The Channel

During their regular board meeting on July 28, the Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors approved a contract with The Leadership Academy, a nationally-recognized nonprofit organization, to perform an equity audit for the agency. 

The purpose of the audit is to gather broad input on the current state of equity within the agency, which will surface learning needs for our organization and engage leadership in collaborative action planning and shared development of metrics for tracking process. This will take place from September 2021 – February 2022 as part of Phase 1.

Once learning needs are identified, personnel from The Leadership Academy will help the agency develop an internal definition of equity and a multi-year professional learning plan, focusing on what learning will need to be offered over the next two to three years to help us build capacity to strengthen our support for diverse populations and improve culturally responsive practices. In addition, we will use our awareness and experience to provide future support for our district partners. This work is considered Phase 2.

The work of the audit, and subsequent steps, will be guided by the agency equity committee, which is made up of staff representing a variety of service areas.

It’s important to note that this initiative is not about prescribing a set of beliefs that staff must adhere to but rather collectively developing a definition and accompanying learning to further our goal of being a respectful and inclusive organization that values diversity. All aspects of the project fall under the scope of HF 802 and adhere to all components of the intent of the law. Please note that this has been a sensitive topic statewide and we take our responsibility to adhere to the law very seriously.

All staff should know and understand the language and intention of HF 802. These FAQs provided by School Administrators of Iowa (SAI) serve as a helpful resource that staff are asked to review.

For more information, contact Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of HR.

We recognize that employees may from time to time experience stress, trauma or other life events that affect both their personal and work lives as well as their overall quality of life.  Our EAP offers confidential professional assessment and referral assistance for employees to help them address such challenges.  

Examples of the major life issues for which you may receive support from an EAP professional include: 

• Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders
• Relationship or family problems, including divorce and abuse
• Substance abuse (e.g., drugs, alcohol) and other addiction problems
• Job-related stress or anxiety

Information regarding the EAP is provided below:

• Central Rivers AEA Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 
  • You have access at no cost
  • EAP advisor services 24/7, 365 days a year
• Phone:  1-866-451-5465 
• Online: workhealthlife.com 
  • (We are listed as: AREA EDUCATION AGENCY 267)
• App: QR Code
• Electronic ways to access your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Virtual Fitness opportunities

Also, a reminder that other programs exist for Employees with concerns regarding their mental health.  Please contact your direct supervisor or Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of Human Resources for further information or support.

• Personal Health Care Provider (as part of your insurance package)
• Dr on Demand (as part of your insurance package)

As working from home and providing virtual service become a greater part of our work lives, please take time to review these parameters that will be followed agency-wide. If you serve in a Region, your Regional Administrator will be reviewing these with you during your upcoming meeting next week.

Questions? Please contact Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of HR or your direct supervisor.

This is a reminder that 2020-21 COVID accommodations/modifications have expired. The  agency took multiple steps this past school year to mitigate the risk of infection from COVID for our staff and provided increased flexibility based on individual needs and circumstances.

As we move into the 2021-22 school year, we anticipate a more normal year with consistency around our established policies and procedures. If you have specific needs or requests based on documented medical needs, we would ask you to contact the HR department to discuss possible modifications or accommodations.

Updates relating to the agency insurance and wellness programs for the new year are listed below. Please contact Human Resources with any questions.  

• Medical Plan
  GymPass is the rebranding of the Healthways wellness benefit through Blue365 – no changes from the current program other than the name. 

• Delta Dental
  Teledentistry for emergency situations are now available. Please view this flyer and FAQs for more information. 

• Wellness
  The Wellness program is paused for this year, in an effort to decrease expenditures as we continue to manage insurance costs.  Stay tuned for 2022-23.

• Quantum Workplace
  The Quantum Workplace program was discontinued last year and is not being used by the agency.

The 2021-22 all-staff kickoff meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 18 in the Cedar Falls conference center, beginning at 9:00 am.  If you are not able to be in attendance for the meeting, please notify your supervisor/HR.  Be sure to submit the appropriate leave.

Social time begins at 8:30 am and Natural Grind coffee truck will be on site with delicious coffee drinks & assorted pastries available for purchase before the meeting.  

The morning will feature an inspiring and informative presentation by Kristen Anderson of the Brilliance Project.  Regional and discipline meetings will be held in the afternoon. 

Lunch is on your own with a wide variety of restaurants close by in both Cedar Falls and Waterloo.  La Calle food truck will also be on site for those who wish to grab some great Latin American food!  Treats provided by Farmers State Bank will be available through-out the day.

We look forward to seeing everyone face-to-face for the first time in well over a year and having the opportunity to reconnect, network, and prepare for another incredible new year of service!

