MASE FAQs

What is MASE?

MASE stands for Minnesota Administrators for Special Education. MASE is a professional membership organization that supports administrators and leaders who oversee special education programs across Minnesota. MASE is organized to promote professional leadership, provide the opportunity for study of problems common to its members, and to communicate, through discussion and publications, information that will develop improved services for exceptional children. Further, its purpose is to foster high quality programs of professional development for members, to make studies of selected programs that relate to services to children with disabilities, improving the leadership of administrators for special education and to be active in the legislative process.

What is MASE's mission?

MASE builds strong leaders who work on behalf of students with disabilities.

What does MASE do?

MASE supports its members and the broader field of special education in Minnesota through four core areas:

• Professional development — including conferences, webinars, and specialized academies that help members stay current on best practices, legal requirements, and leadership strategies
• Legislative advocacy — representing the interests of special education leaders at the Minnesota Capitol and keeping members informed on policy changes that affect their work
• Networking — connecting special education administrators across the state to share knowledge, resources, and peer support
• Guidance and resources — providing timely information on legal compliance, funding, and the day-to-day challenges of leading special education programs

Who can join MASE?

MASE welcomes a broad range of professionals connected to special education leadership in Minnesota, including active administrators and directors, associates working in or alongside special education, out-of-state professionals, students pursuing careers in special education administration, retirees, and business partners who serve the special education community. Membership categories are designed to fit a variety of roles and career stages.

Where is MASE located and who does it serve?

MASE is a statewide organization serving Minnesota. Its members work in school districts, cooperatives, and educational agencies throughout the state. MASE also maintains a connection to national special education organizations through its joint membership options with MASA (Minnesota Association of School Administrators) and national affiliates CEC (Council for Exceptional Children) and CASE (Council of Administrators of Special Education).

How is MASE connected to MASA, CEC, and CASE?

MASE offers joint membership options with MASA, the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, allowing members to belong to both organizations together. MASE also has ties to the national organizations CEC (Council for Exceptional Children) and CASE (Council of Administrators of Special Education), and members can add national CEC/CASE membership as part of their dues.

How long has MASE been around?

Recommended: add founding year and a brief history here.

How do I get involved with MASE?

There are several ways to get involved.

• You can become a member by completing the online membership form on the MASE website.
• MASE members can serve on a committee. Terms are one year.
• MASE members are encouraged to particiate in the Mentor Connection.
• You can attend conferences or present at a conference.
• Register to be part of a New Director's Cohort.
• You can attend SLICE webinars.
• You can engage with MASE's advocacy efforts at the state level.
• You can also support MASE by becoming a business partner!

How do I contact MASE?

Reach us by phone at 651-299-0502.

Our mailing address/office is located at:
1601 Utica Ave S, Ste 213
Minneapolis, MN 55416

To connect to a staff member directly, view the MASE staff page.

What does membership get me?

Being a MASE member primarily means having strong professional support as a special education leader. Members gain access to high‑quality professional development, statewide networking with peers, and ongoing legislative advocacy that represents their interests at the Capitol. They also receive guidance on legal and compliance issues, regular communication with updates and resources tailored to special education administration, and opportunities for recognition through MASE awards.

View all member benefits here.

How do I become a member?

To join MASE, you simply choose the membership category that fits your role and complete the online membership form on their website. After submitting the form and paying the annual dues, your membership becomes active, and you gain access to all MASE benefits.

Join MASE here!

What are the different membership types?

MASE offers a variety of membership options, including joint memberships with the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) and the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE). There are also voting and non-voting MASE membership options, an out-of-state membership option, student membership, retiree membership, and business partner membership options.

View MASE membership options here.

My record in the database shows that I've been a member since 2024, but I've had a membership for longer than that. Can I change it?

Yes, we changed our website platform in 2025, which is why that date was put in. You can update that field in your profile.

Can I pay dues for several members at once?

Yes, if you are set up in our database as the Primary Billing contact, you can pay for several people in one transaction. Here are the steps:

1. Log in to the website and access the Member Compass in the top right corner of your browser.
2. If any of your members should have the national CEC/CASE membership of $145/person per year added, please let our office know and we will update that. We will also ask members to update this field prior to membership renewal in a census process.
3. Click on the Account History tab on the left side of the page to view all open dues invoices. To print all at once, click Batch Actions, then click Print transactions.
4. If all amounts look correct, click the Pay Balance button. To pay for specific individuals only, choose the Specific Invoices option and select the relevant members.
5. Pay online with a credit card or ACH, or print invoices and pay by check or purchase order.

I don't get your emails—what can I do?

We know that some school districts have very strict spam filters in place. If you've already whitelisted our domain (mnase.org) on your own, you can try the following:

Copy this link and forward it to your IT department: https://www.mailchimp.com/about/ips/

The IT professional should then follow the instructions on the Mailchimp IP site to calculate the complete range of our IP addresses. After they have the full IP list, they'll need to allowlist (whitelist) all Mailchimp IP addresses on their domain.

Another option if your organization is blocking our emails is to use your personal email account in the Professional Contact email field in your member record.

I requested an invoice for an event or membership, but the website shows it's unpaid. Why?

Most likely, this is because we don't have a primary billing contact set up for your district. Contact Laurie Pumper and we will get you set up! Your organization's primary billing contact can easily see and pay invoices once they are in the system.

Do you have slides for the SLICE sessions on the website?

Yes! You need to be a member and logged in on the website. This page has links to the slide decks we've received for this year's sessions, and here's a link to material from previous years.

Does MASE offer continuing education credit for SLICE sessions?

At this time, we do not offer continuing education credit for SLICE webinars. We do offer continuing education credit for many of our other professional development offerings, such as our conferences and Finance Academy.

Do you have links to conference presentations?

Yes, here are links to the most recent conference presentations:

• 2026 Best Practices Conference handouts
• 2025 Fall Leadership Conference schedule and materials
• Past Conference Handouts (because of the website transition, a lot of the PDF links are broken, but many of the website links are still OK)

How do I register to attend a conference?

Conference registration for the Spring Best Practices Conference opens at the beginning of March. Registration for the Fall Leadership Conference opens at the beginning of August. After registration opens on our website, you can sign up and pay on the website. The conference central page will also have links to book a room at the conference resort, view the schedule, and see the speakers with their bios.

How do I submit a proposal to present at a conference?

Before each conference, MASE will launch a Call for Proposals (CFP) where you can submit an idea for consideration at the conference. The Spring CFP will be open from early January to February, and the CFP for the Fall Conference will be open in early June through August. If you would like to be added to a notification list for the Call for Proposals, please email cassie.wray@mnase.org.