ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) announced today that the two organizations have formalized their agreement for AASA to purchase space at NAESP’s headquarters and to consolidate carefully identified functions and resources.
The signing follows actions by each organization’s Board of Directors last February authorizing the executive directors to negotiate the details of the arrangement.
NAESP Executive Director Gail Connelly and AASA Executive Director Daniel Domenech describe the agreement as a mutually beneficial partnership to strengthen each association’s financial position and influence. Both executives emphasize that the agreement is not a merger but rather a plan for the “functional consolidation” to reduce overall operating costs. Both organizations retain their individual names and independent missions, governance structures, and bylaws, and both continue to serve distinct memberships.
“NAESP is very pleased to formally enter into this innovative partnership with our friends and colleagues at AASA,” Connelly said. “It strengthens NAESP’s financial outlook by building the Association’s reserves and affords us the opportunity to reduce costs and achieve efficiencies in some areas of operation over time. It also enables our two associations to collaborate more strategically on select federal policy and regulatory issues that most affect public education, school leaders, and the children they serve,” Connelly added.
“This agreement only builds on the positive, ongoing relationship that already exists between the two organizations,” said Domenech. “We have had a long history of informal collaboration on a wide range of issues and projects. Advocacy on educational issues is of prime importance to all our members and our students. Working together can only make us stronger. “We hope that our emerging partnership will serve as a model for other education groups and national associations with related constituencies.”
AASA is scheduled to take ownership of one-half of the building at 1615 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia, in mid-November. The two organizations will immediately consolidate some administrative operations and expenses, such as purchasing supplies, contracting for service agreements, staffing a central reception area, and handling building maintenance, and will explore the possibilities of consolidating other back-office operations.
About NAESP
The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), founded in 1921, leads in the advocacy of and support for elementary- and middle-level principals in the United States, Canada, and overseas.
