For nearly 50 years, Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs) have provided a wide range of services designed to help students succeed. What made AEAs unique was the way we connected general education supports with special education services. This “braiding” of services meant that teachers, families, and students had access to a full team approach — whether the need was related to reading, technology, behavior, or complex learning challenges.

Every service we have offered has been important, and each played a role in helping students and schools thrive. That history is something we value deeply.

But today, things look different. Recent legislation changed how AEAs are funded and required us to make hard choices. With fewer resources available, we must focus on the services where we are most needed and our impact is greatest. For Central Rivers AEA, that means special education now represents the bulk of our work. Since we are almost exclusively funded by funds to support students with special needs, our ability to serve students in the general education setting is now limited to the available resources that individual school districts have to purchase them.

Given that, we are working hard to further concentrate on what matters most for students and families–delivering high-quality support for learners with significant needs. These are children who require specialized help with speech, behavior, physical skills, or complex learning plans. Meeting those needs is not optional; it is essential. And AEAs have the expertise and experience to do it best.

By narrowing our focus, we are also sharpening our approach. Our staff — school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, consultants, occupational therapists, and others–are doubling down on the critical services that make the biggest difference. In many cases, these supports are what allow students not just to get by, but to truly succeed.

It is easy to look at what has changed and feel a sense of loss. But we are continuing to work on seeing this new chapter as an opportunity. With our resources and energy directed to the highest-stakes areas, the expectation is that we can go deeper and help schools and families with greater precision.

At Central Rivers AEA, our mission has not wavered. We remain committed to every student, every day. While the way we serve has evolved, our focus is clear: doing what matters most, even better for those we serve.

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Stan Rheingans is the interim chief administrator of Central Rivers AEA, with offices in Cedar Falls, Clear Lake and Marshalltown. He is also the chief administrator of Keystone AEA, based in Elkader. He can be reached at srheingans@centralriversaea.org. Central Rivers AEA serves over 5,000 K-12 educators in 18 counties of north central Iowa to improve outcomes for over 60,000 students. Learn more at www.centralriversaea.org.