Early Bird Registration Deadline for the 2017 Iowa Culture and Language Conference is Right Around the Corner

Early bird registration ends on Oct. 15 for the annual Iowa Culture and Language Conference. The conference will be held on Nov. 7-8, 2017 at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Coralville with a pre-conference on Nov. 6. All current information about this conference is posted at the ICLC website. Title III support is available for districts in the Heartland AEA service area who send individuals/teams to reimburse registration and sub costs and partial travel expenses. See the 2017 ICLC Flyer for further details related to the schedule, registration and Title III support for districts.

BoEE Newsletter - Oct. 2017

The BoEE Oct. 2017 Newsletter contains important news about the new CTE Information Technology endorsement, BEDS common issues, conditional licensure, new online licensure system, and STEM award deadline.

Student Loan Relief May be Possible for District Staff

Student loan debt is greater than ever, burdening educators with the high cost of repayment or worse, incurring more debt for advanced degrees. But now there’s a way to help! The national Association for Educational Service Agencies (AESA) of which Heartland AEA is a member, and Innovative Student Loan Solutions (ISLoan) have partnered to provide a new benefit for staff in your district.

ISLoan Solutions is a student loan advisory firm (not debt consolidator), that offers a voluntary student loan relief benefit that may be able to help any of your school employees with federal student loans, including Parent Plus Loans, reduce their monthly student loan payment and overall obligation. This benefit provides information to your employees about their potential for significant savings on student loan debt. This is a free, voluntary, no obligation review and consultation for your staff. If the employee wants to take the relationship further and utilize ISLoan Solutions to implement a loan relief program on their behalf, there will be a fee to implement all of the necessary steps. The fee is based on the complexity of the student loan forgiveness strategy.

This program was first introduced to educational service agencies, such as AEAs, across the country through the AESA national consortium. Grant Wood AEA piloted the program in Iowa in 2016 and has reported positive reviews. In April 2017, superintendents in the Heartland AEA service area reviewed the program and suggested moving forward by disseminating the offer to districts.

The attached document has information that you may share with your staff. To start the process, visit https://Heartlandaea.myisls.com/register and enter code AEA11 to learn more.

For any questions, contact Rachel Jackson, ISLoan Solutions Program Manager for districts in the Heartland AEA service area, at (513) 645-1192 or Rachel.jackson@isloansolutions.com.

Department Appeal of Due Process Decision

The Iowa Department of Education recently filed in district court an appeal of the A.W. administrative law judge decision. In the appeal, the Department is seeking clarity on decisions that affect policies and practices for the identification of individuals eligible for special education services in Iowa. The administrative decisions made in the A.W. case are in effect until an appeal decision is made or the case is otherwise resolved. This linked memo from the DE is intended to provide guidance for addressing two of the administrative decisions that most pertain to the identification of individuals eligible for special education.

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

Agenda Available for Oct. 3 Heartland Administrators' Association Zoom Meeting

Heartland Administrators' Association Meeting
Oct. 3
Zoom meeting only from Noon - 1 p.m.

Link to Zoom

The agenda for the Heartland Administrators’ Association Meeting on Oct. 3 is located at this link. As a reminder, there is no formal meeting due to Collaborative Leadership Training. (Pre-registration was required.) A Zoom meeting will be held instead from Noon - 1 p.m. with limited updates.

Join the Conversation! 2018 Legislative Education Advocacy Dates Scheduled - Registration Open

Dates for the 2018 Legislative Advocacy Event sponsored by Iowa's Area Education Agencies have been finalized. The event will be held on Jan. 30-31. The event will bring together school administrators from across Iowa to learn the most up-to-date legislative insight, and meet with legislators face-to-face at the Capitol.

Legislative Update
Jan. 30, 2018
5:30 p.m.
Prairie Meadows Hotel, Skinner Ballroom

Legislator Visits
Jan. 31, 2018
7:30 - 9 a.m.
Iowa State Capitol, Room 116

Registration is open until Jan. 23 at this link.

Heartland AEA to Host Resource Fair for Students with Special Needs and Their Families

Oct. 21, 2017
9 a.m. - noon
Science Center of Iowa, Des Moines

This free event offers families of children with special needs an opportunity to meet service providers. You're welcome to tour the Science Center as our guest after attending the fair! Breakout sessions will be held concurrently at 9 a.m., followed by table sessions from 10 a.m. - noon.

Check out the service providers who will be at the fair in this PDF: Resource Fair Service Provider List (PDF)

You'll be able to choose from one of the following breakout sessions:

• Managing Your Child's Challenging Behavior
• Post-secondary Education & Employment Options
• Service Providers

To assist families in getting the most benefit, a stipend to reimburse you for childcare will be offered. Feel free to bring your childcare provider along to assist while you attend a session. To learn more contact Terry Mendell, Lead Parent Coordinator at (800) 255-0405 ext. 17135 or tmendell@heartlandaea.org.

Nominate Your favorite Teacher for the I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award

Nominations for the I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award sponsored by Kemin Industries are closing on Oct. 6 at midnight. The award will honor six licensed, full-time, K-12 teachers across the six STEM regions in Iowa that bring learning in the classroom to life in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Winners receive $1,500 for personal use and an additional $1,500 to be used in their classroom. Nominate an educator by visiting stemaward.fluidreview.com.

Oct. 2017 Each and Every Child Newsletter Available

The Oct. 2017 issue of the Each and Every Child Newsletter from the Iowa Department of Education is now available.

Oct. 2017 School Leader Update Now Available

The Oct. 2017 issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education is now available.