CEU Ripoff
- Thread starter lxt
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Well, this has all been very interesting.
About sweating a G. Yeah, some of us do sweat it. I won't cry my sob story to you
, but everyone has their own ups & downs in life. Hope you enjoy the week of CEUs, I'm envious. Really.
I used to be an xray tech. Had to get CEUs to keep cert. No problem. Then idiots in the state group pushed for state licensure. It passed, more money, more hassles... It may very well happen with arboriculture. Don't be surprised when someday ISA or TCIA push for mandated federal or states licensing.
About sweating a G. Yeah, some of us do sweat it. I won't cry my sob story to you
, but everyone has their own ups & downs in life. Hope you enjoy the week of CEUs, I'm envious. Really. I used to be an xray tech. Had to get CEUs to keep cert. No problem. Then idiots in the state group pushed for state licensure. It passed, more money, more hassles... It may very well happen with arboriculture. Don't be surprised when someday ISA or TCIA push for mandated federal or states licensing.
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
And conversely what should irk you as well is someone climbing a tree and more so pruning one that doesn't know enough about trees to pass a simple test.
Isn't this what we call a hack.
:jawdrop:
My exact feelings. You know what you're doing, why pay someone else to give you a certification that nobody understands or even knows exists?
And the landscape architects thing?
Toddppm
Addicted to ArboristSite
I guess it all depends on your area and how much the public knows about the ISA and Cert. Arb's. Around here anybody that does a little bit of research themselves usually ends up getting info from the extension office and then referred to the ISA sites. The extension people are very invloved with the colleges, landscape and tree associations. Works good. Most of the towns and Counties here also do this.
Maybe the smaller areas just don't have the resources for this? But even here in a large metro area the staff is very small.
The ISA can't do it all, the info is there for those who look for it.
The last 2 times I was up for renewal, I was short credits, should have learned the first time
Last Dec., I was short about 22 credits, 3 years came up fast! Had to get an extension. Not in the budget but I bought some of the compendia books(very good BTW), took some of the online tests and a couple magazine articles and got it done.
I don't understand all the negative comments about the ISA, they can only do so much with what they have and I think they do a good job with their resources. Seems like a lot of volunteer hours are put in to help out too and the staff is very small from what I've seen.
Maybe the smaller areas just don't have the resources for this? But even here in a large metro area the staff is very small.
The ISA can't do it all, the info is there for those who look for it.
The last 2 times I was up for renewal, I was short credits, should have learned the first time
Last Dec., I was short about 22 credits, 3 years came up fast! Had to get an extension. Not in the budget but I bought some of the compendia books(very good BTW), took some of the online tests and a couple magazine articles and got it done.
I don't understand all the negative comments about the ISA, they can only do so much with what they have and I think they do a good job with their resources. Seems like a lot of volunteer hours are put in to help out too and the staff is very small from what I've seen.
Go to Boston instead for NEGrows--that'll be a show!
lxt if you are getting sticker shock then shop around, and keep testing on the ceu articles that is 18 of the 30 you need right there $0. Yer math needs help but i aint got the time. :monkey:
btw accredited companies and ctsp are good certs, if you make the effort.
ask those who have made the effort; they are glad they did.
yeah i can back bolts from the blue--do you have anything coherent to say?
$0....not the point guy! re-read the post
!! I dont mind continuing education but not when it is 2x, 3x the amount needed over & above the initial exam to obtain the credential in the first place! Sorry.........money grab!Accredited & CTSP.............are you goofy? You, codit & your other fictional carachters have a compass pointing in the wrong direction!
I took the test.....was easy! why? cause the money mongers at ISA & other organizations are lobbying & putting in place laws & ordinances stating CA`s must be on staff! Did it make me better? NO!... all it did was cost me money, sorry! I am no prouder being a CA than I was before obtaining that credential or more knowledgeable!
CEU`s are a RIPOFF...plain & simple, Hmmm... bolts from the blue?? the author has no clue should be the follow up!
LXT.................
mckeetree
Addicted to ArboristSite
I know. Seems like my TCIA dues were like $700.00. I just paid them a couple weeks ago.
Koa Man
Kahuna giganticus
They are not claiming to be certified and making a big deal out of it, like some CAs I know who are now telling people if you are not a CA you don't know how to prune trees. Some of the worst work I have seen have been done by a CA who actually teaches some of the CA prep classes here.
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
(snip) Don't be surprised when someday ISA or TCIA push for mandated federal or states licensing.
Oh, that it would happen! Best way to keep hacks out. Just ask the AMA.
Note: This has been kicked around, in here, over and over, so I'm not going there, again.
