Today we came together with over 300 staff to celebrate our incredible 2025 retirees at our All-Staff Meeting! 🎉

A big thank you to our keynote speaker, Dr. Sarah Updegraff-Murray (Hope is a Strategy), former superintendent of Eastern Allamakee School District. She reminded us to lean ...on the people who show up for us and to keep turning the page with passion – because the work we do truly matters for our students, educators, families and communities. 👏

Congratulations to our 2025 #CRAEA retirees! 🙌 Thank you for your years of dedication. Wishing you all the best in this next chapter! 🎉

#HappyRetirement #Resilience #MakingADifference #iaedchat

Shoutout to CRAEA SLP, Doug Boots! 🎉 We’re sending a big thank-you to Doug Boots, on behalf of a parent, for the incredible support he gave to Jayden, a student at Durant Elementary in Sumner-Fredericksburg Community Schools, this year! 👏🙌

From Jayden’s mom, Ami: “I want to ...give a huge shout out and thank you to Mr. Boots for his work with Jayden this year. This last week and before, the words 'My Mr. Boots' have left her mouth many times."

Doug has a gift for making learning feel like a connection. Even after a long day, he took time in the parking lot to talk with Jayden — and sneak in a little practice on her “w” questions. Jayden proudly told all her brothers she saw him!

“He makes her feel special and not behind or different in a negative way from her other peers. She looks forward to working with him. He does an amazing job having conversations without her feeling frustrated or like she’s working on something hard — just chatting with a friend!"

One of the images here is Jayden at her preschool graduation—beaming with pride. Her mom adds, "I’m so thankful 'My Mr. Boots' came into her world this year and hopeful he’ll return next year to see how far she’s grown."

Thank you, Doug, for your kindness, patience and dedication to students like Jayden! 👏

#CRAEA #EveryDayAtAEA #studentsuccess #teamwork #iaedchat

May is #BetterHearingandSpeechMonth! 🦻💬

Central Rivers AEA is proud to have Audiologists, Audiometrists, Assistive Technology Team, Speech-Language Pathologists, Speech-Language Pathologist Assistants and Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing who serve, support and advocate on behalf ...of Iowa’s children and families every day! 👏

Today, (May 18) is #NationalSpeechLanguagePathologistDay! Meet some of our amazing specialists! 🙌

#CRAEA #iaedchat

Empowering every ability 🙌 At Shell Rock Elementary, first-grader McKenna is learning, growing and thriving – thanks to a strong team that believes in her every step of the way. 👏

From Early ACCESS services through Central Rivers AEA to daily support at school, McKenna’s journey ...shows what’s possible when families, educators and specialists work together.

“I love sharing how far this girl has come, and we couldn’t have done it without the help of all her amazing supporters and cheerleaders!” said Kassy H., McKenna’s mom.

“Helping McKenna takes creativity and planning,” says CRAEA Occupational Therapist Jennifer Buseman. “Having everyone at the table makes it possible.”

McKenna’s story is a reminder of the power of teamwork, inclusion and never giving up. 🌟

Check out the full story on our website > Impacting Lives > Assistive Technology Success Stories.

#CRAEA #iaedchat #EveryLearner #TeamworkMatters

🌟Sneak peek alert! This spring, we launched a brand-new service to support special education teams: 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰. The program review looks at seven key areas – from student outcomes and ...access to staff training and family engagement – all with the goal of helping districts make informed decisions and provide meaningful support to every learner. 👏

We kicked things off in Grinnell-Newburg Community Schools this spring, working with district stakeholders to collect, review and analyze information to inform next steps with special education programming. Through classroom observations, staff feedback, stakeholder conversations and a deep dive into data, we’ll explore what’s working well and where additional support may be needed.

Stay tuned on how the 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 can support your district starting next school year! 🙌

For more information about this new service, please visit our website or reach out to your Regional Administrator.

#CRAEA #iaedchat #studentsuccess #collaboration