The Channel

The board of directors approved the office calendar for 2022-23 during their meeting this week. The calendar contains the required 260 workdays and lists holidays and office closed days for the school year. A downloadable copy of the calendar can also be found on the staff website under Resources.

Plan now to join Chief Administrator Sam Miller on Friday, February 4, at 8:00 am for a virtual update on agency events and current trends in K-12 education. This is a great opportunity to get any questions or concerns you have have answered.  So grab a cup of coffee or your favorite morning beverage and join us!

Zoom information to join:

• https://centralriversaea.zoom.us/j/81908784702
• Meeting ID: 819 0878 4702
• One tap mobile  +13126266799,,81908784702# US

Mistakes – we’ve all been there!  Have you ever been working in Chrome and accidentally closed a browser tab?  Here are two easy ways to get your tab back:

• Use the Ctrl + Shift + T keyboard shortcut on a PC and Cmd + Shift + T on a Mac, or
• Right-click on your Chrome tab bar > Reopen closed tab

• Another very common frustration is working on a project and you accidentally make a mistake that could potentially undo all your great work. Happily, you can reverse the mistake with one easy keyboard shortcut: 
  • Ctrl + Z on a PC and Cmd + Z on Macs. 

Most programs have an Undo command that reverts back to the last change you made to your current project.  This can come in handy and just knowing the feature is available can be a big relief!

A newly launched learning center now available from Zoom!  The Learning Center, a free online platform that educates and empowers users to confidently use Zoom through a series of short, on-demand online courses and videos.  The Learning Center currently offers courses on Zoom Phone, Meetings, Webinars, and Rooms, along with being continuously enhanced and updated with the launch of new features and products.  With engaging content for new and experienced Zoom users, there is truly something for everyone so that you can work and collaborate more effectively on Zoom.

To get started with the Learning Center, please follow the link, sign-in with your Zoom account, and choose “Start Learning”.  Users will automatically be enrolled in the “Getting Started with the Learning Center” and “Getting Started with Zoom” courses.  We recommend that you start here to get acquainted with the platform and general layout of the courses.  From there, you can explore different learning paths, learn more about the products Zoom offers, and become an expert on all things Zoom.

If you have any questions or need technical assistance, please contact the Help Desk at: 319-273-8231 or helpdesk@centralriversaea.org.      

Roberta Kraft-Abrahamson

Congratulations and happy retirement to Roberta Kraft-Abrahamson, former Director District 1!

During her time at Central Rivers AEA (CRAEA), Roberta served 19 years on the board and 25 years at CRAEA in various roles including:

• Speech-Language-Pathologist (SLP)
• Parent Educator Coordinator
• Sector Coordinator
• School Social Worker

“Roberta was always a knowledgeable, solution-focused and caring board member,” said Sam Miller. “She constantly used her AEA experience to further our mission.”

Thank you for your 44 years of service to Central Rivers AEA, Roberta!  You will be missed!

Nicole Lovik-Blaser, Director District 1

The Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors met Wednesday, December 8 in Cedar Falls for the annual organizational meeting. Three district representatives were up for re-election this year and one new candidate filed for election. 

Congratulations to those re-elected to serve: Dr. Debra Rich, Director District 2; Dr. Tony Reid, Director District 7; and Bryan Burton, Director District 8.

Congratulations and welcome to Nicole Lovik-Blaser for being elected as Director District 1 to replace Roberta Kraft Abrahamason who recently retired from the board. 

Nicole sought election to the board because she believes in the work being done by CRAEA and also believes that public education is in need of the supplemented resources an AEA can provide, telling us, “Public education is vital in a democracy like ours – the opportunity it provides equally to every student is something we all should work to be proud of.  The support CRAEA gives students is phenomenal, and I am excited to be part of a great organization like CRAEA!”

Nicole is a Communication and Media Studies graduate from Waldorf University. She served as Director for the Forest City Education Foundation and is now in technology sales. Nicole’s husband, Jason, is a math teacher in Forest City.  She has three children; Trey, a junior at the University of Northern Iowa, Cooper, a seventh-grader and Brinley, a fifth-grader. Nicole’s favorite quote is, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” -Mahatma Gandhi

While serving on the board, Nicole hopes to educate residents in her surrounding communities about the resources available to them through CRAEA. “The available opportunities provided by the AEA to students, families, teachers and schools are truly beneficial,” said Nicole. “I look forward to being a liaison and a positive representative of everything that Central Rivers AEA embodies.”

Join us in welcoming Nicole and in giving a huge thank you to the entire Board of Directors for leading the agency through another successful year of operations!

As part of the spectrum of health and wellbeing support the agency is offering staff, a cadre of administrators with advanced training in the INspired Leadership model have agreed to serve as coaches to agency staff. Coaching is available to work through challenging situations, process your own energy/thinking, and self-identify forward moving actions to ensure better results for both yourself and those the agency serves.

