the email invitation.

Why the change?

• Better security: It prevents scammers from “parking” malicious links or fake alerts directly on your schedule.
• Cleaner view: Your calendar will only show events you’ve actually reviewed and accepted.
• Privacy: It stops outside parties from seeing your availability by sending unsolicited invites.
• Internal continuity: Calendar invites from inside the CRAEA domain will still show up on your calendar automatically, so your workflow with colleagues remains unchanged.

Next steps

You don’t need to change any settings. Just remember to check your email for new invites from outside organizations – once you RSVP, the event will sync to your calendar as usual. To locate missing calendar invites, you can search for “Invitation:” in your email. If you believe the email was deleted, search for “in:trash Invitation:”. These searches should bring up all your invitations, allowing you to select “Yes” or “Maybe.”

Please reach out to the CRAEA Help Desk (319-273-8231), if you have questions.

Let’s be honest: technology moves fast, and it can be tough to keep up. That’s why Central Rivers AEA and Keystone AEA teamed up to create the Staff Tech Hub – your go-to cheat sheet for all things digital! Think of it as your monthly “tech upgrade.” We update this resource every month with simple, practical ideas to save you time and boost your confidence.

What’s the latest for this month’s tips?

Assistive Tech: Starting in April 2026, new federal rules require all public school digital materials – from websites to classroom slideshows – to be fully accessible to people with disabilities. This means every staff member must now ensure their videos, documents and social media posts are designed so everyone can easily read or hear the information.

Artificial Intelligence: Central Rivers AEA has launched a new AI tool called the “Brand Voice Gem” to help staff write emails and documents that sound professional, supportive and human. By following a simple link, you can use this assistant to turn cold or technical language into collaborative, solutions-focused communication that better serves our students and districts.

Practical tech tips: To keep your documents professional and easy for everyone to read, use the Google Docs ruler to set “tabs” and “indents” instead of hitting the space bar to align text. This ensures your layouts stay perfectly lined up on any device and meets accessibility standards for students and staff.The goal isn’t just to give you more tools, it’s to make your daily work easier and more impactful. Ready for more?Head over to the Staff Tech Hub to see the full list of tips and tricks for February! Reach out to Tiffanie Zaugg, Assistive Technology/AI Specialist, with questions.

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

• Updates with CRAEA Special Education doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel and important mid-month information)
• Special Education Updates

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

• Updates with CRAEA Ed Services & Media doc (this will include every update from editions of The Channel and important mid-month information)
• Ed Services/Media Updates

Reduce stress & increase peace

Want more peace and less stress in your work and/or personal life? Core Energy Coaching can help! Central Rivers AEA offers free 1:1 coaching sessions with certified well-being coach Dr. Leslie Moore on Zoom. Coaching creates the space for individuals to recognize and shift out of Level 1 and 2 energy – where fear, doubt and conflict often take the lead – and move toward more empowering states like Level 5 and 6, where collaboration, possibility and purpose begin to drive thought and action. By helping people identify limiting beliefs, release blame and reframe challenges, coaching fosters a mindset rooted in curiosity, compassion and shared success. The result is greater clarity, confidence and connection – both internally and across teams. Schedule your session online!

Enhance your well-being & earn $250

Central Rivers AEA continues to encourage our staff to enhance their well-being by offering a $250 incentive for submitting evidence of understanding and skills in one micro-credential related to INspired Leadership! To learn more about microcredentials, review the Micro-credential Explanation document. To learn about and/or register for a microcredential you are interested in, choose and select: 1) Awareness of Internal Energy, 2) 4 Key Mindsets, and 3) Overcoming Internal Energy Blocks [requires both prerequisite microcredentials above]. Evidence submitted will be reviewed by Dr. Moore. If you need to create an account, have questions about microcredentials or aren’t sure how to sign up, contact Kay Schmalen at kschmalen@centralriversaea.org.

As we continue moving forward together, the agency is kicking off a new monthly series designed to help all staff better understand our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan – and, just as importantly, what it means for your work every day.

Whether you support students directly, work in operations, provide professional learning, or serve behind the scenes – this series is meant to help CRAEA staff see how our shared goals and values align with the many ways we serve.

We invite you to engage with this series along the way. Have questions? Want to share reflections or ideas? Feel free to leave comments on each post. Your input helps strengthen our collective understanding and supports ongoing alignment as an agency.

Schedule:

• January: Introduction to the Strategic Plan + Mission & Vision – Stan Rheingans, Chief Administrator
• February: Core Values – Karl, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of Human Resources
• March: Goal #1: Promoting safe, orderly, and welcoming learning environments – Tesha Moser-Zimmerman, Executive Director of Educational Services
• April: Goal #2: Promote equity in education by closing achievement and opportunity gaps – Annette Hyde, Executive Director of Special Education
• May: Goal #3: Ensure consistent quality in the delivery of AEA services to Iowa’s accredited schools – Karl Kurt (Wrap-up/Summary)

Thank you for taking time to follow along each month and for the work you do every day to advance our mission. We’re excited to build shared clarity and momentum around the Strategic Plan – and we hope this series helps every staff member feel connected to the bigger picture.

