Membership

St Alban's Students Image

Benefits of Membership

AISGW seeks to enrich and sustain the high quality of education offered by local independent schools through its advocacy efforts, professional development programs, information and statistics sharing as well as by building relationships with government officials, media and educational organizations.

AISGW member schools enjoy access to the following services:

  • annual statistical reports on AISGW member schools’ activities and operations
  • updates on local legislation and regulations of importance to independent schools
  • conferences and workshops for teachers and administrators to assist with professional development and encourage networking opportunities
  • opportunities to partner with other local independent schools and educational associations; when interests coincide, AISGW facilitates cooperative projects among member schools
  • AISGW’s online Job Bank, where member schools can post job openings
  • AISGW’s online Community Events site, where member schools can post upcoming events and programs open to the community

Membership Requirements

To be eligible for full membership in AISGW, a school must meet the following criteria:

  • be a private, non-profit, independent school
  • located in the Greater Washington area
  • meet the criteria of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
  • have a nondiscrimination policy
  • have a primarily academic character
  • be able to present an audited annual financial statement
  • have been in operation 36 consecutive months
  • be accredited by AIMS, Middle States, VAIS, NAEYC, SACS (or another accrediting agency, as approved by AISGW)

Requirements for Provisional Membership:

  • schools must meet all of the above criteria, except they need only have been in operation for the previous 12 consecutive months
  • if unaccredited, provisional members will be granted three years to start the accreditation process and five years to complete it

Application Process

  1. Schools interested in applying for membership to AISGW should complete a membership application available here.

    The application includes a list of supplemental materials which should be submitted with the application.
  2. AISGW’s Executive Director will arrange a time to visit the school, meet with senior staff and answer any questions about membership in AISGW.
  3. Subsequently, representatives from AISGW’s Membership Committee will visit the school.
  4. AISGW’s Board of Trustees will decide on the application.

Member Dues

Each AISGW member school pays a base fee, which varies by enrollment, plus a standard per student charge. Regardless of enrollment, no school pays more than 70% of its highest tuition.

Quick Links