The Channel

Kris Colwell, AEA 267 Graphic Artist

Please welcome back Kris Colwell, Graphic Artist working out of the Marshalltown office! Kris accepted the position upon the retirement of Tracy Voss, our Graphic Artist in Clear Lake.

There are some important changes to keep in mind when sending in print requests:

• Print ready color copies and posters should be sent to either the Cedar Falls print shop or the Clear Lake print shop, not a Graphic Artist.
• PODD & Board Maker services should be sent to Judy Schuler in Cedar Falls.
• Graphic jobs should be sent to a Graphic Artist, Lindsay O’Regan in Cedar Falls or Kris Colwell in Marshalltown.  Any questions regarding Digital Store Front should be directed to Dave Johnson, Print & Production Supervisor.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, January 7 at 6 p.m. via conference call due to inclement weather. During the meeting, the board:

• Approved the 2015-16 proposed budget for publication
• Approved the final plans of Phase 1 for the remodel of the Cedar Falls Conference Center
• Heard a second reading and approved the following board policies:
  • 401.27R1 – Employee Use of Cell Phones & Other Communication Devices Regulations
  • 401.27R2 – Agency Cell Phone & Reimbursement Procedures/Request Form
  • 405.1 – Sick Leave
  • 405.3 – Bereavement Leave
  • 405.4 – Medical Emergency Leave
  • 405.7 – Jury Duty
  • 405.8 – Personal Leave
• Approved the agreement with Drake University to offer credit through Professional Learning
• Heard a variety of reports from directors and fellow board members

The AEA 267 Foundation meeting was held immediately following the regular board meeting.

Thank you for your amazing response to this year’s food pantry drive. Donations have already surpassed last year’s total with one week left to donate. A huge thank you to AEA 267 administrative staff for generously donating prizes which include multiple gift cards, handmade items, baked goods and more. What a fantastic team effort!

Just a friendly reminder that for every $1 you donate, five meals can be provided to needy families in our area. Take your monetary donation to Dyan Johnson in Cedar Falls, Lori Thomas in Clear Lake, Morgan Frederick in Marshalltown, or any satellite office or special school secretary. For every $1 you donate, your name will be entered into the raffle for prizes.

Let’s work together to make an even bigger impact this holiday season!

While so far our winter has been fairly mild, poor weather conditions are likely in our future at some point. Be sure to read through the updated frequently asked questions and answers related to weather. Several clarifications have been made regarding how to handle office closed and early dismissal days in terms of work time.

Example of customizable PowerPoint template now available!

For those that use PowerPoint frequently in their work, templates with the agency’s colors and logo have been added to the staff website for your use. (Use your email username and password to log in.) Use of these templates ensures a consistent image for the agency and takes the guesswork out of design. More templates will be added in the future!

Did you know that as an AEA 267 employee you are eligible for discounts through the Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC)? Discount products include cellular phone plans, digital cameras and camcorders, health and wellness, office supplies, software and technology. For more information, contact Jamie Albertsen, jalbertsen@iec-ia.org or 800-255-0405, ext. 12346.

In an effort to keep all Area Education Agency employees and board members informed of statewide initiatives and matters of importance, a new electronic AEA newsletter, The AEA Advocate, has been developed by the AEA Communications Committee for distribution to all AEA staff on a monthly basis. The most recent issue of the newsletter can be viewed here while the January edition will be sent directly to your email in box.

The AEA Communications Committee is very interested in your feedback about this first issue along with your suggestions for information that you would like to see provided in future editions. Please feel free to comment on this post and/or share your feedback with Beth Strike.

Please change your voice mail greeting and set an away message to your email during the holiday breaks so that callers and/or e-mailers will know when they can expect to hear from you.

Voice mail example:

“Hello, this is (your name). Our office will be closed beginning Wednesday, December 24 and will reopen on Monday, January 5, 2015.  Please leave your name, telephone number and a detailed message and I will call when I return. Thank you!”

Email “away” message example:

“Thank you for your email.  I will be out of the office beginning Wednesday, December 24 through January 4 and will respond to your email upon my return. Thank you and have a wonderful holiday!”

If you need assistance with either task, please visit with your supervisor or administrator.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met Wednesday, December 10 at 5 p.m. via conference call from the AEA 267 Cedar Falls Administrative Building. During the meeting, the board:

• Approved a first reading of the following board policies:
  • 401.27R1 – Employee Use of Cell Phones & Other Communication Devices Regulations
  • 401.27R2 – Agency Cell Phone & Reimbursement Procedures/Request Form
  • 405.1 – Sick Leave
  • 405.3 – Bereavement Leave
  • 405.4 – Medical Emergency Leave
  • 405.7 – Jury Duty
  • 405.8 – Personal Leave
• Accepted a donation to the agency of a Zippie Wheelchair
• Voted to elect James Green of Grant Wood AEA to represent Iowa’s AEAs on the Iowa Association of School Boards
• Heard a variety of reports from directors and fellow board members

The AEA 267 Foundation meeting was held immediately following the regular board meeting.

