The Channel

Central Rivers AEA has achieved full accreditation from the Iowa State Board of Education following a rigorous review of agency services. The agency received the news during the Iowa State Board of Education’s regular board meeting held Wednesday, Nov. 16. The accredited status indicates that the agency has met all requirements for services designated by Chapter 72 of the Iowa Administrative Code.

“Accreditation is an important stamp of approval regarding both the quality of our services and their value to the students, families, and educators we serve,” said Sam Miller, Chief Administrator. “We take great pride in being an agency that remains committed to both service and leadership so this is welcome news.”

In the accreditation process, each of Iowa’s nine Area Education Agencies (AEAs) undergoes an intensive review of services designed to ensure that the agencies are meeting all requirements. The process includes interviews with representative local school personnel as well as agency staff members. Each of the nine AEAs have full accreditation status.

A full copy of the report and additional information on accreditation can be found here on the Iowa Department of Education website.

The Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors’ search for a new Chief Administrator continues with the recruitment effort led by the executive search firm GR Recruiting. An important date to note in the search process:

• Interview Finalist Candidates December 13 (closed session)

As what was shared with staff, the two finalists are Dr. Andy Pattee (current superintendent of the Cedar Falls Community School District) and Joel Pedersen (current superintendent of the Cardinal Community School District). Following interviews on December 13, the board will make a final selection on Wednesday, December 14. The name of the chosen candidate is expected to be announced immediately following.

For more information about the Chief Administrator search process, please reach out to Lori Thomas.

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us on November 18 for our Coffee with the Chief conversation. For those unable to attend, the recording is now available using the link and passcode below. *Upcoming dates will be announced soon for our next opportunity to meet as a full staff!

• November 18 Zoom recording
• Passcode: NV6Z1FD^

Registration for the full-day Disrupting Bias learning session, offered by Gina Weekley, 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, and each session is limited to 50 attendees max.!

The Cedar Falls session is scheduled for Wednesday, January 4, 2023 from 8 am – 4 pm. Please reach out to Gina Weekley, Coordinator of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, with any questions.

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging page is available on the staff website and provides various resources for all staff to create awareness, educate and reinforce policies that support diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

As a reminder from what was released from the Equity Audit, the “APA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Inclusive Language Guide” is an optional tool available to all staff to enhance learning and awareness of DEI terms and concepts.

Did you know… Expressions using “broken” English such as “long time no see” or “no can do,” originated from harmful stereotypes making fun of nonnative English speakers, particularly Indigenous people and Asians?

• Suggested alternatives: “It’s been a while!” and “Sorry, I can’t.”

Join us on December 19 for our next Courageous Conversations! Courageous Conversations are a space, either virtual or in person, for staff to gather for 30 minutes to have guided conversations, ask questions and learn about DEI topics.

Want to submit questions or comments anonymously to discuss during the bi-monthly meetings? Do you have general thoughts or questions about DEI+belonging that you would like to submit anonymously? Fill out the “Courageous Conversations” Google survey. Meeting information can be found below:

*All meetings are from 11-11:30 am.

• December 19, January 9, January 23, February 6, February 20, March 6, March 20
• Join the Zoom Meeting: https://centralriversaea.zoom.us/j/6050295031
• Zoom ID: 605 029 5031
• Padlet: https://padlet.com/cvanbuskirk4/9kmkgeeklejy5sdx

More information can be found on the “Courageous Conversations” page on our staff website. Please reach out to Gina Weekley, Coordinator of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, with any questions.

Central Rivers AEA’s Chief Financial Officer, Michael Kalvig, shares some important information to help increase awareness around the recent K-12 cybersecurity attacks that are happening in our schools across Iowa. *Please watch the cybersecurity video to better understand why it’s important to participate in the work our IT department is doing to educate staff about cybersecurity. (Note related article below.)

Phishing is the act of sending malicious emails that are designed to manipulate people into divulging sensitive information or installing harmful software. Statistically, phishing emails are the leading cause of data privacy incidents, so it’s more important than ever to equip yourself with the knowledge to identify these malicious messages.

Phishing is the preferred method of criminals because it is cheap, easy and effective. Central Rivers AEA holds a large cache of sensitive and confidential information, and that data is worth a lot of money on the dark web.

Recently, we launched a phishing campaign to help educate and train staff on how to identify and report phishing attempts.

• This is part of an educational initiative of simulated phishing attacks to help staff take appropriate action and minimize organizational risk in a safe environment.
• The phishing campaign will give Central Rivers AEA an opportunity to test all staff members and gain valuable metrics to assist with reducing failure rates.
• Threats are evolving and becoming much harder to detect, so there is absolutely no shame in falling for a simulated phishing attack!
• The goal is to empower our staff with the knowledge and confidence in identifying and reporting phishing messages.

Let’s take a look at our most recent phishing campaign and some common “red flags.”

1. Do you know the sender? Is the name spelled correctly? Does the email address look strange?
2. Does it urge you to take action? Are there spelling and/or grammatical errors?
3. Did you hover over the link? Does it take you to known and/or expected content?
4. Should there be an official agency signature here?

Now, let’s take a deeper look at the details of the email message…

1. Double-check the sender’s name and email address.
2. Double-check the sender’s reply-to email address.
3. Double-check the mailed-by provider address.

If you happened to click the link, you would have been prompted to enter your credentials:

The fake message web address also included “secured-login.net”, not the actual Google-affiliated address “accounts.google.com” when hovering over the links.

Let’s break down the statistics…

Take some time to review the message and search for any of the five common red flags:

1. Message is unexpected or oddly timed.
2. Message contains odd spelling or grammatical errors.
3. Message urges actions like clicking links or opening attachments.
4. Message appears to be time sensitive or threatens consequences for inaction.
5. Message is requesting money or personal information.

When you receive any suspicious communications: Stop and think before you click! If you suspect a phishing email, please contact the Help Desk at 319.273.8231 or helpdesk@centralriversaea.org to verify the email’s validity.

A reminder that staff have the opportunity to personally choose and purchase a “Thank You” Central Rivers AEA branded apparel item until December 31. There are two storefronts set up for this promotion; One site is preset with $30 items only and will be charged straight to the agency for each order. The second site will allow those who want to shop for little higher-end merchandise to use the $30 “THANKYOU” code voucher and your own credit card to make a purchase. Instructions to access the storefronts can be found below:

1. Visit the CRAEA staff intranet.
2. Go to the Business Office/HR page.
3. Select the Central Rivers AEA “Thank You” Storefront page.
4. Choose one of the two catalogs to shop from (read the page for web store details e.g. – tax-exempt vs. non-tax-exempt).

For more information, please see the FAQs for CRAEA “Thank You” storefront document or contact Jenny Young, (jyoung@storeykenworthy.com) our apparel account representative.

INspired Leadership Staff Survey
Thank you to the over 300 Central Rivers AEA staff who have shared your needs and preferences regarding INspired Leadership opportunities. If you haven’t yet been asked or had the opportunity to respond to this brief survey, please do, as it will shape the content and delivery of future learning options.

As a reminder, the purpose of INspired Leadership is to increase our self-awareness of how we are “showing up” so that we can make conscious choices that help us achieve our personal and professional goals.

INspired Leadership Insights
With high self-awareness and intention, we can experience fear-based catabolic energy (which is totally normal and typical) and yet respond in ways where we lead with a more conscious anabolic energy. When we notice and become aware of our own energy, it’s more likely we will pause and make choices that serve us in that moment. Remember, catabolic energy isn’t good or bad, it just is. It may lead to emotions we’d rather not feel, but emotions are data, and what we do with them is up to us. Awareness helps expand our options for action!