The master calendar for key administrative meeting dates for 2021-22 has been updated. This calendar is where you will find the dates for regional meetings, all-staff meetings and other large agency meetings.

When you click the link, you will be asked if you want to “add” this calendar. Be sure to check back regularly for updates.

Summer office hours went into effect on Monday, June 7 and offices will be open 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Regular office hours of 8:00 a.m – 4:30 p.m. will resume Monday, August 9. Enjoy your summer!

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s retirement celebration!  What a fantastic way to send off our teammates who took a leap of faith and dove headfirst into the retirement pool!  Living in an almost post-COVID world, it was wonderful to see our teammates creatively interact and experiment with new technologies. 

If you were not able to attend the celebration or would like to watch it again, a recording is available below.  Please note, you will need the passcode in order to view the video.

• Recording – Passcode: X$=J4!qV

To our retirees, best of luck with your new adventures!

Turn off Chrome notifications

Do you have invasive or unwanted notifications appearing on your computer screen from random websites or various apps?  That can grow annoying fast, which is why many users want a way to get rid of them quickly and easily.  

1. On your computer, open Chrome
2. At the top right, select the three stacked dots and choose Settings
3. Under “Privacy and security,” select Site Settings
4. Under “Permissions,” select Notifications
5. Choose to block or allow notifications

Mute browser tabs

Have you ever been in a Zoom meeting and been interrupted by a sound notification or audio advertisement for a website or app?  Modern desktop web browsers—Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari—all allow you to mute individual browser tabs in just a few clicks.  

1. On your browser, right-click the tab
2. Select Mute Site or Mute Tab
3. To unmute, right-click the tab and select Unmute Site or Unmute Tab

Join us in thanking our dedicated board members this month during School Board Recognition Month!   Serving over 62,000 students, 5,000 educators, and approximately 500 staff members, these nine committed volunteers are the backbone of the agency, setting the course for our work!

• Roberta Kraft-Abrahamson, Director District 1 – Districts represented: Central Springs, Clear Lake, Forest City, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, Lake Mills, North Iowa, Northwood-Kensett, St. Ansgar, and West Hancock.
• Dr. Debra Rich, Board President, Director District 2 – Districts represented: Charles City, Dike-New Hartford, Dunkerton, Nashua-Plainfield, Sumner-Fredericksburg, Tripoli, Wapsie Valley, and Waverly-Shell Rock.
• Kathy Enslin, Director District 3 – Districts represented: AGWSR, Alden, Aplington-Parkersburg, CAL, Clarksville, Eldora-New Providence, Grundy Center, Hampton-Dumont, Hubbard-Radcliffe, Iowa Falls, and North Butler.
• Dr. Darshini Jayawardena, Director District 4 – Districts represented: Belmond-Klemme, Mason City, Osage, Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock, and West Fork.
• Dr. Mary Stevens, Director District 5 – Districts represented: BCLUW, East Marshall, GMG, Marshalltown & West Marshall.
• Maureen Hanson, Board Vice-President, Director District 6 – Districts represented: BGM, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Grinnell-Newburg, Hudson, Montezuma, North Tama County, South Tama County, and Union.
• Dr. Tony Reid, Director District 7 – Districts represented: Cedar Falls, Denver, and Janesville.
• Bryan Burton, Director District 8 – District represented: Waterloo.
• Dennis Craun Jr., Director District 9 – Districts represented: East Buchanan, Independence, Jesup, and Waterloo.

A virtual all-staff meeting and retirement celebration will be held on Thursday, May 13, from 9:00-10:30 a.m.  Regional Administrators will be sending more information closer to the date regarding specific regional and discipline meetings that will be held after the all-staff meeting.  

Please join us in congratulating this year’s retirees and recognizing them for their dedication and years of service to the agency.   Those retiring this year include:

