Preserve Memories from the School Year with Memory Books or Yearbooks

We can print your student memory books or soft cover yearbooks to look back on the 2025-26 school year for years to come. Books are available with coil or saddle stitch (staple) binding.

Order today to save
We’re offering 15% off student memory books/soft cover yearbooks ordered by May 31, 2026.

• Place your order under Upload File to Print > Memory Books.
• Before paying for your order:

Enter the promo code SAVE15 on the payment screen underneath your order total.

Click Apply and the discount will appear in green.

New Session Added to Our CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training Schedule

March 27 - Johnston
Register

As shared in July 2025, Heartland AEA has transitioned our CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training model to be more cost-efficient. We are now operating under a service-area-based training model. This means we will offer CPI training across the Heartland AEA service area at multiple times throughout the year. These trainings are open to any districts within the Heartland AEA service area. We will offer a series of pre-service sessions in August 2026, followed by offerings in September/October 2026 and January/February 2027.

Based on what we know at this point, we will continue to align with the Iowa Department of Education directive that Iowa’s AEAs utilize state-allocated, children’s mental health school-based training and support funds to offer CPI training, free of charge, to school districts.

Therefore, for the 2026-2027 school year, Heartland CPI training facilitators and materials will continue to be provided at no cost.

Please refer to all the training details in the CPI Communication for 2026-2027. If you have any questions, please contact Jadie Boens, Director of School and Student Support Services.

Thank You for Valuing Our Professional Service Providers

We are grateful for the continued partnership and trust the schools place in our Professional Service Providers (PSPs). Your commitment to high-quality professional learning and system improvement has resulted in increased demand for support, particularly in literacy and school improvement.

Because of that demand, we are expanding our capacity in both areas for the 2026–27 school year.

When districts intentionally engage Professional Service Providers, the impact reaches beyond professional learning; it directly influences classroom practice, teacher confidence and ultimately student achievement. By providing job-embedded coaching, collaborative planning support and systems-level guidance, PSPs help ensure that evidence-based strategies move from training sessions into daily instruction.

If you have not yet submitted your service needs for 2026–27, now is the time to do so through our Request AEA Services. Early planning allows us to align staffing, ensure continuity of support and respond to district priorities with intention.

Schools are leveraging Professional Service Providers in a variety of ways, such as:

• Supporting implementation of evidence-based literacy practices aligned to the science of reading
• Coaching teachers and instructional leaders on high-impact instructional strategies
• Facilitating data analysis cycles to drive instructional decision-making and improve student outcomes
• Guiding school improvement planning and continuous improvement processes
• Providing embedded professional development within PLCs and leadership meetings
• Supporting MTSS design and implementation
• Assisting with curriculum review, selection and alignment
• Partnering with teachers to implement effective behavior supports and classroom management systems
• Supporting the integration of academic and behavior frameworks to strengthen Tier 1 instruction
• Building internal leadership capacity to sustain improvement efforts over time

We look forward to partnering with you as you plan for 2026–27 and continuing the strong collaborative work already underway. 

Expanding IT & Student Information System Support for Districts

We are excited to share that we are expanding our IT and Student Information System (SIS) support services for the upcoming year. This includes enhanced support for districts utilizing PowerSchool and Infinite Campus.

As technology systems grow more complex and reporting requirements continue to evolve, reliable SIS and IT expertise is essential. Our services are designed to provide districts with flexible, responsive and cost-effective support, especially for districts that do not require or cannot sustain a full-time IT or SIS position.

A Smart Budget Strategy
For many districts, hiring a full-time technology or SIS specialist is not financially feasible or necessary year-round. Our model allows districts to:

• Purchase only the level of support needed
• Scale services up or down based on the time of year (enrollment, reporting windows, scheduling, state submissions, etc.)
• Avoid the cost of full-time salary and benefits when part-time expertise is sufficient
• Access a team of specialists rather than relying on a single individual

This shared-services approach provides both fiscal efficiency and access to broader expertise.

How We Can Support Your District
Our IT and SIS support can include:

• PowerSchool and Infinite Campus configuration and optimization
• State reporting and compliance submissions
• Scheduling setup and troubleshooting
• Data validation and accuracy checks
• User management and security configuration
• Staff training and onboarding
• Custom reporting and data support for decision-making
• Backup coverage during staffing transitions or leaves

By partnering with us, districts gain dependable technical expertise while preserving local resources for other priorities.

If you are planning for the 2026–27 school year and evaluating your technology or SIS support needs, now is a great time to connect. We would be happy to design a support model that fits your district’s size, staffing structure and budget.

March 3 Heartland Administrators’ Association Meeting Features Breakout Sessions — Select Yours by Feb. 27

We have received some requests for deep-dive conversations on specific topics. To facilitate this, we will host three concurrent breakout sessions from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. during our March 3 meeting. Please complete this survey by Feb. 27 to indicate which session you will attend. This allows our facilitators to prepare district-specific examples, where appropriate, for the participants in the room. Superintendents can attend one session and are welcome to register their HR staff, SBOs or technology staff for the other sessions.

Our regular business meeting and legislative update will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m. Zoom links and further details will be sent to participants next week.

Breakout Sessions

Option 1: Property Tax Changes – Impact & Implications
Led by: Mike Guanci, IASB
Focus: A walkthrough of proposed property tax changes using IASB tools to show the specific impact on attending districts.
Target Audience: Superintendents and SBOs (Zoom option available for SBOs).

Option 2: Lessons from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners
Led by: Mike Cavin, BOEE
Focus: Insights into practitioner licensure, evaluator approval and the complaint process. Learn the most common ethical violations and the proper protocols for reporting.
Target Audience: Superintendents and HR Officials (Zoom option available for HR).

Option 3: District AI Considerations
Led by: Amy Wichman, Director of Media, Technology & Digital Learning, Heartland AEA
Focus: Navigating policies/guidelines, AI and the Google Domain and AI Innovation considerations. Amy will also share a few high-leverage AI tools for administrators
Target Audience: Superintendents and Tech Directors (Zoom option available for Tech Directors).

A Sweet Treat for Being Our Customer!

Our Creative Services team is offering a sweet treat as a thank you to our educator and district staff partners. We’re offering a one-time use discount of 14% off your entire Creative Services printing order. Enter the promo code SWEET14 on the payment screen and click Apply before paying for your order. Promotion code available for one-time use only. Offer available Feb. 1 - Feb. 28, 2026. Offer only available on new orders. Offer not available for Braille or custom graphic design orders. Visit our website to get started!

Turn Your Emergency Plan Into a Ready-to-Use Flipbook

Put your district or school’s emergency plan in a convenient flipbook. Flipbooks include pertinent safety information such as emergency phone numbers and procedures for fire, natural disasters and other emergency situations. Personalize the flipbooks from our ordering site or have our designers create a custom flipbook for your district or school. Contact Heartland AEA Creative Services to discuss your project or place your order on our website.