Date:    Sat, 18 Jul 1998 13:52:40 EDT
From:    Full Name <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: AAM, accreditation, etc.

     [BIG SNIP]

This cost will not be easily absorbed by small independant sites who are not
linked with the National Park Service or by individuals- who by the nature of
their jobs - never get paid a decent wage.

     I just have to laugh at this.  I work for the NPS (actually contract to
     them) and I make such a "decent wage" that I bust my blankety-blank at
     2.5 jobs to support myself -- and even that doesn't make ends meet
     sometimes.  I don't expect that my program will pay for my continuing
     education or my "credentials" -- and I expect that I will have to take
     on an additional .5 jobs to do it myself.  But a certification program
     would have to be set up so that those who make the effort to go through
     it reap the benefits simply because those individuals are the most
     committed.  And if that's what happens, you bet your sweet bippy that I
     will do whatever it takes cause the system just ain't workin' now, my
     friends.

     Whatever -- when I first started graduate school I was so idealistic
     and thought i and my colleagues would change the museum world and make
     it better.  Perhaps this whole certification thing is still part of my
     idealistic fantasy and it will never work...especially if people don't
     want it to.

     No malicious intent toward you (or anyone else), Katie.  Just feeling
     tired.  And I guess I'm actually assuming that you were referring to
     the museum-professional certification discussion that occurred just
     recently -- were you?  Cause boy, I'll feel really stupid if you
     weren't!

     Jennifer
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