What are AESA Communities?
The purpose of AESA Communities will be to broaden your professional networks. They are open to the employees of the ESAs that are members of AESA. Communities are formed around common interests or issues, rather than common job titles. Meetings occur electronically throughout the year. If you work for an ESA that is also a member of AESA, you can join a community or communities that interest you!
It is easy to join . . .
1. Please join the AESA community platform here.
2. Then, once your membership to join the AESA community is approved*, look under the tab Communities. There you will see the list of communities and a "JOIN" button.
3. Go ahead - Join!
*Please note: the AESA Community is for all employees of ESAs that are members of AESA.
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 A strong and positive culture has a galvanizing effect on an organization's core values, mission, and vision, defines relationships internally and externally, and makes it possible to attract, retain and nurture intrinsically-motivated employees. This community aims to connect ESA leaders to learn about culture and learn what has worked for others.
Meeting Schedule: Third Thursday of the month at 2 pm Eastern (1 pm Central; 12 noon Mountain; 11 am Pacific; 10 am Alaska)
Sign up to attend the meetings here: Galvanized Cultures
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This community is for ESA administrative support professionals who support the day-to-day operations of the organization by providing assistance with clerical and administrative processes. It is a platform to share information and resources to support and enhance the role of the assistant both personally and professionally.
Click HERE for more information on how to join the Administrative Support Professionals Community in the AESA communications platform, AESA Community.
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This group is for educational service agency business office and human resources staff. The main focus will be on sharing best practices related to business office operations. The group will explore several topics including budgeting, costing, contracts, the management of staff, data collection related to services, customer service feedback and more.
Meeting Schedule: TBD
Technology Used: Zoom and Google Drive
Visit the " Business Office Professionals" Online Community (must be a community member to access the site). If you are interested in joining, contact either Mike Koltes or Dave Van Spankeren.
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The Communications/PR Community is a professional learning community and support group for those individuals at ESAs around the country with a job function, interest, or expertise related to marketing, branding, communications, social media, design, public relations, and the like!
This is a place for AESA members to post questions, suggestions, ideas, innovations, resources, links, or documents that everyone will have access to. We will work together to address common issues and to share what we are doing to get the word out to members about programs and services. There is so much we can learn from one another about messaging, design elements, types of materials, best practices, social media, etc. So please join us to learn together about what is working and what may not. Help us create a peer community, an online network, and a repository of shared resources!
Lead Contact: Dorreen Dembski, Director of Communications, AESA at dorreendembski@gmail.com.
Visit the "Communications/PR" Online Community (must be a community member to access the site). If you are interested in becoming a member, contact group leader, Dorreen Dembski.
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This community is focused on building stronger ESAs through entrepreneurship. We explore business models and service opportunities that generate and diversify revenue. Group members share best practices, strategies, and resources to design financially viable programs and services that bring value and innovative solutions to ESA members.
Technology Used: Quarterly Zoom meetings & BaseCamp for resource sharing
Lead Contact: Tammy Stahl, Deputy Executive Director, Southwest/West Central Service Cooperative (MN), Tammy.Stahl@swsc.org.
Visit the "Entrepreneurialism" Online Community (must be a community member to access the site). If you are interested in becoming a member, contact group leader, Tammy Stahl.
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A community discussion about equity, inclusion, and social justice is already underway and is open to any employee of any member-ESA interested in sharing resources, new learning, and successes around this topic.
Technology Used: AESACommunity
Meeting Schedule: While the group primarily uses AESACommunity to share information, resources, and engage in dialogue, there is also a monthly Problem of Practice meeting held via Zoom video conference and opportunities to meet in person at AESA events.
Lead Contact: TBD
Visit the "Equity, Inclusion & Social Justice" Online Community (must be a community member to access the site).
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Does your ESA have a foundation? This group is a place for those who work with ESA foundations to ask questions, and share ideas/resources related to fundraising, policies, operations, etc. There aren’t many ESA foundations across the country, so this will be a great opportunity for us to connect and learn from each other.
Technology Used: AESACommunity
Lead Contact: Shelly Maes, Executive Director, SWWC Foundation for Innovation in Education (MN), shelly.maes@swwc.org
Visit the ESA Foundations Online Community (must be a community member to access the site). If you are interested in becoming a member, contact group leader, Shelly Maes.
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Explore the changing instructional landscape by collaborating, sharing, and discussing technology, blended and personalized learning, open education resources, virtual learning and other innovative themes. Participants share ideas and approaches about how ESAs can support this changing landscape, particularly around ESA services that support schools and promote the shift of instructional practice around these pedagogies.
