The Channel

Chrome Tab Groups

If you tend to keep a lot of tabs open in your Chrome browser, you know the challenges of working with many websites at once: your tab bar is cluttered and it’s often hard to find a page you know is open — somewhere — in your browser.  Now, with a simple right-click, you can group your tabs together and label them with a custom name and color. To create a new tab group:

1. Right-click an open tab
2. Select Add tab to new group
3. Name the group and choose a group color

Zoom Push-to-Talk

Are you tired of fumbling around to unmute yourself during Zoom meetings?  If so, the Zoom push-to-talk feature should help alleviate some of the hassle.  The feature allows the user to remain muted throughout a Zoom meeting and instead of grabbing for your mouse to unmute yourself, just hold down the spacebar when you want to be unmuted and talk.  

In order to take advantage of this feature, however, you will need to make sure you have it turned on in your settings:

1. Within the Zoom desktop app, select your profile picture, then choose Settings 
2. Select the Audio tab
3. Check the option Press and hold SPACE key to temporarily unmute yourself 

 If you have any questions or need technical assistance, please contact the Help Desk at 319.273.8231 or helpdesk@centralriversaea.org. 

The Central Rivers Help Desk is excited to announce a new online IT Knowledge Base to help employees gain access to IT-related support material.  Knowledge base articles include step-by-step instructions, general how-to information, and screenshots to help employees gain the knowledge to solve a problem or complete a task.  The IT Knowledge Base will provide employees with the opportunity to find relevant IT support information quickly as a self-service option.  Please contact the Help Desk at 319.273.8231 or helpdesk@centralriversaea.org for support.  As always, we are here to help you! 

Staff working remotely will NOT need to fill out an application for remote worksite (RWS) for 2021-22.  Further details regarding RWS parameters will be available in the near future. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the HR Department.

In June, the agency took a clear stance against the racial injustice and discrimination that has plagued the Black community in our nation for far too long. We feel it’s equally as important to take the same stance against the violence and discrimination often aimed at the Asian American community today. 

Each of us must commit to doing everything we can to counter racial injustice and discrimination where we see it and take a stand. For lasting change to occur, we must keep the conversation going. As an agency, we value and respect diversity and celebrate our differences.

For more information related to supporting the Asian American community, please visit the Division 45 Anti-Asian Discrimnation Task Force website.

For more information related to supporting the Black community, please visit the Black Lives Matter website.

Together, we can send a clear message that discrimination, violence, and injustice simply won’t be tolerated.

Starting Tuesday, April 6 all Central Rivers AEA internal staff resources (Portal, Time Clock, Work Year Calendar, etc.) will be added to the Central Rivers AEA staff’s ClassLink dashboards.  This will provide staff with easy to use, single sign-on (SSO) access to digital resources. 

In addition, the “for staff” dropdown on the Central Rivers AEA homepage will be removed and an Employee Dashboard link will be made available in the footer of the homepage, which will take you directly to the ClassLink login.

More information on the change can be found on this document. Questions should be directed to the Help Desk at 319-273-8231 or helpdesk@centralriversaea.org.

The Open Enrollment period for insurance will open April 19 and end on May 9. Even if you do not take insurance, you must go through the open enrollment process, which can be found on the Portal under My Benefits > Benefits Enrollment. Please use a Chrome or Firefox browser and be sure to go through each step carefully.   

An insurance presentation for all staff will be held on Thursday, April 22 at 3:30 p.m.  The Zoom information to join is below:

• Join Zoom Meeting on Thursday, April 22, 2021, 3:30 p.m.
• https://centralriversaea.zoom.us/j/82221646718  
• Meeting ID: 822 2164 6718  
• One tap mobile: +13126266799,,82221646718# US (Chicago)

Need support? Contact the CRAEA Tech Help Desk at helpdesk@centralriversaea.org or 319-273-8231.

A friendly reminder to all staff members about our agency’s board policy relative to social media use. Board policy 703.4 provides clear guidance that can help you represent yourself and the agency in the best light while online. Please take a moment to review and forward any questions to Beth Strike at bstrike@centralriversaea.org.

