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

Have You Registered for Kevin Honeycutt’s FREE Workshop? Educators Will Explore Poverty, Develop Strategies To Empower Students to Improve Academic Potential

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.

Midnight Run with Kevin Honeycutt
April 2, 2019
Heartland AEA, Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston
Lunch will be on your own

Registration - This is a no cost event!
**Morning Session (For Superintendents Only)
Register at this link: https://goo.gl/eJAnmT

Lunch break (lunch on your own)

**Afternoon Session (For All Educators)
Register at this link: https://goo.gl/9C5ekj

McREL Iowa Leadership Academy: A great opportunity for your team!

School leaders, it's been 10 years since McREL Balanced Leadership training has been widely available in Iowa. Grab your team and get registered for the Iowa School Leadership Academy! Seats are limited and the first 200 receive a discount!

The Iowa School Leadership Academy will give school leadership teams in-depth strategies and guidance from McREL’s research- and evidence-based knowledge sets of Balanced Leadership, What Matters Most, and Curiosity Works.

School districts are encouraged to consider bringing a team(s) of 3-6 leaders who can learn and work collaboratively around the presented course content and be willing to engage in this work within their respective districts. The cost is $400 per person. The first 200 members of SAI who register will receive a $50 discount on registration. This course meets the requirements for Evaluator Approval II. Please be sure to sign up for this certification during the registration process.

View the Iowa AEA website for session dates and locations, learning content and links to registration.

Iowa’s AEAs Legislative Update March 8, 2019

Iowa’s AEAs March 8, 2019 Legislative Update is now available.

Save the Date: Our Kids Summer Institute is Coming to Ankeny on June 18-19

15th Annual Our Kids Summer Institute
For ALL educators who support English Learner students

June 18-19, 2019
FFA Enrichment Center
1055 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy., Ankeny, IA

PK-12 educators will have the opportunity to network with other educational professionals, discover new strategies for working with English Language Learners (EL) in Iowa and meet national and local experts to enrich practices for increasing EL achievement.

Conference topics include:

• Unlocking ELs potential to enhance academic success
• Preventing long-term English Learners
• Supporting strategies for English Learners in core content learning
• Approaches to address English Learner students at the Pre-K Level
• Distinguishing typical language development from special education needs
• Enhancing EL success using data through the MTSS/PLC process

Plan to bring a team! We hope to see you there! Registration information will be communicated soon! For more information, contact Pam McDonnell at pam.mcdonnell@iowa.gov.

Could Fridays Get Any Better? Only If You Join Us for Standards-Based Learning “Framework Fridays!”

EdCamp-style workshops will be held throughout the 2018-19 school year to provide additional learning, collaboration and conversation for those interested in Standards-Based Learning (SBL) Including Grading and Reporting. The workshops coincide with specific strands of the Standards-Based Learning Framework developed by Heartland AEA. You can attend whatever sessions are of interest to you--you don’t need to attend all nine. Come learn with us!

Standards-Based Learning Framework Fridays
Next Session: April 5, 2019 (Final Framework Friday will be on May 3!)
12:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Visit our website to register

Keynote Announced for Heart of Innovation Summer Summit; Call for Presenters - Join the Summit Faculty!

We’re pleased to announce that Jennifer Williams, Ed.D., will serve as the keynote for Heartland AEA’s Heart of Innovation Summer Summit on June 13. A transformational leader in education, Dr. Williams has dedicated herself to the field of education through her roles as a school administrator, literacy specialist and classroom teacher. She speaks, writes and consults on practices that develop global perspectives through creative uses of technology, and her research interests include multimodal literacy and digital technologies, equity and diversity in education, and student-centered pedagogies.

Join us for the Heart of Innovation Summer Summit to learn more from Dr. Williams when she presents, “Teach Boldly: Using EdTech for Social Good.”

Call for presenters!
Do you have an interest in presenting at the Summit? Does your topic align with our learning tracks? Submit a proposal at our event website: http://bit.ly/2XYjl8b

Learning tracks:

• Promoting creativity in every classroom
• Communicating student learning and guiding informed action
• Building a collaborative learning environment for all
• Fostering curiosity to empower critical thinking.

Heart of Innovation Summer Summit

June 13, 2019

8 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston

This is a NO COST event for Iowa K-12 educators and administrators! Learn more and register at bit.ly/HeartofInnovation.

Registration is Open for Future Ready Iowa STEM Summit

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has announced the STEM Education + Workplace Partnerships - Governor's 2019 Future Ready Iowa Summit on April 30. Leaders from business and industry, education, nonprofits, elected officials, students and others from across Iowa will come together at one event. The day is dedicated to Iowa’s future workforce in today’s classrooms, and the ways that employers and educators are working together to assure a strong talent pipeline tomorrow. Featured will be keynotes, panelists and presenters from rural and urban, businesses large and small, big city and small-town schools, and more, who are partnering to guarantee a strong employee pipeline. Gov. Reynolds will also announce the six recipients of Iowa STEM’s Computer Science is Elementary award during the event. Learn more about the event and register at this link: https://www.iowastem.gov/2019STEMsummit.

STEM Education + Workplace Partnerships - Governor's 2019 Future Ready Iowa Summit
Iowa Events Center - Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center
730 Third Street, Des Moines, Iowa
April 30, 2019
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. with check in beginning at 8:00 a.m.
Adults: $50
Students (K-16): $0