Become a Member

Please download the following Membership forms:

• STANDARD MEMBERSHIP (Schools, Pre-operational/Planning Groups, and Authorizers)
• EXPECTATIONS AND BENEFITS OF GCSA MEMBERSHIP

Letter From The Museum School of Avondale Estate

As we prepare to open the doors to our first class of students in August 2010, The Museum School of Avondale Estates offers a debt of gratitude to the Georgia Charter Schools Association.

Membership in GCSA has meant a tremendous difference in our successful bid for state charter status. Association staff guided us through the charter application process and even helped us prepare for the state interview, a service for which we cannot give enough thanks. In addition, GCSA staff members played key roles during our student enrollment lottery, including providing resources as we developed lottery procedures.

Throughout the lengthy and arduous process of starting a charter school, GCSA staff have been readily available to answer whatever questions arose and provide continual support. GCSA promises advocacy for its members, and it delivers!

In addition, we have found in the association an avenue for exchanging ideas and sharing resources with the leaders of charter schools across Georgia. And the knowledge that comes from membership cannot be downplayed. Through our association with GCSA, we have gained a wealth of insight into charter schools in Georgia and throughout the nation and the laws governing and empowering them.

We couldn’t ask for a better ally!

Who can join GCSA?

GCSA membership is currently open to any charter school petitioner or operator in the state of Georgia, charter school authorizers, educational service providers and businesses, organizations and individuals that support quality public charter schools in Georgia.  You are eligible for membership if you have a currently operating charter school, an approved but not yet open charter school, or have submitted a charter petition to a local school system and are currently pursuing approval of that petition. Annual membership dues are listed below.

Why join GCSA?

The Association is you! We need you to be an active member so that we may advocate, enhance quality, and support from a position of strength in unity. Your membership is an investment in your success, which is our ultimate aim.

Joining GCSA brings to your school or petitioning group:

• Advocacy
  Everyday, we will aggressively advocate for increased opportunities for new charter schools in Georgia and for fair and equitable funding for all our schools. We will also communicate the strength and potential of charter education to the broader community.
• Quality
  Strong leaders make strong schools. We will focus on leadership development and accountability. It’s not enough for us to help create another public school; we want to create and sustain a great public school.
• Support
  We will offer an unmatched array of programs, services, expertise and other tools to strengthen our member schools and allow them to focus on what matters most: educating students!

How do I join GCSA (or renew my membership)?

You can join GCSA or renew your membership by printing the membership form at the top of this page and sending it along with a check for your membership dues to:

GCSA Membership
600 W. Peachtree Street, NW – Suite 1555
Atlanta, GA 30308

How much does it cost?

GCSA is committed to keeping its membership costs low. Annual dues vary depending on whether you are an existing charter school or in the process of starting a charter school. See below for a schedule of current membership dues. Please call the GCSA office at 404.835.8900 if you have any questions.