The Channel

Would you like a safe place to communicate with people who share similar identities and/or experiences? An employee resource group is a workplace affinity group organized around a shared interest or identity. ERGs give employees an opportunity to connect with people who may share similar identities and/or experiences. These are supportive, safe, brave spaces; to discuss various topics, experiences, concerns, and possible solutions that may be impacting the community without fear, judgment, or repercussions.

ERGs provide an opportunity for support for those who are members of protected classes or marginalized communities. ERG members (with the support of a liaison of similar identity or you) are encouraged to bring forward concerns that surface to help the agency make changes to ensure all staff feel welcomed and empowered to bring their whole selves to work.

Initially, these groups will be limited to those with identities of protected classes and are members of historically marginalized communities. ERG groups may expand to include allies and other topics in the future.

If you are interested in joining an ERG please complete this Google Survey. This information will not be shared with others. It will be used to create the groups and aid in facilitating communication. If you are not comfortable completing the form or would like additional information please reach out to Dr. Dana Miller.

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. Register online through the AEA Professional Learning system.

Course Description: Join us for a full-day learning session* that will provide a framework to disrupt bias behaviors. Bias limits our ability to make the best decisions for our teachers, our students, and our families. The awareness of our biases is foundational to becoming more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Unconscious bias is something everyone has and that doesn’t make us bad; it makes us human. Through this session, you will be able to recognize bias, disrupt bias, learn how to choose courage, and increase your connections! *This training is for Central Rivers AEA Staff only!

Course information to register:

• November 30, 2023 – Marshalltown office (Section #317831)
• February 29, 2024 – Clear Lake office (Section #317832)
• May 20, 2024 – Cedar Falls office (Section #317833)

Check out the flyer for more information or reach out to MaKenzie Hakeman with questions.

Contact Manager is a tool created to allow staff to send email messages to targeted groups of educators. This is a great tool for promoting your professional learning opportunities or meetings that are targeted toward specific audiences.

How do I use Contact Manager?

1. Go to: http://contactmanager.centralriversaea.org
2. If you are not signed in, click the “Sign in with Google” Button and follow the prompts to sign in through Google.
3. Click “Search Contacts” to begin.
4. Select the criteria from the options on the page to narrow your search from all the educators our agency serves to only those in your desired group.
5. Click the “search” button at the bottom of the page.
6. Select individuals or all the members of this group to email (create labels for and/or export into a spreadsheet) by using the check boxes next to each name.
7. Then, click your desired action at the bottom of the page (Email Selected Contacts, Export Selected Contacts, Generate Labels).
8. Follow the steps on the screen to finish.

Who do I contact for help?

• Beth Strike, Director of Creative Services/Communications
• Kristine Kienzle, Technical Support Manager for Media

Note: These directions are archived on the Staff Website>Communications>Contact Manager for future reference.

Join us in Marshalltown on September 14 & 20!

If you have yet to experience a two-day INspired Leadership Workshop or haven’t attended in the past three years, you might wish to check out the fall workshop dates and locations. Registration is now available in the AEA Professional Learning System. Contact Dr. Leslie Moore with any questions.

Looking for an Empowering Podcast?

As the creator of The Life Coach School, Brooke Castillo has built a $50 million dollar business helping people with thought work. When we can manage our minds and the thoughts we tell ourselves, the possibilities are limitless! Check out nine years’ worth of podcasts by searching Brooke Castillo and The Life Coach School on your favorite platform for recordings and transcripts!

Awareness of Internal Energy Micro-credential: Stipend Continued for 2023-24!

All staff have a personalized opportunity to heighten awareness of their internal core energy levels in order to enhance relationships and meet their personal and professional goals. Check out the Awareness of Internal Energy micro-credential available in CRAEA’s On-Demand Library! Staff who demonstrate and submit evidence of meeting all success criteria will earn the micro-credential badge. If you are employed directly by CRAEA and it is earned before June 30, 2024, you are eligible for $250. Learn more or log in now and register in CRAEA’s On-Demand Library by selecting “Micro-credential” in the “Categories” dropdown. You will also need to register in the AEA Professional Learning System. You have the opportunity to register as a “participant only” for $0 or to earn License Renewal Credit for $35. If you have registration questions, please contact Angie Gansen, Professional Learning Registration System Coordinator.

All agency documents and presentation materials that staff create to present to their school districts or in team meetings are expected to follow official Central Rivers AEA branding guidelines to maintain a consistent look. When writing for the website (including blogs), please use the online writing guide, which includes important accessibility information. If you have accessibility questions, please review the Accessibility Module.

The Communication Guides and Agency Templates page on the staff website offers many Central Rivers AEA branded resources. Some reminders to staff:

• If you want a custom Google Slide theme, you can place an order through Creative Services.
• Do not create your own themes from scratch or by editing/customizing copies of the themes found in the Google Slide gallery.
• The Branding, Copyright, Accessibility & LMS Guidelines presentation is the “one-stop-shop” resource for all guidelines.

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.

Whether you are new to Central Rivers AEA or had a recent title change, business cards are available to staff and can be ordered through Creative Services. The order form can be found on the staff website under Resources. Contact Randy Darst, Print Facilitator, with questions.

If you are new to Central Rivers AEA or need new CRAEA-branded clothing added to your closet, we have a branded clothing storefront through Iowa Sports Supply. Browse the store and check out all of the items that are available for purchase! For more information, check out the storefront page on our staff website.

