As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, the safety and well-being of our staff is a priority and as an agency, we will continue to follow the same guidelines that were put into place in August with the Return to Work plan.
If practices need to be adjusted, you will be notified and if you find yourself in a situation where you do not feel safe, please let your supervisor or Human Resources know so that support can be provided. More on this topic will be shared at the November 10 all staff meeting.
With winter right around the corner, stay in the know whenever there’s an office closing or professional learning cancellation. Sign up to get Central Rivers AEA weather alerts via text, call, or email. Staff members can contact Shirley Horak, Human Resources Coordinator (shorak@centralriversaea.org) for information on signing up.
If further clarification is needed, please visit with your direct supervisor.
Don’t forget to change your voicemail greeting and set an away message to your email during both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday breaks so that callers and/or e-mailers will know when they can expect to hear from you.
Voicemail example:
“Hello, this is (your name). Our office will be closed beginning Thursday, November 26 and will reopen on Monday, November 30. Please leave your name, telephone number and a brief message and I will return your call on the 30th. Thank you and happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Central Rivers AEA.”
Email “away” message example:
Thank you for your email. I will be out of the office beginning Thursday, November 26 and will respond to your email upon my return on Monday, the 30th. Thank you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
If you need assistance with either task, please contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@centralriversaea.org or 319-273-8231.
*Please note the office closure dates for the Christmas holiday break are Thursday, December 24 – January 1, 2021. Offices will reopen on Monday, January 4th.
Similar to Wellmark and VSP, Delta Dental is now offering a hearing exam and hearing aid discounted pricing to those employees/members enrolled in the dental plan. They are partnering with Amplifon for this service. Providers are located in Cedar Falls, Mason City and Marshalltown. View the Delta Dental flyer for more information.
For information (and to compare) other hearing exam/aid discounts provided, click on the links below or visit the portal under My Benefits > 20-21 Insurance Information.
For further information, contact Betty Hesseling, Benefits Specialist (bhesseling@centralriversaea.org)
With support of the insurance committee, Central Rivers AEA will implement an infertility benefit with a lifetime maximum of $15,000, effective on January 1, 2021. Once more information is received from Wellmark, it will be added to the portal under My Benefits > 20-21 Insurance Information. Please contact Betty Hesseling, Benefits Specialist, (bhesseling@centralriversaea.org) if you have any questions.
The Iowa Department of Education, in collaboration with the AEAs, is seeking input around Deaf & Hard of Hearing education in the state. The intended audience is for those with an interest in the education of our students with hearing loss, including but not limited to students, parents, educators, deaf community, and other agency partners.
The survey focuses on all ages, all modes of communication and all types of educational settings. This information will be reviewed by a larger group of stakeholders to shape recommendations for increasing success for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Please complete the survey before November 11.
Questions can be directed to Tori Carsrud, Iowa Department of Education, Education Program Consultant for Deaf/Hard of Hearing or Shandra Sarasio Meyer, CRAEA Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Karl Kurt, Assistant Chief Administrator/Director of HR
Thanks to the nearly 230 of you who completed the recent staff survey! We appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback, as it helps us identify your needs and how we can support them.
At the beginning of the year we hoped that positivity and flexibility would be a common theme. We can see it on display all over the place, and just want to express our gratitude for rising to the challenges in front of you. We have heard from districts, and they report that things are obviously different this year, but CRAEA staff continues to meet their needs and provide excellent and timely services. Keep up the great work!
A note on mental health since this topic comes up a lot in conversations related to the pandemic. Oftentimes anxiety comes from looking backward or trying to look into the future, and worrying because we just don’t know what is going to happen. Try and stay in the here and now and control the things that you can. The year is going very well at this point, and you are doing an amazing job given the circumstances. If we can help in any way, please let us know. We are in this together!
Finally, a few expressed an interest in having a document that they could use if pressed when asking students or staff to wear a mask. Feel free to download this letter to assist in explaining the agency’s stance.
Here is a summary of the results and key themes from the survey:
Gratitude/Positives
Common themes:
Safety/Comfort:
78% of staff “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” that they feel safe performing their job duties at this time.
Common themes:
Productivity
89% of staff “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” that they feel productive with their job duties at this time.
Common themes:
Biggest concern
How can we address your biggest concerns?
Additional comments or concerns
Details regarding this year’s Educator Quality program are now available! Watch this short video to learn more about how to access these funds.
Some users who have recently attempted to reset their CRAEA password in Classlink have reported receiving an error message; the pop-up window states “Undefined.” Even though this message appears, please note that your password has been successfully changed. You may begin using your new password.
After changing your password, you will receive a verification email notifying you that your password was reset.
If you have any questions, concerns, or need help with your CRAEA password, please contact the Tech Help Desk at Helpdesk@centralriversaea.org, 319-273-8231.
