ACSA Membership Categories

Regular Membership

Regular membership is available to:

1. California employees in a district or other educational agency designated or functioning as:

• Management employees.
• Members of the management team.
• Administrators with regular part-time teaching responsibilities.
• Confidential employees, classified or certificated supervisory employees.

(No person shall be eligible for Regular membership who is represented by an exclusive bargaining representative, except for certificated supervisory and classified supervisory employees whose positions have previously been designated by the employer as management or who are functioning as management.)

2. Professors of Education (may opt for Associate or Regular membership).

3. Employees of the California Department of Education (CDE) or Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

Regular members receive all standard ACSA benefits and discounts, as well as:

• Access to professional legal assistance* and professional liability coverage (*must have been a Regular member for a minimum of six months).
• The ability to serve on a state, region or charter committee, council or board.
• Voting privileges if serving as a delegate or voting member for ACSA's Leadership Assembly.

Standard benefits include:

• Timely news and practical information through EdCal, ACSA’s weekly newspaper, and Leadership, the association’s professional magazine, featuring articles by and for school administrators; periodic education research summaries.
• Resume review and feedback from experienced administrators and members of the ACSA Human Resources Council.
• Weekly postings of administrative, supervisory, confidential job openings in EdCal and on ACSA’s online Career Center.
• Up-to-the-minute email notifications on State and Federal budget issues that impact K-12 funding.
• Discounted member rates to attend ACSA’s professional development programs, including the Leadership Summit.
• Group insurance plans and discount purchasing.
• Knowledge resources and publishing opportunities.
• Professional networks at the local and state levels.
• Eligibility for ACSA awards.

Associate Membership

Associate membership is open to those not eligible for other membership categories (Regular, Student or Retired), but who have an interest in educational leadership.

Associate membership may be especially appropriate for:

• Regular members reassigned to the classroom or other duties outside administration/supervision.
• Individuals meeting credential requirements for membership but not currently employed in a position qualifying them for Regular membership.
• Educational consultants.
• Individuals employed under an early retirement program who would otherwise qualify under Regular membership.
• Former ACSA members not qualifying under other membership categories.
• Others working in schools, districts, or other educational agencies and organizations who are not currently seeking a credential or holding a management position.

ACSA associate members receive:

• Timely news and practical information through EdCal, ACSA’s weekly newspaper, and Leadership, the association’s professional magazine, featuring articles by and for school administrators; periodic education research summaries.
• Resume review and feedback from experienced administrators and members of the ACSA Human Resources Council.
• Weekly postings of administrative, supervisory, confidential job openings in EdCal and on ACSA’s online Career Center.
• Up-to-the-minute email notifications on State and Federal budget issues that impact K-12 funding.
• Discounted member rates to attend ACSA’s professional development programs, including the Leadership Summit.
• Group insurance plans and discount purchasing.
• Knowledge resources and publishing opportunities.
• Professional networks at the local and state levels.
• Eligibility for ACSA awards.

Student Membership

Student membership is open to individuals who:

1. are graduate students verified to be enrolled at an accredited institution of higher learning in programs of education administration leading to an administrative credential, or

2. are not eligible for Regular membership and who are enrolled in an accredited higher education institution related to educational leadership, leading to a Masters or Doctoral Degree or other certification.

ACSA student members receive:

• Timely news and practical information through EdCal, ACSA’s weekly newspaper, and Leadership, the association’s professional magazine, featuring articles by and for school administrators; periodic education research summaries.
• Resume review and feedback from experienced administrators and members of the ACSA Human Resources Council.
• Weekly postings of administrative job openings in EdCal and on ACSA’s online Career Center.
• Up-to-the-minute email notifications on State and Federal budget issues that impact K-12 funding.
• Discounted member rates to attend ACSA’s professional development programs, including the Leadership Summit.
• Group insurance plans and discount purchasing.
• Knowledge resources and publishing opportunities.
• Professional networks at the local and state levels.

Retired Membership

Retired membership is available to ACSA members not currently employed in the field of education, but receiving compensation from the State Retirement System, or members who are certified disabled.

ACSA retired members:

• Continue to receive ACSA publications, EdCal and Leadership, as well as knowledge resources and publishing opportunities.
• May register for the Leadership Summit at a discounted rate.
• May serve on the State Retirement Committee (see below).
• Will be notified of all interim administrator positions.
• Continue to participate in ACSA insurance and discount benefits.
• Are eligible for certain ACSA awards.

Your involvement can help shape legislation for currently retired administrators and for all those retiring in the future. ACSA’s Retirement Committee is the vehicle for which your specific issues can be heard. Their purpose is:

• To provide leadership, direction, clarification, and understanding of the State Teachers’ and Public Employees’ Retirement Systems to all ACSA members.
• To plan, provide, and encourage in-service training for administrators in the area of retirement.
• To investigate and to promote legislation that positively impacts or affects members of both systems.
• To encourage the continued participation, involvement, and service of retired ACSA members in the cause of improving education and enhancing community service in California.

Retired Emeritus Membership

ACSA’s Board of Directors has developed a lifetime membership option to honor retired administrators.

Emeritus members:

• Continue to receive digital editions of ACSA publications, EdCal and Leadership, as well as knowledge resources and publishing opportunities.
• Will be notified of all interim administrator positions.
• May serve on the State Retirement Committee.
• Continue to participate in ACSA insurance and discount benefits.

In addition, Emeritus Members may receive the following enhanced benefits:

• A special ACSA-branded item denoting Emeritus status.
• Free Leadership Summit registration.

School Board Membership for Districts

• ACSA professional staff assistance during work stoppage.
• Sample contracts and guidelines.
• Professional development events for classified school administrators/managers available at a reduced member rate.

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER BENEFITS

Includes all members of a five to nine member board.

• ACSA Alerts, timely e-mail updates on state and federal public budget issues as they impact K-12 education from a school management perspective.
• Subscriptions to ACSA publications: EdCal, ACSA’s weekly newspaper, which includes legislative updates and CareerConnect job openings, and Leadership, ACSA’s professional magazine published five times a year.
• Discounted member registration rates at ACSA’s Leadership Summit and all ACSA professional learning programs.*

*Non-member registration fees are approximately double the members rate. A 10,000 ADA district could save enough to pay for its Educational Institution Service, when one board member attends an ACSA professional learning program.