Dr. Maxine Kilcrease to leave Heartland AEA

Today, June 1, 2009, Dr. Maxine Kilcrease announced her resignation as chief administrator of Heartland AEA after close to three years with the Agency. She has accepted the position of executive director of the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB).

“It has been a privilege to serve at Heartland, and I am confident that the Agency will continue on the pathway to increased excellence," Dr. Kilcrease said. “I leave knowing that there is a clear focus on student achievement and that the Agency is strongly rooted in a new regional system of service delivery that has made a major difference for our students and families, staff, teachers, leaders and other partners. I look forward to working collaboratively with the Agency in the future and supporting the work of Heartland and area education agencies in any way possible.”

Heartland AEA wishes Dr. Kilcrease success in her new endeavor with IASB. She will transition into her new position this summer, tentatively around July 1, 2009.

If you have questions or comments surrounding Dr. Kilcrease's resignation, please contact Heartland Communications at comms@aea11.k12.ia.us.

CASTLE Summer Book Club Starts June 15, 2009

After much deliberation, Scott McLeod has decided to do another online summer book club. Last year’s discussion of Influencer: The Power to Change Anything was so much fun that he can’t resist doing it again…

This year’s reading for the CASTLE summer book club will be Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for Your Classroom. The author is Dr. Daniel Willingham, Professor of Psychology at The University of Virginia. To go to Dr. Willingham's Web site, click here.

The book club will begin June 15, 2009. If you are interested in joining, go to http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/05/summerbookclub.html.

Join the Learning School Alliance!

Consider applying for membership in the National Staff Development Council's (NSDC) Learning School Alliance, a network of 100 model schools committed to professional development practices that promote student achievement. Currently, there is a need for representatives from Iowa. Joining the Alliance would be a fantastic opportunity to showcase Iowa's successes in education and to collaborate with other schools in the nation. Visit the NSDC Web site at http://www.nsdc.org/alliance/ for more information. If you are interested in applying, please email NSDC at lsa@nsdc.org.