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 Heartland Administrators' Association (HAA) meeting on April 3 will be a business only meeting from 8:00 - 8:45 a.m. with partnership updates only. The main program will be attending the Future Ready Iowa Summit, which starts at 9:15 a.m.
Both events will be held at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center, located in downtown Des Moines at 730 Third Street. The HAA meeting room will be on the third level. Look for signs to direct you to the meeting room.
HAA Agenda here
Zoom link
Summit Agenda Here
Also, since Iowa’s AEAs are a corporate sponsor of the summit, we receive a certain number of complimentary tickets. If a superintendent is interested in attending the summit and hasn't registered yet, please contact Jenny Ugolini at jugolini@heartlandaea.org.
Heartland AEA is beginning year four of the online Request for Transportation Approval process. Beginning this year, we only need to hear from districts that have changes.
If you have changes, contact Jenny Ugolini at jugolini@heartlandaea.org, or (515) 270-0405 ext. 14441. Remember, if your change impacts another district, you’ll need to contact that district for approval first. Afterwards, you’ll contact Jenny to make the change in the online system. The deadline to submit changes is March 30, 2018.
If you have no changes, you do not need to do anything further. Your current agreement will remain in force until changes occur.
Chapter 285.9(3) of the Iowa Code requires the Area Education Agency Board of Directors to approve all bus routes outside the boundaries of the school district operating the buses. This has been interpreted to mean regular routes and regular special education routes, not busing for field trips or activity trips. The Code requires you to request permission from neighboring district(s) before any bus routes cross district boundaries.
For more information, reference these Frequently Asked Questions or contact Jenny Ugolini at jugolini@heartlandaea.org or at (515) 270-0405 ext. 14441.
“Speaking for All Learners” will be held on June 12-13, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at North Polk High School. PK-12 educators will have the opportunity to network with other educational professionals, discover new strategies for working with English language learners in Iowa and meet national and local experts to enrich practices for increasing EL achievement.
Keynoters
Ayanna Cooper, Ed.D
Dr. Ayanna Cooper is an ELL specialist who has extensive and diverse experience teaching educators how to enhance instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Dr. Cooper is nationally recognized in the EL field and has done much research and is published in this arena.
David Edward Garcia
Growing up on the Mexican border in Texas, David Edward Garcia shares his inspiring story of living in two worlds-linguistically and culturally. Growing up as an EL, he did not experience academic success but has become a successful speaker of five languages, teacher, entrepreneur, comedian and an inspiration to both students and educators. Garcia will offer a keynote as well as breakout sessions for teachers and instructional leaders/administrators about strategies for meeting the academic needs of English Learners.
Conference topics include:
- Strategies for addressing barriers to academic and language learning for English Learners in the classroom
- Best practices for supporting early childhood language acquisition for preschool English Learners
- Instructional leadership strategies for English language learning programs
- Connecting and collaborating with other educators responsible for the success of English Learners
- And many more learning opportunities and topics from experts in educating English Learners!
Information and Registration
Learn more at the conference website and register at this link by June 5.
Incentive
Heartland AEA Title III will refund the cost of registration ($150), plus provide an honorarium of $200 to off-contract public and non-public educators for full attendance and participation. This funding is not available to public or non-public districts served by the Des Moines Public Schools.
Iowa administrators and/or evaluators who are wanting to renew an evaluator license may choose from the following course options, including two new courses and Collaborative Leadership Institute with Peter Dewitt, offered through Heartland AEA.
NEW COURSE - Fierce Conversations 2: Generations and Feedback (1 credit)
Prerequisite: Fierce Conversations
April 25 & May 2, 2018
Heartland AEA, Johnston Regional Education Center
Registration Link
Fierce Conversations (2 credits)
June 6, 8, 27 & 29, 2018
Heartland AEA, Johnston Regional Education Center
Registration Link
Assessing Academic Rigor (2 credits)
June 13, 14, 22 & 27, 2018
Heartland AEA, Johnston Regional Education Center
Registration Link
Collaborative Leadership Institute with Dr. Peter DeWitt (2 credits)
June 28-29, Oct. 12 & Dec. 13, 2018
Heartland AEA, Adel Regional Office
Registration Link
NEW COURSE - Fierce Conversations 2: Generations and Feedback (1 credit)
Prerequisite: Fierce Conversations
Sept. 25 & Oct. 9, 2018
Heartland AEA, Johnston Regional Education Center
Registration Link
Are your students’ families really involved in their education? At this FREE event on June 18, participants will will learn the importance of family engagement in the academic lives and success of learners and discover how to create a culture that is conducive to engaging every family in the school and classroom.
Engaging Every Family to Support Student Achievement
June 18, 2018
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Johnston Middle School Auditorium
6501 NW 62nd Ave., Johnston, IA
Register at this link by June 8
For more information, contact Terry Mendell, Heartland AEA Family & Educator Lead Coordinator, at (515) 270-0405 ext. 17135 or tmendell@heartlandaea.org.
Invited Audience: school administrators, teacher leaders, general and special education teachers
Presenter: Steve Constantino, Ed.D.
As a high school principal in 1995, Steve Constantino, Ed.D. became aware of research about the effects of family engagement on student learning and was convinced that this was the missing ingredient in helping all children learn. Using his high school as a laboratory, Dr. Constantino began to read more and more research and more importantly, figure out ways to apply it to his school.
Steve’s work has gained national prominence as he’s traveled the United States speaking and working with all types of educators, school board members and businesses to promote sound practices in family engagement that result in increased academic achievement for all students.
Today, he is the Acting State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commonwealth of Virginia and is an adjunct professor at the School of Education, College of William and Mary where he teaches courses in the Executive Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership.
