Our Mission

To provide services and leadership, in partnership with families, schools and communities, that improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth.

Our Goals

• Increase learning growth for students

• Decrease gaps in achievement

• Increase annual graduation rates

• Increase gateways to post-secondary success 

Holiday Office Hours and Van Delivery

All Heartland AEA offices will be closed to the public Dec. 24-Jan. 1. Please take note of the following schedule as you plan to place orders through Creative Services and send and receive items through our van mail.

Regular Van Delivery: Dec. 21-23
No Van Delivery: Dec. 24-Jan. 1
Regular Van Delivery Resumes: Jan. 4

Additionally, there will be no Administrator Connection Dec. 25 or Jan. 1.

Do You Know About Heartland AEA’s Parent & Educator Connection?

The Heartland AEA Parent & Educator Connection (PEC) encourages and promotes positive partnerships between parents and educators so that children with special needs are successful. Our PEC coordinators are parents of children or young adults with special needs, so they share a unique perspective with the families we serve.

The PEC offers:

• Conferences, workshops or networking groups
• Links to community resources, camps and leisure activities
• Transition support to help prepare a student in special education to move from high school to the workplace or higher education
• Parent Online Trainings for topics such as orientation to special education, eligibility for special education, managing behavior, bullying prevention

For more information, contact Terry Mendell, Lead Parent Coordinator, Heartland AEA, at (800) 255-0405 ext. 17135 or sign up to receive notifications of PEC events and newsletters.

Reminder: Applicants Sought for 2015 STEM Education Award for Inspired Teaching

Administrators, teachers, counselors, parents, students and other STEM advocates are invited to nominate an inspirational science, technology, engineering or mathematics teacher for the 2016 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award, sponsored by Kemin Industries and the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.

Nominations close Dec. 11, 2015.

For more information or to make a nomination, visit the 2016 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award website or contact Taylor Rookaird or Carrie Rankin.

Dec. 2015 School Leader Update

The Dec. 2015 issue of the School Leader Update is available from the Iowa Department of Education. Inside, Director Wise talks about two big pushes in the state – the Iowa School Report Card and Differentiated Accountability. Attorney Nicole Proesch reminds you to keep the holiday in (legal) perspective. And read about the 2016 Teacher of the Year.

Dec. 2015 Each and Every Child Newsletter

The Dec. 2015 issue of the Each and Every Child newsletter is available from the Iowa Department of Education. In this issue, drop in on the team at Pocahontas Elementary School in the town of the same name in north central Iowa. There, you will find they are embracing Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, something they find helps individualize classroom work for each and every child – and enables a deeper understanding of content.

Teacher Input Needed on Eval Practices and PD

Iowans who make up the Council on Educator Development have developed recommendations for teacher and administrator evaluation practices and professional development. Feedback is needed on the recommendations from superintendents, principals, teachers and school board members by Dec. 18. 

Give your feedback now!

All survey responses will remain anonymous.

High School Principal Search - Winterset, IA

The Winterset Community School District is conducting a search for a High School Principal due to retirement. Questions can be directed to Susie Meade at (515) 462-2718.