Recent announcements to cut the Iowa budget by 10 percent across-the-board within the current fiscal year presents a series of challenges to school administrators.

However, it also affects:

• board members,
• parents,
• faculty,
• non-teaching support staff,
• home owners,
• local business people,
• farmers,
• legislators,
• real estate agents,
• parents of pre-schoolers,
• empty-nesters,
• local government leaders, and
• retirees.

With several stakeholder groups in each school district, there is a terrific need to accurately communicate these issues in a manner that all audiences understand. Continual two-way dialogue is key to keeping individuals engaged with what is happening in a school district.

Iowa’s AEAs, in concert with Larry Sigel of Iowa School Information Services, have developed this communications toolkit to help school administrators respond and guide community conversations about what implications the governor’s budget cut has for local districts across the state and for education as a whole.

To access the “Iowa Schools Budget Communications Toolkit,” visit the Iowa AEA website.

Wondering if your class, workshop or meeting is delayed or canceled? Our new PLAEA Alerts system includes four ways for you to learn the status of of Prairie Lakes AEA events and office closings.

A link to Alerts is posted on the left side of this site. You can sign up to receive information via email and/or text/SMS message. You can also call our toll-free PLAEA Alerts hotline at 1-866-669-2325 Press 2.

PLAEA will NOT be using local radio or TV stations to communicate this information. We encourage you to check PLAEA ALerts to ensure the event you're planning to attend is "on" as scheduled!

In celebration of the 88th annual American Education Week, Nov. 15-21, Americans nationwide will join the National Education Association (NEA) in raising awareness about the need to provide every child with a quality public education.

The annual tagline, Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility, reflects the Association’s calling upon America to provide students with quality public schools so that they can grow, prosper, and achieve in the 21st century.

Prairie Lakes AEA reminds you that this is a good time to remember that caring teachers, education support professionals, substitute educators, AEA staff and involved parents make the difference in a child’s learning.

Together, we’re making great schools for every child. That’s a dream we’re working to make a reality.