Added Value To Your Membership

The MASA Board of Directors met on December 6th and added value to your membership! I’d like to share a few ways that the Board achieved this.

For the fifth time in the last six years, the Board froze membership dues! MASA is in a strong financial position and the Board felt that it was very appropriate to maintain the same membership dues next year.

Second, the Board adopted a revised Consultation and Legal Assistance Policy. An example of how the Board added value to your membership is that the maximum benefit for a member more than doubled from $5,200 to $11,500. MASA will pay $1,000 for the first year of membership in the association. MASA will pay $750 for each year of continuous service with the Association up to a maximum of $11,500. “Continuous” is defined as ongoing “active or “service” membership, or, if while on leave from a district, the person maintains a “Person on Leave” membership. Following is the support schedule:

Continuous Years of MASA Membership:
First Year of Membership: $1,000
Second Year of Membership: $1,750
Third Year of Membership: $2,500
Fourth Year of Membership: $3,250
Fifth Year of Membership: $4,000
Sixth Year of Membership: $4,750
Seventh Year of Membership: $5,500
Eighth Year of Membership: $6,250
Ninth Year of Membership: $7,000
Tenth Year of Membership: $7,750
Eleventh Year of Membership: $8,500
Twelfth Year of Membership: $9,250
Thirteenth Year of Membership: $10,000
Fourteenth Year of Membership: $10,750
Fifteenth Year of Membership: $11,500

To access this benefit, the member will first call the MASA office and talk to the Executive Director.

Depending on the situation, one of the following actions will be taken:

• The problem may be addressed simply through information provided by the Executive Director.
• If not resolved on the telephone, a meeting may be arranged with the Executive Director to talk about the issue in more depth.
• The member may be referred to another member, organization or agency for assistance.
• The member may be referred to the Association attorney or a mutually agreed upon attorney for legal assistance.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding the legal assistance provided by MASA. Always remember that we are here to assist you in challenging times.

Third, the Board increased the level of professional learning support provided to each of our regions on a yearly basis. Currently, each region can request up to $750 per year to support professional learning of MASA members in their region. Effective July 1, 2018, each region will be able to request up to $2,500 per year.

Also, currently there is a rotation where by a region can request up to $5,000 of additional support for professional learning every three years. Effective July 1, 2019 a region will be able to request up to $10,000 every three years.

I am proud of the fact that the MASA Board has truly added value to your membership! By freezing dues, increasing your legal support and increasing professional learning dollars for our regions, the Board has demonstrated that all of us at MASA will continue to explore and implement ways to better serve and support you!

As always, please feel free to contact me at 651.319.1211 if I can be of service to you! •

Gary Amoroso with U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith at the 2018 AASA Executive Committee Meeting