Our Mission
To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.
Our Goals
- Increase learning growth for students
- Decrease the gap in achievement
- Increase annual graduation rates
- Increase gateways to post-secondary success
The Jan. 9 meeting of the Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) will not be a typical monthly meeting. Instead, Heartland AEA is bringing in Rick Kaufman, a nationally recognized crisis management consultant and trainer, to lead a workshop on Crisis Communication & Emergency Management. Superintendents are invited to bring another representative from the district, such as a communications or public relations specialist or a principal. Learn more about the workshop at this link and watch for registration information coming soon!
Crisis Communication & Emergency Management Workshop
Jan. 9, 2018 Heartland Administrators' Association Meeting
Facilitator Rick Kaufman
9 - 11:00 a.m.
Stoney Creek Inn, 5291 Stoney Creek Ct in Johnston
*There will not be a Zoom option for this meeting since it’s highly interactive.
In May 2016, the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Redesign initiative was signed into Iowa law in an effort to be in line with Future Ready Iowa, an effort launched by former Gov. Branstad and current Gov. Reynolds. The purpose of the CTE Redesign is to:
- Improve access to high-quality CTE through a statewide system of regional planning partnerships to assist school districts in providing an effective, efficient and economical means of delivering programs.
- Encourage alignment of secondary CTE offerings to in-demand occupations to meet the needs of employers.
- Reform career and academic planning and CTE programming to encourage students to explore opportunities aligned to their interests through holistic career guidance, exploratory CTE coursework and work-based learning opportunities.
As part of the CTE Redesign, the state was divided into sections associated with AEAs and community colleges. All the schools served by Heartland AEA and Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) is considered to be in the Region 11 CTE Partnership. The partnership is led by the Executive Partnership consisting of at least one representative of the Heartland AEA regions.
For the 2017-18 school year, the CTE focus will be on planning and providing information to the regional groups. The regional groups consist of at least one member from each school district within that region; names to be on the regional groups were provided by superintendents at the end of last year. The plan is for the regional groups to meet twice this school year - once in the fall and once in the spring. These meetings will provide information about the CTE Redesign and will work to get the regional CTE groups up and running before the next school year. The names from each school district provided to the partnership will receive an email in the next couple of weeks related to the specifics of the meeting. If the staff member cannot attend the regional meeting, someone else from the district may attend in their place. Below are the districts by region and the date and time of the meetings. If you have questions regarding the CTE Redesign please contact T.J. Jumper, Heartland AEA Regional Director, at tjumper@heartlandaea.org.
Region 1: Oct. 25, 2017 at Panorama School District, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Adair-Casey, Audubon, Carroll, Coon Rapids-Bayard, Earlham, Exira-EHK, Glidden-Ralston, Guthrie Center, Interstate 35, Panorama, West Central Valley, Winterset
Region 2: Nov. 1, 2017 at Van Meter School District, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Adel-Desoto-Minburn, Dallas Center-Grimes, Perry, Van Meter, Waukee, Woodward-Granger
Region 3: Nov. 1, 2017 at Indianola School District, 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Districts: Carlisle, Indianola, Knoxville, Martensdale-St. Marys, Melcher-Dallas, Norwalk, Pella, Pleasantville, Southeast Warren, Twin Cedars
Des Moines Metro Region: Oct. 18, 2017 at Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Ankeny, Bondurant-Farrar, Des Moines, Johnston, North Polk, Saydel, Southeast Polk, Urbandale, West Des Moines
Region 7: Oct. 18, 2017 at Oakwood Rd. Church in Ames, 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Districts: Ames, Ballard, Boone, Collins-Maxwell, Colo-Nesco, Gilbert, Madrid, Nevada, Ogden, Roland-Story, United
Region 8: Oct. 31, 2017 at DMACC-Newton Campus, 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Districts: Baxter, Colfax-Mingo, Lynnville-Sully, Newton, PCM
AEA Media Directors across the state updated the contract with BrightBytes and there are now more options for districts to choose from. Information was shared with Curriculum Directors last Friday. Here is a link to the slides that were shared and a brochure with more information. If you have any questions, contact the Regional Director or Instructional Technology Consultant who serves your district.
Oct. 21, 2017
9 a.m. - Noon
Science Center of Iowa, 401 W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, Des Moines
This free event offers families of children with special needs an opportunity to meet local service providers. Attendees are welcome to tour the Science Center after attending the fair. Breakout sessions will be held concurrently at 9 a.m., followed by table sessions from 10 a.m. - noon.
Check out the service providers who will be at the fair in this PDF: Resource Fair Service Provider List (PDF)
Attendees will be able to choose from one of the following breakout sessions:
- Managing Your Child's Challenging Behavior
- Post-secondary Education & Employment Options
- Service Providers
To assist families in getting the most benefit, a stipend for childcare reimbursement will be offered. Families may bring a childcare provider along to assist while parents and caregivers attend a session. To learn more, contact Terry Mendell, Lead Parent Coordinator, Heartland AEA Family & Educator Partnership, at (800) 255-0405 ext. 17135 or tmendell@heartlandaea.org.
Heartland AEA is pleased to be announcing a newly created Special Education Leaders Network for communicating up-to-date Special Education practices, procedures and requirements information with district partners. This network is intended to allow district special education leaders to collaborate with one another, and with Heartland AEA leaders on timely topics.
The first meeting of the network will be held on Oct. 25, 2017 with two other meetings following in Feb. and May 2018. Intended participants include: District special education directors, special education contacts, building administrators, special education teacher leads, and Heartland AEA Regional Directors.
Special Education Leaders Network - Kickoff Meeting
Date: Oct. 25, 2017
Time: 9-11:30 a.m.
Locations: Meetings will be hosted centrally at the Heartland AEA Regional Education Center in Johnston, in various regional locations, and also available to participants live via Zoom.
Registration: Register at this link by Oct. 20, 2017
For more information, contact Sara Mercer, Heartland AEA School Psychologist, at smercer@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-9030 ext. 14312 or click this link to read more.
Each year, the University of Iowa’s International Programs, in partnership with the Stanley Foundation, offers a professional development workshop for Iowa's K-12 teachers focusing on international topics and issues of critical importance. Over the years, institute themes have included Fragile Economies; Understanding Nigeria; Understanding the Middle East; The US/Mexico Border and Immigration Policies; and Terrorism and Mass Media.
Inspired by the introduction of the Iowa Core Curriculum and its focus on global literacy concepts and 21st century skills, the institute has turned its attention to global education, with a goal of preparing teachers from across the state to infuse global perspectives into their classrooms.
The 2017 Global Education Institute for Teachers will be held on the University of Iowa campus on Dec. 2-3, 2017. K-12 teachers of all disciplines are invited to attend this year’s institute, a two-day, one license renewal credit experience taught by University of Iowa professors Greg Hamot and Jason Harshman.
FREE tuition! The first 20 teachers to register who live outside a 25-mile radius of Iowa City will also receive FREE housing at the Iowa House Hotel. Registration deadline is Nov. 8, 2017.
More information may be found on the institute website or by contacting Amy Green at amy-green-1@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-1433.
