The Channel

The Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors met on Wednesday, June 5. Board agendas and minutes can be found online. The next scheduled meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 24 in the Cedar Falls Conference Center.

In the fall of 2018, Central Rivers Area Education Agency partnered with ESSDACK, a Kansas-based provider of professional learning services, to design and facilitate a culture audit.

The audit had two primary goals: 1.) provide new learning for staff around how individual attitudes (energy levels) impact culture; 2.) gauge the current impact of our collective energy on the overall organizational culture.

The results of the audit are back and we are excited to share them with you. An Executive Summary has been prepared with the high points of the data and a video presentation will be sent to all staff later this month with further explanation. As an agency, we have much to celebrate in terms of our overall cultural health. We also have areas for growth and look forward to embracing the challenges ahead together.

Thank you for your participation and candor throughout the process!

The all-region meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 22 in Cedar Falls. Registration and social time begin at 8:30 with the meeting to begin at 9:00. An agency-wide retirement celebration honoring all of our retirees will be held from 9-10 am. A Zoom link (https://zoom.us/j/401721538) for the retirement ceremony is available for those who are not required to attend the meeting.

The regions will meet from 10:20-12:00 and the room assignments will be on the scrollers the day of the meeting. Lunch will be provided and consists of a turkey sandwich, chips, and fresh fruit. If you have a dietary restriction, please email Lori Thomas at lthomas@centralriversaea.org by Wednesday, May 8.

Collaborative Inquiry Groups will meet from 1:00-3:00 pm and you will receive more details on the afternoon session at your regional meeting in the morning. Dress for the day is business casual and if you would like, bring a pair of walking shoes to enjoy the trail, weather permitting. Carpooling is encouraged.

This year’s retirement celebration is being held on Wednesday, May 22 from 9-10 am during the all-region meeting in Cedar Falls.

This is a wonderful opportunity to congratulate our retirees and recognize them for their dedication and years of service to the agency.

Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/401721538) will be available at all locations for employees that are not attending the regional meeting.

Those being honored this year include:

• LuAnn Andera, Audiometrist
• Kathy Barfels, Admin. Secretary-Professional Learning
• Jacque Brandau, Early Childhood Special Educator
• Karen Dilger, Professional Learning Systems Support Specialist
• Jolene Euken, Early Childhood Special Educator
• Sandy Folkerts, School Social Worker
• Jackie Gray, Work Experience Coordinator
• Janet Hedberg, Speech-Language Pathologist
• Janice Judisch, Special Education Consultant
• Sandra Kraschel, Parent-Educator Coordinator
• Kay Meaney, Early Childhood Special Educator
• Dawn Metzger, Educational Assistant
• Dorene Moore, Educational Assistant
• Debbie Morris, Special Education Consultant
• Jaymie Redfern, Physical Therapist
• Steve Riess, Work Experience Coordinator
• Jennifer Rogers, Speech-Language Pathologist
• Karen Springer, Early Childhood Special Educator
• Dan Stephens, Teacher of Mental Disabilities
• Pat Weigel, Special Education Consultant
• Gerald Nunn, School Psychologist

The open enrollment for benefits will close on May 12 and all benefits-eligible employees must complete this process even if declining insurance, making no changes, resigning, or retiring.

To enroll, access the Portal and go to My Benefits > Benefits Enrollment. The insurance plans for the 2019-2020 plan year remain the same as last year.

• The agency is providing $745 per month to support your insurance needs. This funding level is between the $1,500 and $2,500 deductible single plan premium cost. For additional choice, there continues to be a $3,500 High Deductible Health Plan with an AEA contribution to your Health Savings Account (HSA).
• The total cost of the family coverages only increased by $10 this year.
• Once again this year we have access to the Alex tool to help guide your decision making. We encourage you to use this tool as a guide to your recommended plan. Please remember that after using Alex you still need to take the necessary steps to be enrolled.

