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 Superintendents' Advisory Council (SAC) and Heartland Administrators' Association (HAA) meetings scheduled on May 5 are cancelled. Superintendents will continue to meet via Zoom as scheduled.
Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education announced on April 17 that all school districts and nonpublic schools will be closed for the remainder of the academic school year and will continue to offer continuous learning to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Following the Governor’s directive, the Agency will continue to keep its offices closed until further notice. We want staff to remain at home and follow CDC guidelines. This also means that any face-to-face workshops, classes or meetings that were scheduled in the offices during the month of May have been canceled.
As you may know, AEA Learning Online has an annual opt-in fee for districts to help support many programs and services they provide. This fee is reviewed annually and is based on the operational expenses for the programs and services they offer. For years, AEA Learning Online has been able to maintain the same low cost for districts, in large part through revenue from required Mandatory Reporter trainings. By charging individual employees for completing this required training, AEA Learning Online was able to lower costs to districts.
In the summer of 2019, legislation was passed requiring the use of one Mandatory Reporter curriculum from the Iowa Department of Human Services. While this has the advantage of lowering the cost for educators to renew their own licenses, it also meant AEA Learning Online would not be able to rely on that revenue to lower costs for districts. As a result, the opt-in fee will be going to $1 per enrolled student in the 2020-21 school year.
Heartland AEA has always paid the opt in fee for districts in our area. For 2020-2021, the agency will continue our current funding level of support for our districts of .$50 per enrolled student, and the remaining $.50 will be invoiced to districts by AEA Learning Online.
Starting July 1, 2020, AEA Learning Online is pleased to offer Mandatory Reporter trainings for Child Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse at no cost for district employees in the AEA Learning Online Training System. Teachers will no longer need to go to the DHS site to complete their training, meaning: 1) they will now have the active phone and help-ticket support that the AEAs provide, and 2) districts will have access to their records of completion.
For questions about the changes for the upcoming school year, please contact Evan Abbey.
Heartland AEA is dedicated to supporting our district partners during these unprecedented times. We are using this page on our website as an information hub to archive resources, information and guidance related to our collective response to COVID-19.
Heartland AEA has created some ebook reading guides that can be used at school or home,
Each guide includes book covers so students can browse the titles and choose the ones that jump off the shelf! There is a thumbs-up and down feature for each book. The guide can be downloaded and printed. Or, keep it as a download and then click the thumbs-up and down—it’s a fillable PDF.
And, there’s a book review form linked to the elementary guides so students can practice their writing. Download to print or download and use as a fillable PDF. There is a message for parents to sit with their child to choose the titles that best meet the child’s interest, reading level and subject.
Choose your adventure! (elementary)
It’s a mystery! (elementary)
Graphic Novels (middle school)
Sports and Recreation #1 (middle school)
Sports and Recreation #2 (middle school)
Please share this information with your colleagues and families.
Temporary Childcare and Respite Information details contact information for families seeking temporary childcare and respite services/support. It is important to note that a variety of changes have occurred regarding respite services during this unprecedented time to allow for more flexibility to meet family needs (i.e., respite being able to be provided in the family's home while the parent is working from home).
UnityPoint Health DSM Behavioral Health Urgent Care announces the opening of UnityPoint’s new Behavioral Health Urgent Care. This clinic is located adjacent to the Iowa Lutheran campus located at 1250 East 9th Street. UnityPoint Health - Des Moines, along with Eyerly Ball Community Mental Health Services and Orchard Place/Child Guidance Center, will work to provide mental health, psychiatric evaluation and assessment, addiction medicine, crisis services and community resources to patients of all ages, both pediatric and adult. The clinic will be open to patients from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., 7 days a week. This is a walk-in site of care, no appointments available at this time.
The Heartland AEA Instructional Technology Consultants have updated their virtual office hours, webinars and courses and are here to help you! Check out the wide array of offerings and supports available to districts and contact the team with any questions or requests.
In an effort to support the well-being of districts, educators, students and families, Heartland AEA is pleased to bring you, "Wellness Weekly," a weekly series dedicated to all things wellness and well-being.
Check out the Wellness Weekly site every week for well-being resources, tips and fun and share with colleagues and families!
This week features:
- Staying Resilient During COVID-19
- It's Okay Not to be Okay
- Structure Your Day with Points
- Need Someone to Talk To?
- Zoom Exhaustion!
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Global Sleep Patterns
- Elmo's Dad Sends a PSA to Overwhelmed Parents at Home
ASCD if offering a free download of their Ed Leadership Special Report on remote learning. Two articles of particular interest are, Accommodations, Modifications & Intervention at a Distance and Maintaining Connections, Reducing Anxiety While School is Closed.
The Iowa Department of Education COVID-19 Guidance: Family School Engagement Resources, Best Practices, and Considerations provides educators with ideas and resources for positively and proactively engaging students and their families/caregivers during times of prolonged school closure due to a large-scale emergency, such as the current coronavirus pandemic. These situations can put additional pressure on already-vulnerable children, youth and families, making meaningful connections with others all the more important. All current guidance and past PowerPoint presentations from the Department of Education are included on their COVID-19 Guidance and Information webpage. In addition, recordings of previous Zoom sessions can be found on their YouTube channel.
