Did you know that Central Rivers Area Education Agency (CRAEA) recently provided 3,916 speech and 479 occupational therapy sessions to support students’ growth and success across our region? 👏

When Owen from Forest City CSD was almost two, he had just a few words and mostly signed to ...communicate. His mom trusted her instincts and reached out to Central Rivers AEA’s Early ACCESS – and that decision changed everything.
With the support of educators and therapists, Owen strengthened his speech, coordination and confidence. Within a year, he went from a handful of words to clearly expressing his thoughts and feelings – and no longer needed speech services! 💬👏

“We are so grateful,” his mom shared. “They helped Owen find his words and his voice.”

Read the full story on our website.

#CRAEA #iaedchat #EarlyACCESS #speechtherapy

Special Education services snapshot! 📊 Each quarter, we team up with our districts to share an update on the special education supports provided across our region – a true reflection of teamwork and care that helps students grow and succeed. 🙌 Here’s a glimpse of the impact from our most ...recent report:

• Speech Services: 3,916 sessions
• Occupational Therapy: 479 sessions
• Physical Therapy: 168 sessions
• Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing: 79 sessions
• Audiology: 16 sessions
• Vision Services: 45 sessions
• Orientation & Mobility: 20 sessions
• Developmental Services (EA teacher): 222 sessions

We also completed:
• 81 initial evaluations
• 173 re-evaluations
• Supporting 3,976 students directly

A huge thank-you to our amazing special education teams and partner districts for supporting student learning and making a difference every day! 👏

#CRAEA #iaedchat

Central Rivers AEA is pleased to announce that Karl Kurt, current CRAEA Assistant Chief Administrator/HR Director, has been selected as the agency’s next chief administrator! Kurt will succeed Stan Rheingans, who is retiring from the agency in June.

“Karl brings deep knowledge of our ...agency, has established relationships with staff and partners, and possesses a commitment to doing what is best for students, families, and educators. His experience with the AEA system will serve our region well,” said Dr. Debra Rich, CRAEA board president.

Kurt has been with CRAEA since 2016, where he has helped lead strategic initiatives, strengthen organizational culture, and build leadership capacity across the agency. Under his leadership, the agency launched an internal staff wellbeing program, earned Top Workplace honors, and navigated significant organizational changes through statewide educational shifts and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m honored and humbled to continue serving our dedicated staff and the districts we support as the agency’s chief administrator,” said Kurt. “Our team works tirelessly to provide outstanding services and support, and I’m passionate about building on that commitment to ensure our continued success together during this important time in our agency’s history.”

In his new position, Kurt will continue to lead more than 500 full- and part-time staff members who provide special education and school improvement services along with technology and media support for over 62,000 students and 5,000 educators across an 18-county region in north central and northeastern Iowa.

Congratulations, Karl! 👏 #CRAEA #iaedchat

It's #NationalSchoolPsychologyWeek! Central Rivers AEA is grateful for our incredible team of school psychologists who work every day to support students’ learning, growth and well-being. 🙌 Thank you for all you do to help students find their path! 👏

#CRAEA #iaedchat #NSPW

Central Rivers AEA partnered with the University of Iowa’s Jacobson Institute yesterday and hosted the annual “DesignDash” for area high school students, educators and entrepreneurs! 🙌

DesignDash is a one-day event where high school students, teachers and industry leaders come ...together for an exciting, hands-on entrepreneurial experience. 🙌

19 startup concepts were generated and pitched. Ideas ranged from a monthly subscription box focused on helping teens manage stress to a job matching services helping plug young people who have learning disabilities into jobs. 👏

75+ HS students representing 11 schools showed up and delivered. Thank you to the industry professionals who mentored students and created such a welcoming space – and a big thanks to the educators who made this day possible for these young innovators! 💡👏

#CRAEA #iaedchat #designdash #studentevents

The Iowa Department of Education recently released new data showing that more Iowa high school students than ever are accomplishing work-based learning experiences with 45% of all high school seniors from the class of 2025 achieving at least one work-based learning experience while in high school. ...Student participation is up nearly 20 percentage points over the last two years, increasing from 31.7% in 2024 and 25.5% in 2023. 👏

Central Rivers AEA is dedicated to contributing to the growth of career-connected learning throughout Iowa. Our team helps connect and support hundreds of students in internships, job shadows, and work experiences – real opportunities that help them explore careers, gain confidence and build skills for their futures. And that’s not even counting the students our consultants supported through other sustained project-based learning programs like CAPS! 🙌

Some quick numbers of our support for the 2024-25 school year:
•Job shadow placements: 229
•Internship placements: 220
•Work experience placements: 435

One of our work-based learning coordinators, Theresa Smith, recently had a student from Grinnell-Newburg CSD intern with Van Wall Equipment.

It’s clear – our work is making a difference for students across Iowa! 👏

#CRAEA #iaedchat #careerconnectedlearning #studentworkexperience