If you have any questions regarding your benefits or open enrollment, please contact Betty Hesseling at bhesseling@centralriversaea.org or 319-273-8202

May is set aside as School Board Recognition Month and is the perfect time to thank our volunteer community members who govern Central Rivers AEA! Serving over 62,000 students, 5,000 educators, and almost 500 staff members, these nine committed individuals are the backbone of the agency, setting the course for our work.

Dr. Debra Rich, Board President, represents Charles City, Dike-New Hartford, Dunkerton, Nashua-Plainfield, Sumner-Fredericksburg, Tripoli, Wapsie Valley, and Waverly-Shell Rock.

Deb and her husband have three grown children and five grandchildren. 

Roberta Kraft-Abrahamson, represents Central Springs, Clear Lake, Forest City, Garner-Hayfield- Ventura, Lake Mills, North Iowa, Northwood-Kensett, St. Ansgar, and West Hancock.

After working for the AEA for 25 years as a school social worker, Roberta now uses her AEA experience to further our mission.

Dr. George North is the representative for AGWSR, Alden, Aplington-Parkersburg, CAL, Clarksville, Eldora-New Providence, Grundy Center, Hampton-Dumont, Hubbard-Radcliffe, Iowa Falls, and North Butler.

With over 50 years in dentistry, Dr. North has also been involved in education and volunteerism his entire life.

Dr. Darshini Jayawardena represents Belmond-Klemme, Mason City, Osage, RRMR, and West Fork.

Darshini and her husband have three grown children and a granddaughter.

David Giese represents the districts of BCLUW, East Marshall, GMG, Marshalltown, and West Marshall.

Now retired, both David and his wife were educators for many years.

Maureen Hanson, Board Vice-President represents BGM, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Grinnell-Newburg, Hudson, Montezuma, North Tama County, South Tama County, and Union.

Maureen and her husband have three daughters and three granddaughters.

Dr. Tony Reid represents Cedar Falls, Denver, and Janesville. He and his wife have four children and several grandchildren.

Bryan Burton represents the Waterloo school district and is also the Director of Operations for the Boys & Girls Club of the Cedar Valley.

Dennis Craun, Jr., represents the districts of East Buchanan, Independence, Jesup, and Waterloo. He and his wife have two children.

Please join us in honoring the work of these dedicated people who donate countless hours of personal time to help ensure a quality education for all of Iowa’s students.

A new policy (401.33) “Drug and Alcohol Testing Program” was approved by the Board at the April meeting. A notice regarding the policy has been added to each of the Administrative Guidelines. For your reference, here is a complete copy of the policy and the notice. This policy is a replica of another AEA, and will be used only if there is reasonable suspicion of impairment at work. If you have any questions regarding the drug and alcohol testing requirements, please contact Human Resources.

Example of Business Casual

In an effort to ensure that we present ourselves and the agency in the most positive light, here are are a few reminders about the expectations for professional dress.

Monday-Thursday: Business casual (khakis/polos, dress pants, tops, etc.) to business professional (skirts, pant suits, etc.) depending on who your audience is for the day.

If you are giving a presentation, you would probably choose business professional.  If you are simply working in the office, business casual is probably just fine (as well as a minimum expectation).

Friday: Jeans are welcome (with a business professional top).  However, again, please remember who your audience is for the day and dress appropriately given your audience.

Some general rules of thumb:

• Please, no t-shirts.
• No Flip-Flops. (Flip Flops are not the same as open-toed shoes.)
• Athletic shoes are fine when you are going to/from a walk on your break but shouldn’t be worn on a daily basis around the office.

If you have compelling reasons for requesting variance to the expected attire, please speak with your supervisor. Our hope is that we don’t have to spend a lot of time or energy on dress code issues as we all have much more impactful priorities that desire our attention!  Thanks for your cooperation. Questions? Contact your supervisor.

The majority of the 2019-20 district calendars are now available online on the staff website under Resources > District Calendars. Continue to check back as the remaining calendars are submitted.