Learn more about the Internal Coaching program, including how to access coaches, today!

The Equity Committee met on November 4 and December 6 to continue with our equity audit work. Prior to the meetings, committee members completed a survey to identify potential priority areas for our audit.  The committee reviewed the survey results and engaged in small group discussions to take a deeper look into root causes, discuss what areas members felt would have the greatest impact, our current levels of readiness, and potential long-term implications.

The committee determined that our two focus areas will be: 

• Infrastructure/Resources—The organization has committed resources and structures to support equity work.
• Professional Development—The organization fosters ongoing equity learning and growth for its staff and stakeholders.

As part of this audit, we will be collecting staff feedback through a series of focus groups, as well as gathering the perspectives and input of all stakeholders through an anonymous survey.  

Focus groups will…

• Take place during the span of January 5 -19  (8:30 – 10:30 am or 2 – 4 pm)
• Be conducted via Zoom
• Consist of 10 – 12 participants per focus group – that’s 100+ participants! 

If you are interested in participating in a focus group, please sign up on the CRAEA Equity Audit: Focus Group interest form no later than December 17.

In the survey above, please select all times that would work for you. All feedback will be reported anonymously and will greatly inform our understanding of the work the agency needs to do to become a more equitable organization. 

Please understand, we will be prioritizing participants who represent varied roles and populations which have been traditionally underrepresented within the organization. We will notify you by email if you have been selected for participation by Dec 23. 

If you choose not to participate in focus groups, or if you are not selected based on availability or other determining factors, we would encourage you to provide feedback in survey form. A link to the survey will be emailed to all staff the first week of January. 

 We greatly value your input and strongly encourage you to consider participating. As we aspire to be a more equitable and inclusive Agency, we are seeking your insights and feedback.  

Please reach out to Karl Kurt if you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding our Equity Audit and/or the process. 

It is that time of year to remind staff of the procedures for office closures due to inclement weather.  This FAQ document provides a lot of information and specific examples for your reference.  However, in the interest of hitting the main takeaways, we offer the following condensed version:

All-Staff

You may arrive up to an hour late for work without using leave time or making up the time within the week if you find yourself in a unique weather circumstance that causes your delay.

It is expected that you will make contact with your supervisor to let him/her know your situation immediately upon knowing that you will be delayed so that s/he is assured that you are safe and an adjustment to your day can be made if necessary. 

260-Day Staff

*For 260-day full-time staff, if the office is closed or has an early out due to inclement weather, the time will be paid but you may be required to work or choose to work, for all or part of the day, based on your role, responsibilities, supervisor, and deadlines.  

*For 260-day full-time staff, scheduled leave will not be granted back to you during inclement weather, except in extraordinary circumstances.  

Certified Support Staff and Non-Instructional Staff (less than 260 days)

If I’m an hourly employee (less than 260-day) assigned to an AEA office and there is an office closure, how is my time impacted?

• Early Dismissal (AEA Office): The rest of the day will be forgiven (paid). Hourly staff must clock out at departure. The supervisor will make the time clock adjustment using the Inclement Weather job code for the actual time missed.   However, you may be required or choose to work, for all or part of the day, based on your role, responsibilities, supervisor and deadlines.  
• Office Closed: You must make up the day. Please submit a Work Year Calendar Adjustment to your supervisor no later than the Monday following the pay week. Once approved, it is routed to the Business Office to change your calendar in TimeClock Plus.

What happens if I am a certified support staff employee and there is a closure at your assigned AEA office and assigned school?

• Early Dismissal: The rest of the day will be forgiven (paid).  However, you may be required or choose to work, for all or part of the day, based on your role, responsibilities, supervisor and deadlines.  
• Office and Assigned School Closed: You must make up the day. Please submit a work calendar adjustment. (Note: If your assigned school is open, you must work.)

Hourly Staff

Hourly staff do NOT need to clock in/out when working remotely during inclement weather, except for maintenance/custodial staff.  The supervisor will make the time clock adjustment using the Inclement Weather job code for the actual time missed.  

The FAQ document was produced to assist in clarifying the agency’s procedures for inclement weather questions.  Please reference as needed and contact your supervisor if you have any questions.

We want to share an important update about your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP can help you with your day-to-day concerns or provide guidance through a challenging situation. The EAP includes no-cost confidential help, referrals, and resources for issues like depression, stress management, financial or legal concerns, marital difficulties, anxiety, eldercare, and more.

The provider of your EAP service has recently changed their name and logo to LifeWorks. They are still the same company bringing you the same no-cost confidential help you need – just with new branding. Their phone number and website address will remain the same.

And don’t forget that your EAP also has a virtual fitness platform called LIFT. It’s an accessible, effective, and affordable way for you to reach your fitness goals.

For more details, download the Updated EAP Employee Packet (includes updated flyer, LIFT, and telemedicine information).