Across Iowa and the nation, some families are expressing concern about immigration enforcement activity and what it could mean for students at school. Central Rivers AEA is committed to helping schools maintain safe, calm, and welcoming learning environments for every learner.

First, it’s important to recognize a foundational legal principle: all children have the right to attend public K–12 school regardless of citizenship or immigration status. This is long-standing federal law and is not subject to local interpretation.

In addition, schools have clear responsibilities related to student privacy. Student education records are protected under federal law (FERPA), and staff should always follow established district procedures if any outside agency requests information about a student. For CRAEA staff members, the most important guidance is practical:

• Follow district policy and administrative direction if any outside agency requests access to information or a school building.
• Do not attempt to interpret legal documents or respond independently – route concerns to school administration immediately.
• Maintain confidentiality and avoid speculation, rumors, or sharing unverified information.
• Continue focusing on what schools do best: creating stable routines and safe relationships that support student learning.

Families seeking legal information or assistance may benefit from reputable community resources, including legal aid providers and organizations that compile “know your rights” materials. (Two Iowa-based resources that some families may reference are the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice website and this tipsheet.)

Central Rivers AEA supports schools by promoting lawful, consistent practices that protect student privacy, reduce misinformation, and reinforce safe learning environments for all.

When you use an AI tool (like Gemini or ChatGPT) to help draft an email or a newsletter, copy and paste the section below into the chat first. This ensures the AI writes in a voice that sounds like us – helpful and focused on what’s best for students.

Copy and paste this “persona” into your AI tool:

• Role: You are [identify your title] for Central Rivers Area Education Agency (CRAEA).
• Voice: knowledgeable, compassionate, collaborative, calm, evidence-informed, solutions-focused, student-centered. Professional but deeply human. “We” language.
• Service stance: coach/partner/mentor/advocate/expert guide. 
• Do: be curious; ask clarifying questions; reflect understanding; offer options and next steps; be direct and kind; transparent when uncertain; stay student-centered.
• Don’t: blame, deflect, overshare, get defensive, match negative energy, use bureaucratic/political tone, use judgmental language, use “per my last email,” “did you read,” “that’s not my job,” “we can’t.”
• Preferred phrases: “How can we support you?”, “Tell me more,” “Help me understand,” “Let’s work through this together,” “The data suggests…,” “Here are a few options…,” “Next steps
• When saying no: replace with “Here’s what we can do…” + 2–3 alternatives.

Branding requirements & expectations

As AI tools become a popular way to help us get our work done faster, it is more important than ever to make sure everything we share still looks and feels like Central Rivers AEA. Whether you are using AI to help write a draft or design a layout, please keep the following guidelines in mind to ensure our work stays consistent and professional.

Keeping our look consistent

Whenever you create documents or presentations for school districts or team meetings, please use our official agency branding. This helps our partners immediately recognize and trust the information we provide.

Presentations & themes

To keep our look uniform, please do not build your own slide themes from scratch or try to customize existing ones in the Google gallery.

• Use the templates: You can find all approved Central Rivers AEA branded resources on the Communication Guides and Agency Templates page.
• Need something special? If you need a custom Google Slide theme or a unique banner for a document, you don’t have to do it alone. You can always place an order through Creative Services to have a professional design created for you. (Or reach out to Randy Darst, CRAEA Print Facilitator.)

Flyers & promotional materials

When you need to create a flyer or a brochure to promote a program or event, it’s important that it meets our agency standards.

• Ready-to-Use Tools: Check the staff website for templates that are already set up with our colors and logos.
• Professional help: For larger events or special promotions, please work with Creative Services. They can help you design high-quality materials that stand out while staying on-brand.

If you have accessibility questions, please review the Accessibility Module. If you have questions regarding branding guidelines and requirements, please reach out to Beth Strike, Director of Communications & Creative Services or Contessa Van Buskirk, Communications Specialist, for assistance.

As we look toward the 2026-27 school year, we want to ensure everyone has the information they need to plan their schedules. If you are a member of our certified staff and are considering reducing your work hours (FTE) for the upcoming year, please keep the following details in mind:

• Deadline: All requests must be submitted by March 1.
• Action Needed: Complete the request form by March 1.
• Submission: Please email your finished form to hr@centralriversaea.org.

If you have questions about how a reduction might affect your role or benefits, please reach out to your direct supervisor or the HR team.

Some questions have bubbled up recently regarding local school district access to van delivery for Special Education related items. Whether or not a school district purchases van delivery or not, special education items used in service of students can be delivered or picked-up by the agency if coordinated by a staff member. Because staff members are using the as part of their work (e.g. assistive technology devices, OT/PT equipment, test kits, etc.), this service is not subject to purchase. To arrange pick-up or delivery, simply email your request to delivery@centralriversaea.org.

If you missed the all-staff update on Tuesday, January 13 via Zoom, the slide deck and recording information can be found below. The next meeting (unless canceled if there are no new updates) will be held on Tuesday, February 10, from 4:00-4:30 pm.

Resources from 1/13/26:

• Recording
• Slides
• Strategic Plan One-Pager
• Zoom link for future meetings: https://aea1.zoom.us/j/99941260595?pwd=1L7Lj66bUNsF6KqJ3t9TU3eTHuO3aB.1
• Meeting ID: 999 4126 0595
• Passcode: 713069