Did you know that Central Rivers Area Education Agency (CRAEA) recently provided 222 developmental services, 168 physical therapy and 479 occupational therapy sessions to support students’ growth and success across our region? 👏

Born at just 29 weeks, Kesley faced big challenges early... on. His family turned to Early ACCESS in January 2024 for support they could trust. A year later, he “graduated” the program right on track for his age. 🙌

Today, he’s walking, talking and completely obsessed with trucks, tractors and anything with wheels. 🛻

“The support we received made all the difference – not just for Kesley’s growth, but for us as a family,” shared his mom, Molly.

Read Kesley's full story, "Growing Strong: Kesley’s Early ACCESS Journey," on our website.

#CRAEA #iaedchat #EarlyACCESS #EveryDayAtAEA #occupationaltherapy

Welcome to the new Central Rivers AEA Board members!

Superintendents David Hill (Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District), Jenn Peter (Belmond-Klemme Community School District), Dr. Cynthia Phillips (Independence CSD Mustangs) and Dr. Theron Schutte (Marshalltown Community School ...District) have officially joined our Board of Directors to help guide our support for students, families and educators.

We extend our deep gratitude to the outgoing members for their years of dedicated service: Bryan Burton, Maureen Hanson, Kathy Enslin and Dr. Darshini Jayawardena.

For more information and to read the full story, please visit our website.

Peet 9th Graders had a great career fair today! 👏🚀 The Speed Networking event connected students with real professionals and opportunities within the community. 🙌 The event featured employers from @growcedarvalley and was truly impactful.

Central Rivers AEA loves collaborating to ...support student success, especially with our partners at @cf_caps! 🙌

#CRAEA #iaedchat #careerday #EveryDayAtAEA

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