Jeff Grimes
Jeff Grimes is coordinator of Innovation and Best Practices at the Heartland AEA in Johnston, Iowa. He is the co-editor of four editions of Best Practices in School Psychology (NASP), co-editor of Children's Needs: Psychological Perspectives (NASP), co-editor of Special Education in Transition, and other publications. He is an advocate for problem-solving practices, a schoolwide model that supports all students' learning, response-to-intervention practice that emphasizes student outcomes, proactive intervention designed to enhance student results, and systemic school reform.
Sharon Kurns
Sharon Kurns is supervisor of Instructional Services for Heartland AEA 11 Iowa. Her teaching experience includes working with students with both severe and mild disabilities. Before assuming her current role with the agency, Sharon worked as an educational consultant assisting educators in Heartland schools with the implementation of a problem-solving system. Currently, Sharon assists with the coordination of professional development for special education teachers and AEA support staff. She works with other Heartland staff to produce the publications used to guide the implementation of the system, such as the Heartland Program Manual and Improving Children's Educational Results Through Data-Based Decision Making. Sharon also serves on the agency's Reading Council and supports the implementation of the Heartland Early Literacy Project.