Watch your van mail during the week of November 16-22 for a special token of the agency’s appreciation for all you do on behalf of children, families and educators! Your efforts to help all students reach their greatest potential are truly remarkable. While we wish we could do more to show our gratitude, we hope you will enjoy the special treat coming your way nonetheless. Many thanks to Wells Fargo for underwriting the costs of this effort.

One of the new laws created during the 2014 legislative session focused on dyslexia. The legislation defined this as an educational diagnosis and so it was added to Iowa Education Code. Dyslexia is defined as “a specific and significant impairment in the development of reading, including but not limited to phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension that is not solely accounted for by intellectual disability, sensory disability or impairment or lack of appropriate instruction.”

Iowa’s Area Education Agencies created these resources for school leaders:

• Details of the dyslexia legislation and how Iowa’s AEAs support struggling readers;
• Learn more about dyslexia; and
• Early Literacy Guidance Dyslexia Checklist – resources and talking points.

At AEA 267, Dr. Carol Sensor and Kim Swartz have been designated as your resources when you receive a request for support for a student struggling with dyslexia. Please contact either Carol or Kim to discuss the request so that together you can decide how best to respond.

Do you lead or facilitate an internal meeting? Last month, the all-agency Leadership Team approved an official Meeting Agenda & Minutes template for use agency-wide. Please use this template for building agendas and maintaining minutes whenever you work with an AEA 267 team. Simply click “use this template” and Google will make a copy of the template and place it in your Google Drive. From there, you can rename it and begin making changes for your specific group. (Tips: 1. Choose a logical naming protocol such as “Special Education Administrators” vs. “Agenda” when renaming your document; and 2. If you have not used the bookmark function in Google, you may want to contact  Beth Strike for help.)

A critically important aspect of the template is the column related to communicating the decisions made during the meeting. Please do not shortchange this step as you facilitate meetings! Feel free to rate the template or email Beth with your feedback!

The state has launched a new website, IowaCore.gov, to help teachers across the state put the standards into practice in their classrooms and to help increase public understanding of our statewide academic standards.

Please take time to explore the new website, which includes:

• The Iowa Core standards in a format that is searchable by grade level (K-12) and subject (mathematics, science, social studies, English language arts and 21st century skills, such as financial literacy).

• A collection of optional education resources that teachers may use to implement the Iowa Core. More than 8,000 resources are available at no charge in a central, searchable online location called IowaLearns.org, which is accessible through IowaCore.gov. The materials are adaptable to fit the individual needs of local classrooms.

• Parent guides to the Iowa Core that parents and other Iowans can use to understand what the Iowa Core is, what students are expected to know and how parents can help at home. The guides were developed in partnership with the National PTA and Iowa teachers.

November is upon us and that means that the potential for severe winter weather is increasing. Please be sure that you have taken time to thoroughly review the information on the inclement weather page of our staff website. (Use your email login and password to gain access.) This page provides all of the details you will need to learn about professional learning cancellations and office closures as well as updated procedures and answers to your most frequently asked questions about weather-related travel. If you have questions after reviewing this information, please visit with your supervisor. Stay safe and please exercise good personal judgement at all times!

Sector meeting dates for next year are now set. Please mark your calendar now for the appropriate meeting date for your sector and plan to attend!

• Instructional Programs: August 10, 2015 (location to be announced)
• NE Sector: August 11, 2015 (AEA 267 Cedar Falls Office)
• East Sector: August 12, 2015 (AEA 267 Cedar Falls Office)
• South Sector: August 13, 2015 (AEA 267 Marshalltown Office)
• NW Sector: August 14, 2015 (AEA 267 Clear Lake Office)

Each year, the Human Resources office calculates the average annual sick leave usage for the agency. The purpose of the calculation is simply to serve as a benchmark that staff can use to gauge whether their usage is on par with the average of other staff members. The average usage for this past year was 5.53 days. The calculation includes sick leave for doctor/dentist appointments as well as regular sick time used.

We welcomed many new team members this school year and to introduce all of them to you and the greater public we serve, we have been featuring them each Monday on the AEA 267 Facebook page. “Meet the Team Monday” #MTM has been a huge success and gives everyone a chance to learn a little about our new staff members!

