Complimentary Initial Membership Program Policies

1. The complimentary membership extends for six months from the date the AWSA office receives the new appointee's name.

2. The program provides full membership benefits with the exception of reimbursement of legal costs.

3. AWSA only accepts names of administrators and supervisors who are not included in a collective bargaining unit.

4. Eligibility is restricted to first-time appointments to administrative or supervisory positions. Job promotions or transfers are not eligible (i.e., associate principals becoming principals; building administrators going to central office positions, etc.).

5. Those eligible may elect to pay dues at the time of their appointment and, thus, receive 18 months of membership for the price of 12. These people will receive full legal services.

6. At the end of the complimentary membership period, the member will receive a notice and invoice to renew the membership for a full year at the regular member rate.

7. For building administrators, the program will include membership in either the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) or the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) as appropriate.

8. Complimentary membership is available to an individual administrator one time only. There are no exceptions to this policy.

About 75 percent of Wisconsin's school districts pay or reimburse professional association membership dues as a management fringe benefit. If your district is one of these, the complimentary membership arrangement still applies. You may simply provide the names and then pay regular dues six months later, or, if you prefer, you may pay the regular dues ($515) with the complimentary membership and that person's membership will be good for 18 months rather than 12.

July, 2008