Kevin Honeycutt grew up in poverty and as he witnessed education around the country, he collected powerful experiences that still influence his conversations and his work with educators. He spent 13 years teaching K-12 art in public school and for 17 years spent summers leading creative adventure camps for kids of all ages. Kevin is the author of the book Midnight Run, which is his story of growing up in poverty.
Based upon his personal story and struggles, his presentation is geared toward helping educators see the signs of poverty and to develop strategies for empowering students to improve their academic potential.
“I’m telling my story, my way in the hope that anyone going through a similar experience might benefit from the lessons I learned that helped me build a better life. If you find any of the stories poignant or emotional, I ask that you use those feelings to help others you might encounter who are struggling in life because everyone deserves a chance to make a “midnight run” to a brighter future.”
New Date: April 2, 2019
Location: TBD
Registration coming soon!
Heartland AEA Leadership Series
Kevin Honeycutt’s presentation is part of the "Heartland AEA 2018-19 Leadership Series." Some of today’s most intriguing, innovative and influential leaders from around the country share their background, insight and knowledge in this new series for educators. Speakers will candidly share their experiences, discuss challenges that have impacted their work and provide a unique opportunity to learn from their hands-on experiences. For more information, contact: Jim Verlengia, Ed.D., Heartland AEA Director of Leadership Supports, at jverlengia@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-0405 ext. 14388.
Heartland Administrators’ Association meetings will be held at the Ankeny DMACC Campus, Student Center Building 5 in Ankeny during the months with guest speakers (see below). Meetings will be held from 8:30 a.m. – Noon. When there is no guest speaker scheduled, meetings will be held at Heartland AEA, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, Rooms 107A/B from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. Meeting dates and locations are as follows:
- Sept. 4, 2018, Guest speaker Ken Honeycutt, DMACC
- Oct. 2, 2018, Guest speaker Brad Waid, DMACC
- Nov. 6, 2018, Guest speaker Shannon Suldo, DMACC
- Dec. 4, 2018 Heartland AEA in Johnston
- Jan. 8, 2019, Guest speaker Anthony Muhammad, DMACC
- Feb. 5, 2019 Heartland AEA in Johnston
- March 5, 2019, Guest speaker Trevor Ragan, DMACC
- April 2, 2019 Heartland AEA in Johnston
- May 7, 2019 Heartland AEA in Johnston
Superintendent Advisory Council Members (SAC)
SAC meetings will only be held in 2018-19 during months without a guest speaker at the HAA meetings. The meetings will be held at Heartland AEA, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston, Room 109 from 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. Meeting dates are as follows:
- Dec. 4, 2018
- Feb. 5, 2019
- April 2, 2019
- May 7, 2019
The Heartland AEA Curriculum Network meets the first Friday of the month from September through May at the Heartland AEA Regional Education Center in Johnston. Meetings begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude by 11:30 a.m. The first part of the meeting is devoted to statewide updates including information from the Iowa Department of Education. The second half of the meeting is focused on districts within the Heartland AEA service area. The meeting dates for 2018-19 are as follows:
- Sept. 7, 2018
- Oct. 5, 2018
- Nov. 2, 2018
- Dec. 7, 2018
- Jan. 4, 2019 (Zoom meeting only from 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.)
- Feb. 1, 2019
- March 1, 2019
- April 5, 2019
- May 3, 2019
Meetings are also broadcast via Zoom. Here is the link to the Curriculum Network Google Site. All agendas are posted to the Google Site and video links for each agenda item are posted in the agenda within one week of the agenda.
The 2018-2019 ELPA21 Dynamic Screener Training Modules are now available through AEA Learning Online! Please see the information below regarding the availability of these modules.
New English Language Proficiency Screening Assessment for All Iowa schools
As of Aug. 1, all Iowa schools will be required to implement the new ELPA21 Dynamic Screener Assessment for decisions regarding possible student placement in English language instructional programs
ELPA21 Dynamic Screener Training Modules Now Available
To help you prepare for administration of the required ELPA21 Dynamic Screener, the following modules are now available at no cost to Iowa districts and AEA employees through AEA Learning Online:
- Gearing up for ELPA21 Assessment Module 2018-19: The purpose of the "Gearing Up" module is to help those who are new to EL assessment in Iowa quickly get up to speed with the assessment requirements and online system. This module is beneficial for new teachers, administrators, and support staff members who have never administered an ELPA21 assessment before. It can also be a good review (although not required) for those who are experienced with ELPA21 Assessments.
