Grant Wood Agency Advisory Council Notes

September 13, 2010 / Page 1

Grant Wood Area Education Agency Advisory Council Notes

September 13, 2010

Welcome, Introductions and Review Operating Principles and Norms

Introductions - GWAEA Agency Advisory Council participant roster available on the website at:

The group reviewed and adopted the Operating Principles and Norms as written.

Operating Principles and Norms

  • Be respectful of one another
  • Turn cell phones off or to silent ring
  • Be on time, end on time
  • Arrange the room so we can see everyone around the table
  • Be open minded, listen, and reflect
  • Be civil
  • Take time to think
  • Stay on task
  • Attendance is considered a priority. Notify if cannot attend. We will reschedule if enough cannot attend.

At each meeting participants will be invited during the open forum to add additional topics for discussion.

Regional Input

Central Region Input –A. Griffin

  • Cell phone reimbursement process is a difficult and burdensome process. Suggestion: consider accepting a monthly receipt. (i.e, the monthly smart phone flat rate is $30.00).

Current reimbursement is .13 per minute up to a monthly maximum of $30.00.

Reference: GWAEA Policy # 7381-Reimbursement for Expenses; GWAEA Adm. Reg. #7381B

Next Step: Add discussion to Executive Team Agenda and Policy Committee Agenda

  • Hot desk by printer in the CR region was removed during the renovation. Consider adding a hot desk next to the printer in CR area.

Next Step: Ann will meet with Mike Kiely.

Association Input – L. Hooley

  • Inquiry regarding Iowa School Alerts system.

George Held reported the IEC recently signed an agreement with a phone provider offering an alert system. Information will be included in the Bulletin Board in the next few weeks.

  • Inquiry regarding the postings for the behavior and literacy team positions. How could they have found out these jobs were being developed?

3 communication tools were used.

1. May 7, 2010 Bulletin Board included an article titled “ARRA Initiative for AEA 10 Requires New Thinking”. The link below is an active link.

Please click on the following link to view a podcast presentation by Maria Cashman regarding plans for next year.

2. The vacancies were posted on the job hot line on Friday, May 7, 2010.

3. RAs visited with staff members.

Next Step: Consider sending a pre-communication to alert people new jobs are being developed. Liz will check with the folks who did not realize the positions were posted to see if the staff members view the Bulletin Board.

  • Inquiry regarding the purpose of the technical assistance review (“TAR”). Are we all going to be asked to keep track of our time?

Maria reported the TAR audit is part of a program evaluation. Numerous programs have been evaluated with a focus on accountability and gaining insight so the management team can support the programs in the best way possible. These audits are not designed to create anxiety.

  • Time card issue – the regions will discuss this in the coming weeks.

Maria stated the time card issue is separate from the TAR. The time cards are required for federal auditing purposes to keep track of staff member’s time paid from the federal funding streams. Information will be delivered in all regions.

2010-2011 Key Focus Areas – M. Cashman

2010-2011 Key Focus Areas Graphic chart available in the upper left-hand column at:

Key Focus Areas – will be discussedat the region meetings

Goals:

  • Increase the percent of students who perform at the proficient level.
  • Increase the academic performance of all students.
  • Increase student acquisition and application of 21st century skills and knowledge.

Developing action plans with measurable outcomes. The action plans will be uploaded to the GWAEA website by the end of October. Quarterly updates will be provided. 1st update – January, 2011.

Implement Professional Development Measurement System

Implement general education plan

Exploring how to keep track of our kid’s achievement. It is increasingly clear we need to get better at this and we are open to ideas. Need to tie our work with the LEA’s success. If the LEA is successful, the kids will be successful. Very difficult to benchmark to other states due to variables.

Innovation – it was clear in the survey results there is a desire for more creative communication and to highlight good news in the Agency. One idea is to plan an Innovation Day – opportunity for staff to share.

Association survey follow-upreport will be presented at the next meeting.

All-Agency Inservice – G. Held

Survey was distributed this morning. To date the results are as follows: of the 98% who did attend the banquet, 66% rated good or excellent; 6% fair or poor

Ideas: Introduce the management team. Continue with in-house presenters.

Ron asked for thoughts about a virtual inservice. Most felt you would miss the connection between staff members. A virtual inservice will work if the objective is just to disseminate material.

Oversight of Pop Fund – K. Martin

See attached account summary. Chuck Hatz will work with Mike Kiely and Kim Martin to review the coffee service in the Coralville facility.

GWAEA Banquet – G. Held

This year the banquet will be held at the Longbranch inCedar Rapids.

Question posed: Are we going back to the traditional banquet because we have the money or because of staff input? Held suggested it is difficult to find a venue to meet the needs of the presentations, honorees, and staff so we will go to a facility that has worked in the past. The less formal atmosphere will be retained. George will check into the cost for a buffet vs. plated meals.

Facilities Update – M. Kiely

– use this email to provide feedback to Mike regarding building maintenance and custodial requests.

Flood Wall –

A removable gate system will be installed during rising waters to prevent the flood waters from entering the building. A new wall/sidewalk will be built around the Sixth Street side of the building. A recommendation will be presented to the Grant Wood Area Education AgencyBoard of Directors on Wednesday, September 15, 2010. Construction will begin immediately following board approval. The project is anticipated to be completed November 2010.

Energy Audit -

Engaged in energy audit of SixthStreetBuilding. Many different units are installed on the roof of the building some units are 20+ years old and are at the end of life expectancy. Office of Energy Management will draft vendor-neutral specifications. Anticipate starting the project late spring 2010/and complete fall 2011.

2nd floor renovation – renovated the school improvement space. Created larger spaces for hearing, autism, ECC, OT, math, and literacy consultants. SLP and Psych resource areas were decreased. Fewer hot desks.

33rd Avenue – one group viewed the property, with no offer resulting. Coralville building has been appraised. Talking with counsel about next steps.

2010-2011 Meeting Schedule

Next Meeting - Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at 1:30 p.m.

Polycom will available in the Coralville facility for each meeting.

Kim will send out a meeting wizard for the other two meetings.

Study of AEA System – Ron Fielder

Ron Fielder stated the AEA Study Committee Task Force Membership has been named. Pam Jacobs will serve as the neutral facilitator. Fielder will serve as the representative for the AEA Chief Administrators. Three work groups will be led by AEA Chief Administrators. Ron Fielder will lead the Governance Work Group. Tim Grieves will lead the Organizational Structure Workgroup. Joe Crozier will lead the Funding Workgroup. The group held its first meeting on August 30, 2010. The report is due to the legislature by January 1, 2011.

The Education Jobs Bill – Ron Fielder

The Education Jobs bill provides $10 billion for K-12 education.Iowa’s allocation is $96.4 million.The DE will take the full 2% for administrative expenses. The AEAs will not receive an allocation.

Competitive Weight Loss Program – Ron Fielder

Ron has requested the HR office look into the possibility of offering staff the opportunity to participate in a competitive weight loss program. The GWAEA Agency Advisory Council endorsed this idea.

Tentative Meeting Agenda – November 2, 2010 / 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Sixth Street Facility Staff Conference Room/Coralville Facility – polycom unit

  • Cell Phone Reimbursement Discussion Update
  • Hot Desk Request Update
  • IowaSchool Alerts System Update
  • Posting Notification Update
  • Agency Banquet
  • Association Survey Follow-Up Report
  • Competitive Weight Loss Program

The meeting adjourned at 3:12 p.m.

Recorder: K. Martin