National Education Organizations

Private Schools

Council for American Private Education
CAPE is “The Voice of the Nation’s Private Schools.” Site provides private school facts, position papers on key policy issues, a legislative action center and more. CAPSO is CAPE’s California state affiliate.

American Montessori Society
Since its formation in 1960, the American Montessori Society has been the mainstay of the Montessori movement in the United States.

Association of Christian Schools International
ACSI is an “enabler” for the evangelical Christian community of preschools, elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools serving 870,000 students in 4,000 schools located in 90 countries.

Association of Waldorf Schools in North America
Waldorf Education is a developmentally appropriate, balanced education that integrates the arts and academics for children from preschool through twelfth grade. AWSNA is an association of independent Waldorf schools and Waldorf teacher education institutes.

Christian Schools International
Christian Schools International is a community of Christian day schools and affiliated institutions which share a Reformed, Christian perspective. Our members are located primarily throughout North America and are organized geographically into districts.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The ELCA is a church body of five million members belonging to 11,000 congregations throughout the United States and the Caribbean. The organization supports schools spanning preschool through university.

Friends Council on Education
Founded in 1931, the Friends Council on Education is a coordinating service for Quaker nursery, elementary, and secondary schools in the United States. Among the 77 Friends schools it serves are some of the oldest in North America.

International Christian Accrediting Association
The ICAA assists Christian educational institutions—preschool through postsecondary—in the improvement of education within its Christian distinctives by establishing an organizational witness to their credibility of performance, integrity, and quality.”

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
LCMS serves over 280,000 students attending preschool through high school in every state. From its first school, St. Mathew in Manhattan, established in 1752, the LCMS network has blossomed to 2,023 schools.

National Association of Episcopal Schools
Within the Christian tradition of inclusion and open inquiry, the National Association of Episcopal Schools helps schools explore, discover, and articulate their visions and ministries as Episcopal schools.

National Association of Independent Schols
The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), a voluntary non-profit membership association, is the national advocate for independent elementary and secondary schools in the United States and abroad.

National Catholic Educational Association
The National Catholic Educational Association is the largest private professional education association in the worls representing 200,000 Catholic educators serving 7.6 million students enrolled in schools, colleges and seminaries throughout the US

National Christian School Association
The NCSA is an educational association of more than 120 secondary schools in 30 states serving more than 40,000 students. Most NCSA schools are independent, governed by a self-perpetuating board. All the schools have a strong relationship with the Churches of Christ. Students of all faiths are welcome at member schools.

Prizmah
Prizmah is the network for Jewish day schools across North America. Prizmah partners with day schools, yeshivas, philanthropists, and communities from all denominations, helping them grow their reach and impact and tackle the challenges on their path to success.

Seventh-day Adventist Board of Education K-12
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America is one of the larger Protestant parochial school systems in the U.S., with nearly 90,000 students enrolled in preschools through university. The organization serves 1,150 schools.

Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools
The SBACS is a professional organization dedicated to the advancement of church related Christian school ministries by fortifying school leaders with information, training, professional networks and an influence artery.

US Catholic Conference of Bishops
The USCCB’s Department of Education assists the bishops in their pastoral mission of teaching and promoting catechesis and education as a life-long process of total Catholic education that has, at its heart, evangelization. The department staffs the USCCB’s Committee on Education and its related committees.

Other Organizations and Resources

American Federation of Teachers
Trade union representing more than 1 million workers in education, health care and public service.

American Educational Research Association
Research, news, commentary, book reviews, newsletters, fellowships, grant information and more.

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Sections on news and issues, reading room, professional development and online store. Some sections of site are for ASCD members only.

Council of Chief State School Officers
The CCSSO is composed of public officials who lead the departments responsible for elementary and secondary education throughout the US

National Association of Elementary School Principals
Professional organization site providing news and views, professional development, networking opportunities, publications and research links and member services.

National Association of Secondary School Principals
Professional organization site providing news, professional development opportunities, school improvement information, research findings and member benefits.

National PTA Website
Presents the organization’s views on a broad variety of educational issues and interests under “PTA and Washington.”

National Education Association
Representing 2.5 million public education employees. Among its organizational priorities: “fighting congressional attempts to privatize public education.”

Teacher.org (How to Become a Teacher in California)
A non-governmental website “for teachers by teachers” whose mission is “to inform, empower, and encourage aspiring, new, and veteran teachers.”  The site contains useful information on state teaching requirements in California and throughout the nation.