Mark your calendars now for the 2021-22 all-staff kickoff meeting being held Wednesday, August 18.

We look forward to seeing everyone face-to-face for the first time in well over a year!

The day will feature an inspiring and informative presentation by Kristen Anderson of the Brilliance Project as well as time to reconnect, network, and prepare for an incredible new year of service.

The Central Rivers AEA health insurance plan has experienced extremely high claims during the first six months of our year.  Due to these high claims, the monthly insurance premiums are increasing 15-19% for next year.  

Having a competitive benefit package remains a priority, so the agency will continue to cover the single premium for the $2,500 and $3,500 plans for full-time employees.  Part-time employees will continue to pay a prorated premium.  Employees enrolling in a family plan will continue to pay the difference between the family premium and the employer contribution. 

Below is a summary of the premiums and employer contribution changes:

Take time on April 21 to recognize our outstanding office support team during Administrative Professionals Day! This group of staff working in our offices are instrumental in keeping the agency running smoothly and ensuring all staff have what they need to do their jobs.  We couldn’t do what we do without them! 

Don’t leave your $200 wellness incentive unclaimed!  Spring has finally arrived and it is time to shake off those cold winter blues and shift gears on your wellness track. Our  Employee Health & Wellbeing Program was introduced last fall as an incentive where staff have the opportunity to earn $200 (maximum) in wellness dollars for 2020-21 by completing challenges. Each challenge completed is worth $10. 

The payout date will be June 18, 2021.  That means there’s still time to login and complete tasks to earn cash! Login into the Wellness Wave and start earning your wellness rewards today!

Annotating in Zoom
When you’re in a Zoom meeting, do you ever wish you could draw something on the screen?  Guess what – you can!  Zoom allows you (and your participants) to annotate directly on the screen.

To annotate, select the Annotate button while sharing your screen, or select View Options if you are viewing a shared screen.  This option will bring up a new toolbar with a variety of ways to visually interact with your screen.

Printing to agency office printers
When an office printer doesn’t perform its one job, it’s easy to feel frustrated.  Many issues however, can be solved with a little DIY printer know-how.  To help you get back up and running with as little downtime as possible, we compiled a list of common solutions for printer problems.

• Verify the correct printer is selected: CRAEA-FollowMePrint
• Verify you are wirelessly connected to Network (Not Guest)
• Verify you are entering the correct five digit print code
• Verify the printer display screen does not indicate any errors
• Verify your document was sent to the print queue in the last 24 hours

If you have any questions or need technical assistance, please contact the Help Desk at 319.273.8231 or helpdesk@centralriversaea.org. 

Central Rivers AEA is pleased to announce the selection of two new team members to replace retiring members of the Regional Administrator team, along with an assignment change. 

Ryan Andreassen, currently a Consultant for School Improvement/Technology Integration serving Region 7, will replace Judy Moser in leading Region 6 as Regional Administrator. Judy is retiring from her position after 46 years of service in education.

Prior to coming to Central Rivers AEA in 2020, Ryan served as a PK-12 Instructional Coach and Professional Development lead at Jesup CSD. He also held roles at Jesup as a Specialist Instructor (Model Teacher) and 3rd grade classroom teacher. 

Amy Thoms-Starr, a Special Education Consultant serving Region 9, will move into the Regional Administrator role for Region 9. Heather Gould, currently the Regional Administrator for Region 9, will replace Dr. Karen Aldrich in Region 11. Karen announced her retirement this week having served in a variety of roles with the agency beginning in 1995.

Amy joined the agency in 2003 as a Special Education Consultant. Prior to that role, she served as a Special Education Teacher at Waterloo CSD. Amy has served as a poverty trainer, AEA mediator, and literacy team member during her career with the agency.

“We are fortunate to have had an abundance of talent in the pool of applicants for the Region 6 position and a late opening in Region 11,” said Sam Miller. “Both of the outgoing Regional Administrators leave big shoes to fill so it made sense to hit pause and thoughtfully consider where everyone would be placed. We think we’ve got it right and we are excited to see where these leaders will go with their new assignments. This is an exciting time for the agency and those we serve in Regions 6, 9 & 11.”