- ELPA21 Dynamic Screener Training 2018-19: This training is required of those who need to administer the ELPA21 Dynamic Screener Assessment. This training contains 2 modules:
- ELPA21 Dynamic Screener: Preparation 2018-19
- ELPA21 Dynamic Screener: Administration, Scoring, and Viewing Results 2018-19
Please Note: Documents to support the ELPA21 Dynamic Assessment can also be found in the Resources folder of the online assessment system.
For additional assistance, please contact Jennifer Riedemann at (515) 661-7066 or jennifer.riedemann@iowa.gov.
Tom Schimmer will lead learning on big picture ideas in the study of standards-based learning, including grading and reporting. He will share ideas about what our grading “True North” should be, growth versus fixed mindset, and the belief that all kids can learn through criterion-referenced learning and standards-based mindset. As part of big picture learning, Tom will provide an overview of the five myths of standards-based grading.
Date: Sept. 27, 2018
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Adventureland Park, Palace Theater, 3200 Adventureland Dr, Altoona, IA
Registration: Register at this link
Save the Dates! For These Additional Heartland AEA-hosted Standards-Based Learning Opportunities!
Strand of SBL Framework: Standards-Based Learning
Presenter: Jan Chappuis, Nov. 29, 2018
Strand of SBL Framework: Learning Targets, Scales & Rubrics
Presenter: Tammy Heflebower, Ed.D., Feb. 28, 2019
Strand of SBL Framework: TBD
Presenter: Myron Dueck, June 11, 2019
Iowa’s Board of Regents have approved two new programs for the Iowa State University Ivy College of Business: an undergraduate major in actuarial science, and a master of real estate development — the first in Iowa.
Actuarial science is the discipline that applies financial, mathematical, and statistical methods to assess risk in insurance, finance and other industries and professions. This new major at Iowa State was created in partnership with the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics. Students majoring in this area will acquire the knowledge base and skills in finance, mathematics and statistics needed to pass the five preliminary actuarial exams. Creating an actuarial science major within the Ivy College of Business enables students to gain the business knowledge and skills needed in the insurance industry.
This new major is a great opportunity for students. Iowa, and Des Moines in particular, are home to a number of insurance companies, making it the second biggest insurance center in the country. Having a program at Iowa State that is close to Des Moines helps the industry, and is a benefit for students as they seek internships and full-time employment.
CNNMoney.com rates actuaries as being one of the best jobs in America, featuring high demand, six-figure incomes and no graduate school required. The median annual salary for entry level actuaries is $67,668, according to the salary.com website.
Iowa State students can declare the major starting in fall 2019. Questions about the actuarial science program may be directed to Rahul Parsa, Director of Actuarial Program at raparsa@iastate.edu.
The August 2018 issue of the BoEE Newsletter is now available. Topics include: Renewal Credits, Iowa Licensure Types, Substitute Teaching, Conditional Licensure, Technology Endorsements, Teacher Pathways, Ethics Scenarios and Recent Cases.
DMACC has the following surplus items available. If interested contact Julie Klocke in Purchasing at jaklocke1@dmacc.edu.
10 Wolfe brand dissecting microscopes
The August issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education is now available.
The Iowa Department of Education is offering training on creating high quality Emergency Operations Plans for public and non-public school districts.
Sept. 5: Prairie Lakes AEA
Sept. 6: Northwest AEA
Sept. 11: Grant Wood AEA
Sept. 13: Central Rivers AEA
Sept. 17: Keystone AEA
Sept. 19: Green Hills AEA (Avoca)
Sept. 24: Heartland AEA
Sept. 26: Mississippi Bend AEA
Oct. 11: Great Prairie AEA
Register at this link: https://www.smore.com/7cp5e.
For questions, contact David Johnston, Homeland Security and Emergency Management, at (515) 725-3295 or david.johnston@iowa.gov.
