To Jenny Lasky & Christine O'Connell:
 
Jarvis Grant was right on point with his response to Jenny's inquiry.
The field is wide open for anyone dedicated to the idea that museum's are an
integral part of a community's educational infrastructure.
 
With regard to his point about looking to small museums, it is in this area
that the greatest changes in public education will take place.  Why? Because
small museums are often found in small communities.  Small communities have
less bureaucratic issues to deal with (like cumbersome school boards, etc.)
when change is called for. And small communities often rely more heavily on
their museums to provide informal educational experiences to students that
can't be funded by the schools (i.e. art education in K thru 6th grade) or
can't be offered because the school district faculty may lack a specific
expertise (i.e. hard-science nature studies in grades K thru 6th).
 
Also, small museums are often found in rural communities.  Rural communities
have been getting a lot of funding attention because they are so underserved
and often saddled with underfunded government mandates that very often
devastate such things as educational electives, libraries and the like.
 
I think one key you can look for is the curriculum work a particular museum
is involved with--especially if the education team is involved with
curriculum design, development and testing.  Often, educators get their
start in the museum world by becoming involved in curriculum development.
For example, I know of a marine biologist that helped one ed. team develop a
study pond program for schools.  She is now on the ed. team staff, conducts
teacher inservices for educators in several school districts, and conducts
pond study classes for grades 4th thru 6th almost continuously 5 days a week.
 
One last pitch for small museums.  The State of California has made
available 1000 charters for establishing break-the-mold approaches to public
education.  Museum/school district partnerships are expected to apply for
several of these charters.  Many of these museum-based chartered schools
will occur in small communities because the concerns of the teachers union
are more easily assuaged
when teacher groups are small and/or less factionated.
 
So, Jenny & Christine...my advice...look for opportunity at smaller museums.
Consider museums that serve rural communities.  Seek out museums that are
integral parts of a communities educational infrastructure, and find and
museum with an education team that is very involved with curriculum design,
development and testing in an area you are interested in.
Rich Jones
Shasta Natural Science Association
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