2020-21 Meeting Schedule:
- Dates: TBD
- Time: 9am Pacific, 10am Mountain, 11am Central and Noon Eastern (60-90 minutes)
Visit the " Innovative Learning" Online Community (you must be a member of the community to access the page). If you are interested in becoming a member, contact Sally Lindgren.
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Leadership is an ACTIVITY, not a POSITION. This Leadership Community will explore the actions and activities of leadership from a personal, team, and organizational growth perspective. We, as a group, will determine the growth areas as we progress through the meetings. As ESA leaders, we all face similar issues. By addressing these issues together, we can utilize our brainstorming and problem-solving skills to help each other find viable solutions! Meeting learners 'where they're at' is a fundamental beginning point in any learning venture. Questioning assumptions, igniting curiosity, understanding fear & courage, mitigating risk & risk-taking, along with much more will be encountered in this affinity group. The topics will be dynamic and ever-changing. Therefore, IF you would like to be part of this growth adventure, please complete the following form: https://goo.gl/forms/SIA6DoitpylR9xlQ2 . We'll utilize this information to 'frame-up' the adventure, so be candid and honest!
The following will facilitate the group, but each of you will help lead it!!
Dr. Mike Cook, Executive Director, ESSDACK
Dr. Steve Wyckoff, Chief Innovation Officer, ESSDACK
Tamara Konrade, INspired Leadership & VentureIN Leader, ESSDACK
Tammy Fellers, Professional Learning Team Lead & INspired Leadership, ESSDACK
How: Zoom video conferencing.
Time: Start each meeting at 1:00 pm CST and try to end by 2:30 pm CST.
Dates: Once per month: (fourth Tuesday of the month - except Nov. & Dec.)
We hope you will consider exploring the Activity of Leadership!!
Visit the " Leadership" Online Community (must be a community member to access the site). If you are interested in becoming a member, use the link above to join the group!
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This community will focus on program evaluation and its use in education settings. We will explore ways of quantifying the impact and demonstrating the effectiveness of the various programs offered at Education Service Agencies (ESA). This group will create a professional community committed to the use of program evaluation. Participants will:
- Collaborate to share proven successes and problems of practice in program evaluation.
- Understand how program evaluation adds value to the work we do with our districts and other clients.
- Explore ways of engaging our member districts and other clients in the process of developing and using data collection instruments to evaluate their programs.
Upcoming Meeting Dates: TBD
Meeting Times: 1:00 pm EST (12:00 pm CST, 11:00 am MST, 10:00 am PST, 9:00 am AKST) and will last 45-60 minutes, depending on the agenda.
Technology Used: TBD
Lead Contact: TBD
Visit the "Program Evaluation" Online Community (must be a community member to access the site). If you are interested in becoming a member, contact group leader, Rhonda Williams.
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Interested special education director/coordinators will connect quarterly to share their successes, challenges, trends, and innovative ideas related to the delivery of special education services. Participation in this national forum will offer ESA leaders insights related to the provision of cutting edge special education service to anticipate and meet the needs of their clients.
Technology Used: Quarterly Zoom video meetings & Google Docs. (Zoom login information will be emailed one day in advance of the meeting.)
Upcoming Meeting Dates: TBD
Meeting Time: 2:00 PM EST
Lead Contact: Sherry Zubeck, Director of ECH & Special Ed. Services, Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 (PA), sherry_zubeck@iu13.org.
Visit the "Special Education Providers Think Tank" Online Community (must be a community member to access the site). If you are interested in becoming a member, contact Sherry Zubeck.
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Has your ESA provided an amazing professional development opportunity for teachers that you would love to share with others? Have you wondered what ESAs are offering to ensure schools are aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices? If so, then this AESA Community is for you!
Participants in this community will have access to other professionals that support or have a passion for curriculum and instruction. Members can post questions, offer suggestions, share innovations, explore challenges, and provide resources. Join us in creating an online community that assists in the development of outstanding teaching and learning practices in our local Educational Service Agencies.
Lead Contact: Heather Fish, Director of School Improvement Services, CESA 5 - Portage, WI; fishh@cesa5.org
Meeting Schedule: TBD
Technology Used: Zoom and Google Drive
Visit the " Teaching & Learning" Online Community (must be a community member to access the site). If you are interested in joining, contact group leader, Heather Fish.
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More information:
AESA members interested in leading or participating in an Affinity Group, please contact Dr. Joan Wade, AESA Executive Director.
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