Honoring the work of Judy and Karen

Judy Moser started her career in education in 1973 at Sacred Heart School as a classroom teacher. In 1975, she joined the Area Education Agency system as a Special Education Teacher and went on to serve as Educational Strategist, School Psychologist, Special Education Administrative Intern, and Special Education Coordinator/Regional Administrator.

Judy leaves a legacy of service and leadership behind including pioneering work in the area of Standards Based Evaluation (SBE), which she will continue to guide on a part-time basis. “I’m deeply passionate about seeing this initiative fully implemented and I still have a tremendous amount of energy to give to the effort,” said Judy. “Still, I’m also looking forward to exploring other personal opportunities and a more relaxed pace of life.”

Dr. Karen Aldrich started her work in education at Marshalltown CSD where she began as a teacher of children with behavioral disorders. She served 12 years in Marshalltown before coming to the agency in 1995 as a Behavior School Improvement Facilitator. She later transferred to the role of Supervisor of Special Education before serving as a Special Education Coordinator/Regional Administrator.

Karen is perhaps best known for her leadership and advocacy for well-being and mental health supports. Her experience and depth of knowledge helped pave the way for today’s well-being initiative as part of the agency strategic plan. “My time as a teacher and the various roles in the AEA system have been so very rewarding. Working with each and every one of you has been my greatest joy in this incredible journey,” said Karen. “ I have learned so much from all of you and from those who have touched my life over my career. I am truly blessed!”

Last night, the Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors approved our recommended negotiation agreements, and we wanted to take the opportunity to share the information with you.

Given the fact that we are in a solid financial position and our cash on hand has increased the past few years, we reopened our previously agreed settlements to be a little more aggressive with our settlement. It is our hope that the change is received positively, and helps underscore our desire to provide raises and insurance benefits while maintaining our staffing levels and a balanced budget.  

Specifically, we were settled this year at 1.5%, but based on our current budget, strong solvency rate of 14%, and State Supplemental Aid (SSA) set higher than anticipated at 2.4%, we increased our settlement agreements.  We were able to achieve a salary raise and cover the premium increase for our single $2500 insurance plan.

Salary Information for 2021-22 (Total Package) 

Classified = 4.55% — .25 per hour to base wages

Certified = 3.08% — $360 to base salary

NUSS = 3.08%

Administration = 3.08%

Insurance Information for 2021-22 

Our preliminary insurance renewal rate currently sits at a 16% increase. This is a large increase and impacts the amount of funds we are able to allocate to salary. The increase is due to our use and some of our larger claims. Of course, we wish this was not the case, but it is just our reality. The renewal rate would have been even higher if we were not self-funded.

Salary Information for 2022-23 — Total Package = 1.0% for all groups.

Into the future…

We continue to appreciate multi-year agreements that put us in a position to get our contracts out as soon as possible. Recently, we have been in a pattern of increasing our agreed upon settlement, based on our financial condition. We have tried to be aggressive the first year of the settlement, and continue to drop the percentage for the second year of the settlement. This allows us to be as aggressive as possible in the short-term, but provides a more conservative settlement should we need it for the subsequent year. Our desire is not to be in a position to have to use the lower settlement amount, but we are prepared if something out of our control impacts our financial picture.

We want to thank everyone for all their efforts, flexibility, and positive attitude this year. We hope that our efforts throughout this year have provided evidence that we value and support you personally and professionally. 

Please let us know if you have any specific questions, comments or concerns! 

Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of Human Resources

Michael Kalvig, Chief Financial Officer

Central Rivers AEA recently updated the Emergency Procedures Manual which includes a series of procedures to follow in various emergency situations and cases of illness or injury. The manual also lists specific emergency information for each office location including contact information for the first responders and locations of first aid supplies and equipment. 

Spiral bound copies will be available at each office and Rivers Hills School. The manual can be downloaded/viewed on the staff website under Resources > Emergency Procedures & Crisis Response Team Manual. 

Please contact Human Resources if you have any questions or concerns.