A Message from the Chief Administrator and Acting Director of Special Education of Heartland AEA

As you know, this summer a decision by an Iowa Administrative Law judge called into question aspects of Iowa’s procedures for determining how students qualify for special education. The final outcome of this hearing is currently under appeal.

The judge’s conclusions affirm many of our practices at Heartland AEA, as well as provide us with an opportunity to improve others. As an agency, we have already begun work to clarify and sharpen our practices to be fully aligned with expected state practices.

Heartland AEA is committed to serving the needs of our students, families, schools and communities. We firmly believe that students in our schools should expect to have their educational needs met. We recognize that, as unique individuals, each child deserves to have their needs determined accurately and reliably. In this effort, we recognize that there are times when we need to make decisions, as part of an evaluation team (including parents and representatives from the AEA and the school), to recommend special education services. As well, there will be times when we need to assure that students who are not disabled or do not require special education because of a disability are not erroneously considered to be or treated as if they are.

Moving forward, we trust our Heartland AEA system and processes to address the needs of all students whether or not they have a disability. In all cases, our goal is to promote student success. We continue to work diligently to address all concerns brought to our attention and will continue to partner with our colleagues from our local schools, the Iowa Department of Education and our communities.

As your AEA, we will continue to provide you with updates related to the judge’s decision and will inform you of related learning opportunities that will be made available to you and your staff.

As always, we encourage you to contact your Heartland AEA regional director with any questions or concerns. It takes the effort of all of us to meet the many challenges involved in student success.

Randy Allison
Acting Director of Special Education
Heartland AEA

Jon Sheldahl
Chief Administrator
Heartland AEA