As the scope and needs of ACSA’s membership has changed this decade, so too has the role of ACSA’s Governmental Relations Department. The responsibilities of Governmental Relations have evolved into participating and providing various professional development and consultation services in the areas of school finance and policy implementation at the district and school site levels. Responding to this emerging need, the Governmental Relations Department created a new sub-unit focused on providing additional professional development and district/individual member consultation services in the areas of school management, finance, collective bargaining, and program operations. Although this new unit had been in development for some time, it was officially launched in January 2008. 

Unit services are overseen by ACSA Management Services Executive Brett McFadden under the direction of Karen Stapf Walters, assistant executive director of Governmental Relations. Program services are provided by ACSA professional staff and “practitioner consultants,” or via partnerships with other education associations and/or consulting firms. Many of these services are provided via an event or consultation fee. However, a portion of these services fall within the scope of a member’s dues and are therefore provided under the auspices of general member services. At this time, the unit’s programs and issue areas include school finance and operations; the ACSA-SEAC Collective Bargaining Alliance; the ACSA-CASP RtI Project; the ACSA Charter School Project and the Education Legal Support Fund.

For additional information on these or other services provided by ACSA's Management Services Unit, contact Brett McFadden at bmcfadden@acsa.org (916) 444-3216 ext. 3810.