Museos Unite is very interested to learn about a site called "FutureLab" that aims to bring together non-profit freethinkers to figure out what the heck is wrong with things, and how things should look in 2020. (That's just 11 years away, folks. We better get moving.)
Anyway, we've joined up. We suggest you do as well. Let's put our heads together a solve this thing!
I know this is a comment on a older post, but thought this short article resonated with conversations that were happening a few weeks ago about salaries and job opportunities in the museum world. Maybe if school teachers are finding financial sympathy for the cause of educating the public, museum could too.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.good.is/post/the-good-100-the-teacher-salary-project/
Erin --
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. Great point! I especially love this quote: “As long as you expect American teachers to take that Mother Teresa vow of poverty, you’ll never have that competition.” (as in competition for the best teachers)
So true, and definitely able to be extended to the Museos, right? There are so many of us (and we are smart, hardworking people) but we just cannot seem to be paid in a way that supports our lives.
But your point, Erin, about "finding financial sympathy" is a good one. People take Museos (and museums) for granted, much like they take public school education for granted. However, I think that the teachers are able to remind people of a favorite teacher they had in school who changed their lives, which can rally sympathy. Although many/most people can recount an instance where they visited a museum and really enjoyed one aspect of it, museums are not an integral part of the American societal experience for most people (whereas school is something everyone is required to attend).
Maybe I should write up a whole post on this.
Any thoughts?
And beyond that, teachers have a leg to stand on when negotiating because there is nearly always a teacher shortage. Teachers threatening to enter other professions holds more water than museos making the same threat, because there are MORE museos than positions.
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