PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
In 1978 my partner and I opened our first school. To say the least, it was a brave undertaking. We made the decision to incorporate as a for profit, tax paying school rather that a non-profit school for all of the reasons that anyone who invests their life's savings and opens a business could understand. We knew that we could educate children better, and more cost effectively than the public school, and make a profit. To us it seemed like being a tax paying school was more in keeping with the American way.
What we discovered was that not too many people understood how a school could also be a business. We found that we were discriminated against by local communities and by the federal government because we paid taxes. At the time, even the accrediting agencies would not visit nor accredit a school that was for profit. To us that seemed crazy! Then in the early 1980's we met the people at NIPSA. We finally had people whom we could talk to, other professionals who had taken the same risks as we had; people who really understood not only education and business, but also how the two belong together.
Now it is 15 years later and I continue to reap the benefits of belonging to NIPSA. I still receive the benefits that I have over the years, and still appreciate the opportunity to talk with other school owners. But now, NIPSA has taken on greater importance than ever before. In addition to having been a guide to us over the years through the required self-study necessary for the accreditation process, they have also been valuable in helping find solutions to what at times seemed like unsolvable problems.
Today NIPSA has expanded beyond just being there when we needed them. NIPSA has an active lobby fighting for equity with the non profit schools, working hard to change the present definition of private school to include tax paying schools (at present the federal government's definitions of private school is private non profit). With the current definition, tax paying schools are being discriminated against.
NIPSA has also expanded to include schools in other countries. Although primarily an accrediting body, being recognized by CITA (The Commission of International and Transregional Accreditation) has the effect of attracting foreign students. CITA is a national/international accrediting association, established, developed and administered by the regional accrediting association of the United States and their umbrella group, the International Council of School Accrediting Commission (ICSAC).
I invite you to contact me, or any of the Board members if you have any questions. For more information please call our national office. I look forward to welcoming you into our family of schools.
Allan J. Blau, Ed.D.
President, NIPSA