The 2023 All-Staff Kickoff Meeting will be held at the Cedar Falls office on Friday, August 18, beginning at 9:00 am (please consider arriving before to enjoy social time, purchase a smoothie bowl and find your seat in time for kick-off)! This is going to be a wonderful opportunity to get to know our new Chief Administrator Joel Pedersen and connect with your various teams and colleagues!

This year’s theme is, Let’s Partner Together to Tell Our Story. Did you know that we are going to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of Iowa AEAs? For nearly 50 years, agencies have been providing services for children, families and educators! As part of our advocacy work this coming year, we are going to be finding some of those students, families and educators we have helped over the past 50 years and celebrate the partnerships we’ve created to ensure student success. We cannot share these stories without you! Check out our CRAEA student success story page on the staff website for details and a Google Form to submit an alumni story.

Some important details:

• From 7:30-9:00 am, Big Açaí will be offering a variety of delicious bowls and smoothies for individual sale in Central Perk.
• A wide assortment of sandwiches, chips and cookies will be provided for lunch. If you have dietary restrictions (gluten-free or vegetarian), please contact Lori Thomas, Executive Assistant by August 11 to ensure lunch is set aside for you at the front desk.  
• The meeting agenda and room locations for the afternoon sector and discipline meetings will be available on the morning of the meeting.
• Just for fun, from 1-3 pm, Cedar Valley Pitbull Rescue will be outside the main entrance with a couple of their foster dogs. Take a break from your meeting and de-stress with some sweet dogs! Cash or online donations are much appreciated for this organization – check out the flyer for more details.
• The quick links document is now available for all staff to view. Important resources and links that will be needed for the day can be viewed at any time.
• The day wraps up at 3:00 pm after the sector and discipline team meetings. 
• Support staff that are not assigned to a sector or discipline will be able to return to their offices after enjoying lunch. 

We look forward to seeing everyone on August 18 and kicking off another great year at Central Rivers AEA!

Beginning July 1, 2023, HF 672 will eliminate renewal credit requirements for licensed educators who have completed a master’s degree or higher and have at least 10 years of licensed experience in education. Requirements for eligibility can be found below.

• Completed a master’s degree or higher.
• Served at least 10 years in education.
  • Any PK-12 education experience in which a BoEE license is required.
  • Can also include out-of-state or out-of-country education experience.
  • Education experience does not need to be after a higher degree has been earned.

• Requirements at the time of application for renewal:
  • Valid Mandatory Reporter for Child Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse certificates.
  • Verification of degree. (official transcripts from college/university).
  • Verification of 10 years or more of education (letters on school letterhead from current/previous school districts).
  • Administrators and evaluators will also need to include verification of Evaluator Training less than 10 years old.

Use the following link to log into the BOEE system: https://boee.force.com/s/login. Directions can be found below:

1. Start a “New Application.”
2. Choose “Renew Existing License.”
3. Select your Master Educator license and then select “Renew License or Authorization – Advanced Degree and 10 Years Experience.”

Check out the new, refreshed Central Rivers AEA public website! If your team has pages or information that needs further editing, please reach out to Phil Hendricks or Contessa Van Buskirk for support. There will be a fall training for all designated site authors/editors to learn WordPress block editor. More information is coming soon.

As we enter the month of August, we wanted to send a reminder that all staff must complete the mandatory AEA-required trainings. Certified staff are allowed to use one of your 2023-2024 contract days to complete the training. Simply indicate on your Google calendar, “AEA Mandatory Training Day.”

Please note, the following courses are no longer available so you can disregard any reminders you receive from the AEA Learning Online system:

• R2L: Health & Safety for Teachers & Staff 

• R2L: Health and Safety – District Leadership Teams

If you have any questions, contact Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of HR.

The employee cell phone reimbursement is for the necessary use of a personal cell phone in order to perform the responsibilities of the employee’s position, per Central Rivers AEA Board Policies 401.27R1 and 401.27R2. Staff approved for reimbursement will receive up to $120 annually and have their personal cell phone number listed in the Central Rivers AEA cell phone directory, which is published only on the internal staff website.

Apply for reimbursement by submitting the 2023-2024 Cell Phone Reimbursement Form before September 8, with all requests subject to the approval of the AEA Regional Administrator and Executive Director. Payment will be made on September 20. Changes to a staff member’s phone number must be promptly reported to Laura Rinnels at 641-329-4244.

New employees hired after the start of the year have 30 days from the date of hire to submit a request for reimbursement for a prorated amount. Mid-year separation from the Agency will result in a payroll deduction from the employee’s final pay for the unearned portion of the reimbursement ($10/month).

Central Rivers AEA is offering adult first aid/cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)/automated external defibrillator (AED) training at each of our offices at no charge to the first 19 Central Rivers AEA employees who submit a PD request and register for the training. Space is limited to 12 participants per location and open to those outside Central Rivers AEA. The training will be held from 8:30 am – 1:30 pm on September 29 at the Cedar Falls office.

Check out the Adult First Aid CPR AED Training flyer for more information.

Welcome back to a new school year! Did you move over the summer? Admin assistants/HR would like to remind everyone to update their information! Please go into Web Link and update the following:

• Telephone Number
• Van Mail Delivery Location (this is very important; you can receive van mail in a location of your choice – meaning a school you serve or one of the AEA offices).

Contact your administrative assistant to help with any of these changes.