-Miles
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
I have to ask, why? I get the excellent TCIA magazine for free. Let me know the benefits that come with TCIA membership and I may just kick them some $$$. Thanks.
BTW, we're busy as heck down here in Austin, right now. How's it going in Big D?
-Miles
Are you serious, or joshing me?
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
My point is that if someone does not even attain the entry level of knowledge that the CA takes.....no matter how aesthetically pleasing their pruning may be (for example) if they cut open every branch collar they make a cut on from lack of knowledge they they are doing as much damage as a bull in a china shop.
mckeetree
Addicted to ArboristSite
Someone has already made a remark, but yes, I am all for it.
Sunrise Guy
Addicted to ArboristSite
(OK, I said I wouldn't go there, again, but-----)
Oh man, rest assured I would not kid you. Strict licensing and regulations keep those who fight through the maze to get it, at the top of the income scale. I've been in the professional world long enough to see that this is absolutely true. The more road-blocks you throw up to the attainment of professional status in a given field, the more money those at the top of the field will make, ultimately, as those of lesser drive and/or intelligence fall by the way. Again, the AMA (and the whole medical field) is a prime example along with those who eat the :censored: sandwiches to become lawyers, veterinarians, engineers, etc. Licensing does, by definition, keep the hacks out. If it were possible to absolutely prevent hacks from doing tree jobs in a given area, via strict licensing and regulations, the income of those with the proper credentials would skyrocket.
Sad to say, I have found that those with the least education and professional credentials, in any given field, are the ones who yell the loudest against testing, licensing, regulations, yearly fees, etc. I saw this in my last profession, as a tattooist and owner of the first licensed tattoo shop in Texas (License#000001), and that profession has been ruined by the glut of people now running shops under very weak licensing conditions.
Yeah, believe me, you do want stronger regulations, more enforcement, stricter licensing standards, and so on. A good number, in here, will rail against the same, but I know what I know and, sadly, they are wrong.
mckeetree
Addicted to ArboristSite
It would be hard for me to completely justify TCIA dues but I have been a member for years and order quite a bit of material from them at some discount because of membership. The more regular employees you have the more benefit you get from it I think. We are fairly busy right now.
mckeetree
Addicted to ArboristSite
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
at the risk of being redundant....as I have said this before, we have the licensing (CA) and with or without state/fed licensing we, again like the med. profession, have a great need for specialist credentials to become credible. Or you are just a GP and the GP can refer/defer to the specialist if the need arises.
Maybe it takes the state/fed entity to financially handle the execution of this endeavor as the ISA is not likely to go there very soon.
This would be consistent with the "more hoops you jump through the more bucks find their way into your pocket" theory.
Maybe it takes the state/fed entity to financially handle the execution of this endeavor as the ISA is not likely to go there very soon.
This would be consistent with the "more hoops you jump through the more bucks find their way into your pocket" theory.
Like I said, make a coherent comment about it and I will respond.
Still waiting.
And you're still calling free CEU's a ripoff.
Coherent.... Ok,.. My girlfriend & others I know have Bachelor degrees or above, the only continuing of education they go through is; system change involving a new program, training on a new handheld, maybe a public speaking class in case of presentations, etc....which is #1 paid for by the employer & #2 done with a trainer on sight to insure their understanding.
they/she does not have to [refresh] themselves in, english, writing, math or the other "core" classes which gave them the degree to begin with or the elective classes!
I dont have to read books & take CEU`s for my CDL drivers license nor do other drivers for a regular license! im not against continuing education!! AGAIN & ill speak coherently for you!!!!!!! when keeping the cert. requires you to engage in answering 3, 4 times or more the questions than the original Cert. providing exam did.....there is something wrong!
It should be the other way around, maybe those 18 ceu`s are free but figure that out! roughly what? 350 - 400 questions twice as many as the original exam!! and your a little over half way there.......now buy the educational material for the other 12 & answer those questions...cmon!
Like I said Ill probably just retake the exam....why not, thats a refresher! wasnt that hard & the fee will be paid through the exam for three more years, its a no brainer...most already have the study guide! re-read it, save the time & the money & ill still be just as certified as the next guy! Not to mention I can read the study guide over three years in depth!
BTW....there are no such thing as free CEU`s, you paid a membership fee & certification fee! & will continue to pay these fee`s.......LOL, still think there free? what benefits do we really get? seriously! a job bank! reduced costs on already inflated expensive books, arborist news(must pay for now), what do they offer that I cant go elsewhere & get? other than a cert.!
also membership dues just increased with the same number on staff...so their publication says! Ceu`s if not a rip off are at the least done in a non efficient azzbackward manner requiring that of which the DMV doesnt even require for a teen age driver holding a.......LICENSE did I speak coherently enough for you Guy?
LXT......................
