Friday, January 25, 2019

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

There Will Be No Feb. 5 HAA Meeting - Instead, Attend the Legislative Education Advocacy Event

Iowa’s AEAs will host the Legislative Education Advocacy Event on Feb. 4-5, 2019 at Prairie Meadows and the Iowa State Capitol. This event will take the place of the regularly scheduled Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) February meeting.

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 academy flyer for session dates and locations, learning content and links to registration.

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: Feb. 1, 2019
12:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Visit our website to register and check out upcoming Framework Fridays.

Expect to Go Absolutely ALL IN on Learning During Trevor Ragan’s Upcoming Workshop on Growth Mindset

A national leader in growth mindset, Trevor Ragan will lay out the science, unpack the nuts and bolts, and (most importantly) show you how to run with it all in the area of growth mindset. Trevor will help you explore learning, motor learning, feedback, growth mindset culture, jungle tigers, failure and more!

Trevor values learning and seeks out the scientists and thought leaders in the world of development, consumes their research and discoveries, connects the dots, and shares it with anyone who will listen. This workshop is for all educators!

Teaching a Growth Mindset to Achieve Success for All Learners
March 5, 2019
DMACC, Student Center, Bldg. 5, 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Register by Feb. 18, 2019 at this link: http://bit.ly/2Tmfoag

Target Audience: All Educators

For more information, contact Jim Verlengia, Ed.D., Director of Leadership Supports at Heartland AEA, at jverlengia@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-0405 ext. 14388.

Heartland AEA Leadership Series
Trevor Ragan’s presentation is part of the Heartland AEA 2018-19 Leadership Series. Some of today’s most intriguing, innovative and influential leaders from around the country share their background, insight and knowledge in this new series for educators. Speakers will candidly share their experiences, discuss challenges that have impacted their work and provide a unique opportunity to learn from their hands-on experiences.

Kevin Honeycutt is Coming Back to Des Moines on April 2 to Present “Midnight Run”

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.

Based upon his personal story and struggles, his presentation is geared toward helping educators see the signs of poverty and to develop strategies for empowering students to improve their academic potential.

“I’m telling my story, my way in the hope that anyone going through a similar experience might benefit from the lessons I learned that helped me build a better life. If you find any of the stories poignant or emotional, I ask that you use those feelings to help others you might encounter who are struggling in life because everyone deserves a chance to make a “midnight run” to a brighter future.”

Midnight Run with Kevin Honeycutt
April 2, 2019
Heartland AEA, Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston

Registration
Morning Session (For Superintendents Only)
Register at this link: https://goo.gl/eJAnmT 

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

Heartland AEA Leadership Series
Kevin Honeycutt’s presentation is part of the "Heartland AEA 2018-19 Leadership Series." Some of today’s most intriguing, innovative and influential leaders from around the country share their background, insight and knowledge in this new series for educators. Speakers will candidly share their experiences, discuss challenges that have impacted their work and provide a unique opportunity to learn from their hands-on experiences. For more information, contact Jim Verlengia, Ed.D., Heartland AEA Director of Leadership Supports, at jverlengia@heartlandaea.org or (515) 270-0405 ext. 14388.

Friday, January 18, 2019

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

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 academy flyer for session dates and locations, learning content and links to registration. 

Heartland AEA Conducts Search for Chief Student Services Officer

Heartland AEA is looking for a Chief Student Services Officer to fulfill the responsibilities of the Heartland AEA Director of Special Education. The CSSO will be responsible for providing oversight for the Agency’s support of area school districts to meet state and federal special education statutes, rules and regulations. The CSSO will also:
  • Advocate for an appropriate and effective education for all children and youth
  • Foster supportive and productive relationships among all work groups at Heartland AEA and with the families, schools and communities that Heartland AEA serves
  • Serve as Heartland AEA’s liaison to the Iowa Department of Education for special education and related services
  • Serve as the Agency’s representative for the statewide Special Education Directors Network
Applications will be accepted until Jan. 30 through the Heartland AEA website.

Busy Educators Need an Easy Way to Order Materials for Their Classrooms, Right?

Heartland AEA-area educators, you’re in luck! You can now place all your orders for printing, lamination and graphic design through our new Creative Services Online system at csonline.heartlandaea.org. 

The new system has a number of great features that will help you save time when requesting materials for your classroom. You can:
  • Upload files straight to print
  • Search our new catalog of products, some of which can be customized for your students or classroom
  • Pay online using a purchase order, credit card or Pcard
  • Easily re-order items from your order history
  • And so much more!
Log on to Creative Services Online using the same username and password you use for AEA Learning Online training, such as Mandatory Reporter and Bloodborne Pathogens.

Remember we can print and design just about anything for your classroom or school. Banners, vinyl wall graphics, posters, stickers, folders, business cards, envelopes -- the possibilities are endless!

As always, Creative Services through Heartland AEA is only for classroom/educational use—we do not provide personal printing or design.

Last Call to Register for Iowa’s AEA Legislative Advocacy Day!

Iowa’s AEAs will host the Legislative Advocacy Event on Feb. 4-5, 2019 at Prairie Meadows. This event will take the place of the regularly scheduled Heartland Administrators’ Association (HAA) February meeting. Registration and more details are available in this Smore newsletter.