The Channel

Congratulations goes to Kathy Olson, Work Experience Coordinator who was the lucky winner in the drawing for the Carlos O’Kelly’s gift basket in honor of Cinco de Mayo!

Each of our sites have added a space to practice mindfulness or to take a couple minutes to recalibrate your energy.  Please feel free to use on your break as your schedule allows within the parameters of your job and responsibilities. Should you have questions, please ask your supervisor. Be healthy, happy, and zen!

Locations:

• Marshalltown – room 137
• Clear Lake – near the mother’s room
• Cedar Falls – lower level, near the mother’s room

The Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors met on Wednesday, May 1. Board agendas and minutes can be found online. The next scheduled meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 5 in the Cedar Falls Conference Center.

Sam Miller, Chief Administrator

Hanover Research, a global market research and analytics firm, recently released results of an independent survey of Iowa’s educators regarding the services of Iowa’s Area Education Agency (AEA) system.

Over 8,000 responses were generated from an invitation to general education teachers, special education teachers, superintendents, principals, and other professional staff working in more than 300 public schools and over 100 non-public schools. The data was collected over a period in the late fall of 2018.

Central Rivers AEA had 1,229 respondents fill out the survey. Key findings for our agency revealed that educators are extremely pleased with AEA services overall in the areas of special education; educational services; and instructional media, Creative Services, and technology. Many services received over 95% customer satisfaction rates (defined as meeting or exceeding expectations), including audiology/hearing services; vision services; due process-mediation support; science support; support for teacher-librarians; teacher leadership support; math support; literacy support; licensure support; early childhood support; media services; and Creative Services.

Two areas of growth indicated by the survey were behavioral help services and mental health services, which are growing concerns in schools statewide. As you know, these are two areas where we are continuing to bolster our support and advocate for additional funding.

Thank you for your commitment to Central Rivers AEA and providing excellent customer experiences! We should all be extremely proud of how highly our agency is regarded by those we serve. We already knew you were doing a great job…and the data agrees!

Please feel free to review the Hanover Research executive summary regarding the survey.

The agency will be holding the spring update meeting during the all-region meeting on May 22 in Cedar Falls. For those not required to attend the all-region meeting, a Zoom link will be made available. Please check May’s issue of The Channel for the time of the update, Zoom link, and details for the rest of the day.

The open enrollment period for insurance will be April 22 through May 12. Even if you do not take insurance, you must go through the open enrollment process. Tools to help you make an informed decision, including the interactive scenario tool, Alex, will be available on the staff portal in the near future. Look under My Benefits>2019-20 Insurance Information.

Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to Michael Kalvig or Karl Kurt.

Help celebrate Administrative Professionals Day on April 24 by taking the time to recognize our outstanding office support staff. We couldn’t do what we do without them! 

The calendar of meeting dates for 2019-20 is now available on our staff website under Resources, along with the office calendar for the new year. Be sure to look it over and mark down the dates relevant to you.

The Remote Work Site (RWS) application will be available beginning Monday, April 8 for 2019-20.  Only those working remote on a regular basis need fill out the application form. More details and the updated program guidelines will be sent in an email from Human Resources on Monday, April 8.

An all-regions meeting will be held on May 22 and will include a retirement celebration to recognize this year’s retirees. Watch for details in the May issue of The Channel.

Spring has sprung and the Climate & Culture Committee have planned a couple of fun ways to celebrate!

Texas Roadhouse in Cedar Falls generously donated a gift basket valued at over $30 for one lucky staff member to win. All staff are eligible to enter the drawing. Just drop your name in the basket at the front desk of the Cedar Falls office or email Kathy Barfels (kbarfels@centralriversaea.org) to put your name in for you. The deadline to enter is April 17 and the winner will be drawn and announced on April 18.

On Monday, April 22 everyone is invited to join in the fun of an outdoor Easter egg hunt in the Cedar Falls office. Those wishing to participate should gather in Central Perk at 2 p.m. for instructions before kicking off the hunt. Collect as many plastic eggs as you can find for a chance to win prizes! In the event of bad weather or muddy conditions, the egg hunt will be relocated indoors.

Almost 150 staff members signed up for the option to earn an extra $5 gift card for completing their New Year’s Resolution and of those a whopping 123 completed their resolution! Those who did not complete their resolution held up their end of the bargain and donated $5 to a cause of their choice.  

The following organizations received their donations: church & youth missions, Alternatives, American Heart Association, Children’s Discovery Center, Corey Brown ARL fund, food pantries, humane societies, MDA, National Wildlife Federation, Quota International, Special Olympics, Student Connection, Fire Departments, UNI Dance Marathon, and the Waterloo Hospitality House.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in this activity – it’s great to see how even one small donation can make a huge difference in the communities we live and work in!

The Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors met on Monday, April 1 with the three area community colleges. Board agendas and minutes can be found online.

The Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors wishes to thank everyone who went above and beyond to help the staff of Lowell Elementary transition to their temporary home in our former location. As a board, we were extremely proud of the rapid and compassionate response provided by those involved. Your efforts exemplified everything that our agency stands for including an unwavering commitment to students.  

Dr. Debra Rich, President, Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors