Learn More for Less with Lynda.com
With many schools facing budget cuts across the board, finding the money for new software or program upgrades can be tough. As if that weren’t enough, once programs are purchased and it comes time to actually learn how to use the software, . . . read more
SchoolReach Parent Contact Can Reduce Unexcused Absences
Taking attendance and notifying parents of unexcused absences has been a dreaded daily ritual for school administrators since the very first school day. Great strides have been made on the "taking" side, with advances in school information . . . read more
Save Money on Special Education Resources
Save money this fall on all your school’s special education needs with Pocket Full of Therapy, an IEC and AEPA vendor partner. Pocket Full of Therapy is a catalog, mail order and internet order company that specializes in . . . read more
Reduce Energy Costs, Save a Teacher
Many facilities are facing infrastructure concerns that include inefficient, outdated systems. Iowa’s Office of Energy Independence (OEI) introduces Building Energy $mart (BE$T). Their first step is improving energy efficiency in Iowa’s . . . read more
Show Your Spirit and Attend the IEC School Spirit Food Buying Show
The Iowa Educators Consortium will be hosting its 11 th annual School Spirit Buying Show on Tuesday, July 27 in Waterloo at the 5 Sullivan Brothers Convention Center and Thursday, July 29 in Ames at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center. . . . read more
Enter the “Oldest Product” Contest and Win Bretford Furniture
Bretford products are known for their dependability and longevity. They are made with high quality materials, manufactured in the USA and built to last for decades. For the last 60-plus years, Bretford has been making tables, carts, shelving . . . read more
Free Computer Recycling Program from Apple
This spring, Apple will recycle your school’s old, unwanted Mac computers, PCs, and qualifying peripherals from any manufacturer — for free. There’s no purchase required, and all accredited K–12 and higher education institutions with . . . read more
New Advisory Board for Food Co-op
This year marks a new beginning for the Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC). We will be forming an Advisory Board that will represent all IEC food co-op members. This Board will be selected by the IEC Operations Committee and will . . . read more
Lunch Debt Collection Made Easy with SchoolReach
Lunch Debt Collection – A More Palatable Approach As the school year comes to a close, school administrators, business managers and food service managers can find themselves staring at a full plate of lunch debt. Some . . . read more
New Discounts for AV & Computer
The IEC AV & Computer Co-op is proud to announce the addition of several vendors offering discounts on their entire product catalogs or certain products. Take advantage of these great money saving opportunities the next time you are in . . . read more
We Want to Hear From You!
One of our main goals here at the IEC is to find new ways to better serve our schools and clients in addition to improving upon our current practices. We encourage and welcome any type of feedback that you may have. As the end of another . . . read more
April Webinars for Parent Notification Services
The IEC is proud to announce a schedule of upcoming webinars to better inform you on a new area of savings we are providing. Under the ‘School Administration’ category, you will see three vendors who offer automated parent notification . . . read more
Response to March 4, 2010, Des Moines Register Article
On Thursday, March 4, the Des Moines Register published an article regarding the Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC) and recent communications between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Iowa Department of Education. The article . . . read more
IEC Teacher and Student Buys
Did you know that some of the IEC contracts are available for your personal use? Well, now you do! Many of our vendors have agreed to extend their discounts to include not only school-based purchases, but personal purchases made by Iowa . . . read more
New Products and Services for 2010
Being an active and participating member of the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA), the IEC is able to provide schools with a plethora of services and product offerings at an aggressive discount. As a result, we are proud . . . read more
Free Statewide Trials for Online Resources
Iowa AEAs and the Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC) are again offering discounted pricing and statewide trials on some of the best Web-based library resources available for K-12, college and public libraries. These vendor partnerships offer y . . . read more
Get Credit for Recycling Old PCs
Midwest Electronic Recovery, with Iowa locations in Clive and Walford, would like to help you remain within your budget by offering environmentally responsible electronic waste recycling services with credits back for select pieces of . . . read more
School Spotlight: Glenwood's New High School
In the fall of 2009, the Glenwood, Iowa community celebrated the opening of its new high school – a project that had several delays in construction over a two year period. Upon approaching the new Glenwood High School, you see a . . . read more
IEC Partner Wins Customer Service Award
This past November, OfficeMax, a leading supplier of office supplies/services and long time partner with the IEC, was awarded the Service Quality Measurement Group’s (SQM) most prestigious award for customer service. Scoring the . . . read more
Winter Paper Order Guide Now Available
The Iowa Educators Consortium Winter Paper Bid has been awarded to the J.P. Gasway Company in Hiawatha (Cedar Rapids). The IEC Winter Bid offers excellent pricing on a large variety of paper weights, colors and sizes. J.P. Gasway is . . . read more
IEC Food Co-op holds District Meeting in Treynor
Every year, the IEC Food Co-op holds district meetings across the state. At these meetings, local school food service and nutrition professionals meet to discuss hot topics in the industry that influence their daily operations and way of . . . read more
2010-2011 IEC Catalog of Vendors/Services
Available on this page are flyers showcasing our current vendors and services provided. This will give you a great snapshot of all the areas in which we currently have contracts as well as the vendors that hold them. Feel free to . . . read more
IEC Light Bulb and Ballast Orders Due November 20
Don’t be left in the dark! Order forms for the 2009 IEC fall order of light bulbs and ballasts are due November 20. Prime vendor for this contract is Adventure Lighting. All schools should have received an order guide via . . . read more
Get Rewards with School Health Advantage Program
Loyalty has its advantages! School Health, the IEC prime vendor for Health and First Aid Supplies, is proud to offer Iowa schools a members-only, rewards-based loyalty program – School Health ADVANTAGE. For every dollar . . . read more
IEC Announces New Vendor for School Software
On October 1, the IEC began a new partnership with Academic Superstore for school software sales. Aggressive discounts have been secured on products from Adobe, Crick, Microsoft, Sophos and more. Many of these products . . . read more
Recycle Spent Light Bulbs with A-Tec Recycling
In efforts to be more environmentally aware, many of the IEC’s vendors provide services to help your schools ‘be green’. Adventure Lighting, our bulb and ballast vendor, has teamed with A-Tec Recycling in Des Moines to help you . . . read more
Let the IEC Help Your School Be ‘Germ Free’ This Fall
Fall is a time of year for many wonderful things – the start of a new school year, colorful scenery, and high school football. However, with the arrival of cooler weather just around the corner, many of you may also be gearing up for a . . . read more
Save Money on Personal Software with the IEC Software Store
Computers and a new school year go hand in hand. Don’t let retail and ‘big box’ software pricing get you down! The IEC has the solution for all your back-to-school software needs. Earlier this spring, we announced a new vendor . . . read more
Save Money on Your Back to School Supplies
Going back to school can be overwhelming for more than just the students. While they may be excited about connecting with old and new friends, having new teachers and exploring new classes, teachers and school employees may be a little . . . read more
The IEC is Out and About in July
During the summer months, the IEC keeps busy doing a number of things – working with vendors for new fall pricing, holding advisory committee meetings, developing marketing plans and seeking/renewing contracts, to name a few. However, . . . read more
Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA): 101
For almost five years now, the IEC has been an active member of the AEPA. Belonging to AEPA helps us obtain and secure a wider variety of contracts and discounts for our client’s use. The AEPA is a group of Educational . . . read more
NEW! IEC Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IEC? How do they get such aggressive discounts? How do I become an IEC vendor partner? These are just a few of the many questions IEC staff get asked on a regular basis. In efforts to answer some common questions more . . . read more
Customer FAQs
What is the IEC? How is the IEC funded? How does the IEC get such aggressive discounts? How do I know I am receiving quality products? What organizations are eligible to purchase through the IEC? How do I become a . . . read more
Vendor FAQs
How do I become an IEC vendor partner? What are the lengths of IEC contracts? What type of marketing support does the IEC provide? What are the advantages with partnering with the IEC? How do I become . . . read more
New IEC Partnership
The IEC is now partnered with Baker Group out of Des Moines to help schools improve their energy efficiency, comfort and safety in their existing buildings. Baker Group is an awarded bidder through the Department of . . . read more
IEC Welcomes New Purchasing Assistant
The Iowa Educators Consortium team has grown! On March 16, 2009, the IEC warmly welcomed Joni Puffett to their team. With a background in public relations and marketing, Joni will stay busy serving as a cooperative purchasing assistant . . . read more
Spring 2009 AV/Computer Catalog Now Available!