To date, we have profiled 14 new team members. Including:

• Whitney Aldrich: Whitney earned her degree from UNI and taught five years before coming to River Hills School. She student taught at River Hills and is excited to be back there. Whitney spends her leisure time with her husband and 2 year old daughter.
• Elizabeth Ascherl: Liz is a Speech-Language Pathologist serving the Northwest Sector. She received her M.A. from UNI and worked for Grant Wood AEA before joining AEA 267. In her free time, Liz enjoys boating and sporting activities.
• James Fineran: James obtained his B.A. from UNI and is currently working on earning a master’s degree in Special Education from Morningside. James is excited to return to River Hills where he taught for eight years prior to his previous job with Cedar Falls CSD. With three daughters it’s tough to find time for himself, but when he can James enjoys playing softball and singing.
• Brooke Foster: Brooke is an Educational Assistant at River Hills. Brooke earned a B.A. in Family Services from UNI and enjoyed working at River Hills so much during her internship, she decided to make it her career. To relax, Brooke turns to crafts, movies and the outdoors.
• Michelle Haberman: Michelle obtained both her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Northern Iowa and before coming to AEA 267, she was a teacher for over 20 years. Michelle’s favorite place to be? Okoboji.
• Jeremiah Johnson: Jeremiah is the High School Math Teacher at Bremwood and received his B.A from Wartburg College. When he is able, Jeremiah plays an active role on his family farm.
• Jodie Klatt: Jodie is a Teacher of Behavioral Disorders at Pinecrest Center. She finished her teaching degree once her children were in school and graduated from Buena Vista University. Jodie is currently working on her BD endorsement and spends her leisure time with her family and hunting for bargains.
• Jennifer Kluesner: Jennifer works with students at Central Iowa Juvenile Detention Center. She graduated from Ellsworth Community College and is currently pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice at Upper Iowa University. Jennifer enjoys camping, hiking and has a strong interest in photography.
• Ann Lasher: Ann is a Special Education Consultant in the NE sector. She earned her B.A. from UNI and her M.A. from Southwest Minnesota State. Before coming to AEA 267, Ann taught elementary and middle school students for over 20 years. Her free time is taken up with following her three kids’ activities.
• Sara Nickel: Sara is a School Improvement Consultant based out of Marshalltown. Sara received her B.S. from Iowa State and a M.S. from the University of Kansas and was a semifinalist for the 2013-14 Kansas Teacher of the Year award. Sara enjoys running, yoga and finding new recipes for her cooking blog.
• Sara O’Brien: Sara received her M.A. in Audiology from UNI. She worked at Cedar Valley Medical Specialists prior to coming to AEA 267. Sara has two daughters and loves to bake, sew and travel.
• Corey Rogers: Corey comes to us from Bunger Middle School in Waterloo where she served as Media Specialist. She earned her B.S. from Grand Valley State University in Michigan and her M.S. from Concordia University. Corey enjoys reading and working on home improvements.
• Alayna Schutte: Alayna studied psychology at Central College and is currently attending UNI to pursue a degree in school psychology while working as an Assessment Intern with AEA 267. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, crafts, jogging, and kayaking.
• David Valdez: David is the new PE teacher at River Hills School and earned his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. David is an avid outdoorsman.

Be sure to “like” AEA 267 on Facebook and meet the remaining new team members!

Recent news has included a story involving the settlement of a lawsuit involving the  Iowa Educators’ Consortium/Iowa Association of Educational Purchasing. The IAEP is an organization formed by the Iowa Area Education Agencies (AEAs) under Chapter 28E of the Iowa Code, to assist member schools with the purchase of products and services that enhance their school meals programs in support of the educational goals of students.

This was a  class action suit filed by a couple in the Adel-DeSoto district.  The premise of their suit was that Martin Brothers conspired to restrain competition in the market for the retail sale of food to schools and that Martin Brothers attempted to monopolize that market in violation of Iowa antitrust laws.

This case has been in process for over three years as Martin Brothers was not willing to settle the case because they thought this was a totally bogus class action suit. After further consultations with their attorneys, Martin Brothers generally made a business decision to limit their legal fees and attempt to reach a settlement through mediation.

The settlement agreement was filed with the Clerk of District Court in Dallas County on July 31. Key points of the Martin Brothers settlement include:

• Martin Brothers will pay $1,925,000 to create a settlement fund which will provide monetary relief to the settlement class.
• The settlement class is anyone who paid for a school lunch between January 1, 2000, and July 31,2014.
• A third party will arrange to have notices published in an attempt to reach 88 percent of Iowa’s residents.  This means that notices will be published in 14 of Iowa’s largest newspapers.  The notice will direct interested persons to a website.
• Individuals in the settlement class may complete and submit paperwork to receive reimbursement.  Individuals in the class may receive $3.50 for each year they attended a participating school district up to a maximum of $50.00.
• Any funds remaining after attorney’s fees and class members receive their payments will be paid to participating school districts on a pro rata basis.

Information on the settlement at the following web site http://www.iowaschoolfoodsettlement.com/.

The Iowa Association of Educational Purchasing remains committed to its mission of helping schools save money and provide students with the best meal choices.