DCASE District of Columbia Association for Special Education

DCASE is comprised of nonpublic special education and charter schools that serve students with disabilities from the District of Columbia. Members share a commitment to improving the educational opportunities for all District of Columbia students with special needs. All members embrace the organization’s Core Principles detailing their responsibilities to students and parents, to funding agencies, and to DCASE.

Who Can Join

Any nonpublic special education or charter school that supports the mission of DCASE may apply for voting membership. Membership is conferred by a majority vote of the DCASE Board of Directors.

Dues and Payment Schedule, 2012-2013 School Year

Dues are based on number of District of Columbia students and are payable in two installments.

Table of Dues

Payment Schedule

Dues Payment
Based on October enrollment count, annual payment of the dues above to be paid no later than the end of November each year.

Membership Application Package

Download the Application for Voting Membership Package. Then complete and return the application, along with the signed DCASE Statement of Ethical Practices, to:

Georgia Vergos
DCASE Membership Chair
711-A Edgewood Street NE
Washington, DC 20017

DCASE Membership Meetings

Membership meetings are held three (3) times a year, in October/November, February and May, on the second Thursday of the month. When a regularly scheduled meeting falls on a holiday, a new date will be announced.

Affiliate Membership

The DCASE Board of Directors may extend Affiliate Membership to individuals or organizations engaged in activities supporting the education of youth, if those activities do not conflict with the mission of DCASE. Download the Affiliate Membership Package for more details.

DCASE Responsibilities to Members

All DCASE members sign a Statement of Ethical Practices as part of their application for DCASE membership, making a formal commitment to embrace certain responsibilities to students and their families, to funding agencies, and to the organization itself.

At the same time, DCASE commits to its members to:

• serve as a vigorous and effective voice for the community of nonpublic and special education charter schools;
• provide members with timely and relevant information and services
• make every effort to minimize response time to a member’s request for information or advice;
• maintain financial stability, use resources efficiently and eliminate duplication;
• maximize non-dues revenue through collaborative efforts with funding agencies, foundations and universities;
• develop and maintain secure systems to ensure the confidentiality of all information received from members and to restrict the disclosure of any information which would identify a member or representative unless permission is obtained from the member or member representative prior to disclosure;
• be mindful of potential or perceived conflicts of interest;
• actively seek members’ views and take action based on feedback;
• hire staff and consultants who have integrity, creativity, initiative, respect and judgment;
• provide staff and consultants with training regarding the mission of DCASE and the members’ programs.