http://av.co-op.k12.ia.us
The Spring AV / Computer Co-op bid was sent to over 130 vendors across the U.S.A. with 43 of those vendors being awarded products that are included in our online or PDF catalog . The AV Catalog has over 230 . . . read more
AEA/IEC Online Resource Statewide Trials
March 1 to April 15, 2009
Iowa AEAs and the Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC) are again offering discounted pricing and statewide trials on some of the best Internet-based library resources available for K-12, college and public libraries. These vendor partnerships . . . read more
IEC Staff Members Research Newest Technology
Florida Education and Technology Conference held in Orlando, in January 2009. What was the weather like in Iowa during that time period? Record setting temperatures –Below Zero, and Worse, wind chill factors that were -50 . . . read more
School Spotlight
Recently IEC Director, Dan Dreyer, made a trip north and stopped at Albert Lea High School to see their kitchens and commons area that were built eight years ago, but still look new today. The high school foyer was an impressive . . . read more
Rebuilding Falcon Pride
Aplington-Parkersburg CSD utilizes the IEC portable classroom contract in time of need
After the devastation of the May 25th tornadoes in Iowa, the community, state and nation have risen to the occasion. They have provided aid and support to begin "Rebuilding Falcon Pride". The pictures you see are the . . . read more
Lamp and Ballast Order Guide Available
The IEC is offering a fall 2008 lamp and ballast order guide through Adventure Lighting, Inc.(the awarded vendor partner through the State of Iowa bid) of Des Moines, Iowa. There are a large variety of bulbs and ballast available at . . . read more
Staples Acquisition of CE
July 15, 2008 marked the start of Staples and Corporate Express as one company. This merge combines the best practices of both companies and will drive the success of our new company. For all of our . . . read more
2008-2009 Catalog Now Available
We just completed our new catalog for 2008-2009. We have included information about each of our contracts along with all of the other services the IEC provides. The new catalog was sent to schools in May. If you . . . read more
Spring 2008 Multimedia Projector Shoot-out
Spring AV/Computer Co-op bids notifications were sent out to over 120 vendors across the United States. One product that many vendors bid on is a multimedia projector. On March 3 rd , a group of 25+ people made . . . read more
Going Green
Finding new ways to protect our environment as well as our students and employees is an imperative mission. What does it mean to "Go Green"? How can schools accomplish this seemingly overwhelming task? Why is this . . . read more
AEA 11 Co-op Transition to IEC
The AEA 11 Co-op will be closing as of June 30, 2008. Heartland AEA 11 and the Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC) have combined our efforts to continue to offer your school district the best in bid pricing and cooperative . . . read more
Fight the Spread of Germs in Your Schools
Germs Have Perfect Attendance Illness is responsible for more than 144 million lost school days per year. Absenteeism can mean: • Lost learning opportunities • Reduced funding • Increased operating costs for substitute . . . read more
What's New in the Fall 2007 A/V Co-op Catalog
The Fall 2007 Catalog is now online and is also available in PDF format. Customers may order as often as needed anytime before December 14, 2007. Many new items are listed as well as all of the products that you have ordered in the . . . read more
Extra Inventory? Buy, Sell and Trade with the IEC!
As school comes to an end and summer begins, many schools find themselves cleaning out classrooms, closets, warehouses and more in efforts of getting rid of unwanted items that have been accumulating over the years. Many times, . . . read more
Teachers & Students - Save over 75% on Microsoft Software
The Iowa Educators Consortium, IEC, is pleased to announce that selected Microsoft software titles are now available for purchase by Iowa K-12 faculty, staff and students at substantial discounts - over 75% off retail prices! The IEC has . . . read more
2007-2008 Catalog Now Available
We just completed our new catalog for 2007-2008. We have included information about each of our contracts along with all of the other services the IEC provides. The newest catalog will be mailed out to all school . . . read more
New Contracts in 2007
The IEC is pleased to announce the following new contracts
These contracts are bids awarded by the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies, AEPA, of which the IEC is a member. AEPA is a twenty-four state consortium organized for the purpose of securing multi-state purchasing . . . read more
Janitorial Co-op Not Just Supplies
Perry Community School District takes advantage of value added services
Buildings and Grounds Director for Perry CSD Kevin McLaughlin took over eight years ago. He inherited a district that needed to reduce some costs. Keeping an open mind, Kevin began working with Pat Pierson from Martin Bros. . . . read more
New Crayola Products Coming Soon
The Iowa Educators Consortium’s Arts & Crafts contract offers its customers a broad range of art products and supplies. Many of these products are from Crayola who is always trying to develop something new to use in the . . . read more
Modular Carpeting in Iowa Schools
Southeast Warren CSD Utilizes IEC Carpeting Contract
The future of modular carpeting in Iowa schools seems bright. This past summer Southeast Warren CSD in Liberty Center replaced the 30 year old carpeting in their library/media center. The process, price and final . . . read more
Choosing a Multimedia Projector 101
Multimedia projectors are getting to be a regular piece of equipment being used by teachers in the classroom. The Iowa Educators Consortium’s AV/Computer Co-op has offered these projection devices since they . . . read more
What is the Iowa Educators Consortium?
The Iowa Educators Consortium, IEC, is an initiative of the Iowa Area Education Agencies. Iowa AEAs formed the IEC as an independent, tax-exempt, nonprofit institution supporting the mission of the Area Education Agencies. The primary . . . read more