• Kathi Abkes, Youth Shelter Teacher – 27 years
• Hedo Adelmund, Educational Assistant – 1 year
• Dr. Karen Aldrich, Regional Administrator – 26 years
• Adrienne Allen, School Psychologist – 27 years
• Dr. Julie Davies, Executive Director of Educational Services – 10 years
• Sue Eichmeier, Audiometrist – 34 years
• Terri Fecht,  MD Teacher – 16 years
• Joanne Griep-Adams, School Social Worker – 34 years
• Deb Hanson, Creative Assistant – 35 years
• Diane Highnam, Speech-Language Pathologist – 9 years
• Tami Huck, Consultant for Literacy – 4 years
• Julie Jenney, Audiometrist – 40 years
• Pam Lang, Early Access Educator – 29 years
• Harold Lucas, Educational Assistant – 29 years
• Kathy Martin, Educational Assistant – 31 years
• Kevin McRae, Special Education Consultant – 17 years
• Sherry Millang,  Special Education Consultant – 31 years
• Judy Moser, Regional Administrator – 46 years
• Donna Perry, Receptionist-Secretary – 31 years
• Paul Prescott, Media Van Driver – 24 years
• Cheryl Roberson, Supervisor of Media Services – 21 years
• Janece Shaffer, School Psychologist – 13 years
• Kathy Smith, Educational Assistant (retired 11-2020) – 23 years
• Pam Stephenson, School Social Worker – 26 years
• Joyce Tempus, School Social Worker – 34years
• Bev Trampel, Audiometrist – 10 years
• Janice Walker, Educational Assistant – 3 years
• Janelle Williams, Reading Recovery Teacher Leader/Cons for Literacy – 14 years

The following Zoom information can be used to join the all-staff meeting & celebration: 

• https://centralriversaea.zoom.us/j/84921447006
• Meeting ID: 849 2144 7006
• One tap mobile: +13126266799,,84921447006# US (Chicago)
• Need support? Contact the CRAEA Tech Help Desk at helpdesk@centralriversaea.org or 319-273-8231.

Kelsey Baker, currently a School Psychologist for Region 6, has been named half-time Assistant Principal for River Hills School. In her new role, Kelsey will serve as an assistant to longtime Principal Mike Lonning, while also serving as a Team Representative for the school.

Kelsey has served area students and families as a School Psychologist with the Area Education Agency system since 2007. She has also served as a clinician with the Malcolm Price Lab School as well as worked one-on-one with children through Exceptional Persons, Inc.

Kelsey holds a School Psychologist Specialist degree from the University of Northern Iowa, a Masters in Education degree through Dordt University, as well as a Bachelors of Education degree from Wartburg College. She was named Iowa School Psychologist of the Year in 2020 and authored the book, “Our Special Family” which highlights family diversity and uniqueness.

“Kelsey is a perfect fit for the amazing students, staff and families at River Hills School,” said Mike Lonning. “In addition to being extremely knowledgeable and experienced, she is a kind and caring individual with a heart for children. We are lucky to have her.”

 Kelsey will begin her new position on July 1, 2021.

Make It OK is a national campaign designed to increase understanding and reduce the stigma of mental illness in the workplace. While work often contributes to mental well-being for many, it can also negatively affect an employee. Central Rivers AEA is partnering with Make it Ok Iowa to bring awareness and provide additional resources to help staff address their mental health wellbeing. 

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available to all agency employees and provides no-cost, confidential help for a wide variety of mental health needs and concerns. Access to trained counselors is available 24 hours a day by calling 866.451.5465. Additional resources can be found on the Portal > My Benefits > Employee Assistance Program/Mental Health Supports.

Together, we are starting the conversation around mental illness and providing help that is supportive and open.  Please contact Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of HR if you have any questions or would like more information. 

Zoom is rolling out a new video background feature called Immersive View that could make video calls feel more like a dynamic learning environment.  Immersive View allows hosts to arrange video participants and webinar panelists into a single virtual background, bringing people together into one scene to connect and collaborate in a cohesive virtual meeting space.  

Whether you want to create the feeling of being in a classroom, boardroom, or auditorium, Immersive View assembles up to 25 participants in one meeting environment.  Hosts will have the option to automatically or manually place participants into a virtual scene of their choosing.  Hosts can also easily move participants around that scene and even resize a participant’s image for a more natural experience.

In order to make this new feature available, you will need to be running the latest version of Zoom.  If you have any questions or need technical assistance, please contact the Help Desk at 319.273.8231 or helpdesk@centralriversaea.org.

Spring it On is our youth shelter donation drive and a great opportunity for staff to spring into action and provide our shelter youth with basic necessities to make their landing feel just a little bit softer!

Central Rivers AEA provides temporary educational services to students in three youth shelter programs: Four Oaks in Independence, Francis Lauer Youth Shelter (FLYS) in Mason City, and Woodhaven in Waverly. 

Our students often come to us with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and if they have a few items, they are usually carried in a garbage bag.  Students are typically ages 11-18 and live on-site in a residential facility for anywhere from two to 45 days, sometimes longer. 

Students come from a variety of situations including: 

• rescued from human trafficking
• removal from an abusive situation by DHS
• awaiting a court date for a criminal charge
• awaiting a foster care placement

Details on items needed and the sign-up sheet can be found on this document.  Please consider joining the drive either on your own or with a team (i.e. departments, disciplines, regions) and help us fill suitcases with donated items for the youth shelter kids!