i s a regional certs...problem

thattreeguy

thattreeguy

TreeHouser
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
1,939
Location
Humboldt County CA
I found out awhile back
that the isa does not post on its verify a certification page...(web)
regional certs like my western chapter isa cert tree worker.
They said because it was a western chapter test not an isa test

excuse me, wait a min, what is different about any of the general knowledge world wide besides tree id?
biology is biology, and science is science

i think chapter tests should be recognized through out the organization, maybe on their main web page next to the cert it could list the chapter,
but i feel like if i earned it , it should be there,


i got an email about renewals the other day, and e mailed back a reply similar to this about how i feel that clients dont need to go to multiple sites to verify certification and how its sort of a kick in the pants to earn something, to have it diminished

i mean really

so i let them know that i am starting to agree with folks that they are a money grubbing organization now, and that i'd like to be proved wrong.
but what do they do for us poor buggers in the field who cant afford to go hob nob at trade shows or seminars......
theyre quick to want cert arb $ , but what am i getting besides jobs for being an arb

i let her know i'd like a reply, and a solution to this situation.

any thoughts from y'all, anyone have the same problem, or agree that a cert test should be a cert test....who cares if rose gave the test, or bob on the other side of the states gave the test, fact is ...you tested, did the climb test and passed.....


is climbing different on the isa ctw exam...did i miss something here.
i know it may be trivial, but hey
when a client goes on to verify your certs they should show up, not have to site hop to verify certs.

i hope they fix this
 
Almost nobody bothers checking or verifying your certification status. I took the test 15 years ago and never renewed after my 3 year certification expired. I had about 5000 cards printed up saying 'certified arborist' and I still haven't used them all up yet. ;) I have never once had anybody question my certification status. It's not like I'm going to unlearn my vocation.
 
Hmmm, I thought I had seen tree worker in there before. I let my tree worker lapse before I got my cert arb, TW seems worthless in the scheme at the moment
 
If you know you schit and can prove it, ISA seems a worthless cert all around, just my opinion.
 
Arb cert makes me money, I would miss alot of municipal work without it
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9
i agree arb is the best thing to have on there, and i got arb 1st
i got ctw for leading a class to some spanies in so cal
i took the exam with them, to lead the way
(no one wanted to do the work climb 1st)
candy asses

regardless
i just think the chapter shouldn't matter
and isa should recognize the certs given by their chapters

i know its minor
but when you advertise your credentials
it helps showing (even if only a lil bit) how qualified you may be to do the work safely

sets me apart from hack and stack...up the way from me
or lop and top in eureka
and my favorite outfit
drink and dink....drunk and cant get much done in a day out in the hills



not real names but the drunk showed up, and dropped a tree in the wires
client found a beer bottle nearby
funny it matched the one in his back pocket
wedge in 1
beer in the other
regardless we got paid to drive over 2hrs out to go finish the job up
 
I agree with you about simplifying the CA list.

I won't go as far as saying the ISA sucks or that they (at the management level) are a bunch of money grubbbers, but after 9 years as a CA I let my cert lapse. I still attend enough events to get the requirred CEU's but could not sign their code of ethics which obligated me to snitch on CA's or ISA members who do "shotty" work, even if it is due to a customers insistance or some other legitimate reason.

I'm with Brian and Paul, if you know your stuff, you know it and like you said, you don't un-learn it. Heck, according to the ISA code of ethics, I'm supposed to report Brian for not changing his business cards.

I could significantly supplement my income if I had kept the cert current. I used to do a fair amount of appraisals/evaluations for my dad's company and can't/wont any more as I am not current.
I can still kill or prune trees for him though.

The ISA has lost it's luster in more ways than one as far as I am concerned.
 
Treepreacher51 said:
... could not sign their code of ethics which obligated me to snitch on CA's or ISA members who do "shotty" work,
Click to expand...

I never had to sign a code of ethics. I just renewed last year. I keep my cert up to date, and my membership, too. I get enough business of their website to make that worth while financially.

Jesse and Brian- I don't mean to imply that I think this of either of you: but what you're saying about not being able to "unlearn your trade" is really of an example of why you should keep up with the CEUs. Things change. They (whoever "they" are) learn more about trees and for the average tree guy that is barely a certified arborist, staying involved keeps you in touch with the latest concepts. How else would I know to sell my topping as "pollarding?"! :/:

Now, by virtue of just hanging around the treehouse, you both talk enough treework day to day that you are already privy to all the new stuff. But we are not the norm.

I'm not completely sold on all the virtues and values of the ISA, but I'm sold enough to know I benefit from being involved. It's worth $125/yr

love
nick
 
http://www.isa-arbor.com/certification/codeOfEthics/index.aspx


Copy/paste from the above link
Signing the Code of Ethics as a current ISA Certified Arborist is a requirement. If you have not submitted your signed agreement it will be provided to you with your recertification notice. You will not be allowed to recertify without completing the agreement

Take a look at the CA agreement pdf at the bottom. If you have been found to be in violation of "any law" you are to disclose it. Do traffic tickets apply, How about domestic violence?

I think it is B.S.

More copy/paste from the FAQ page

What happens if I refuse to sign the agreement?
Submission of the required signed agreement is a necessary and appropriate condition of those seeking new certification as well as those maintaining their certification. Failure to provide the required information may result in certification discipline and/or sanctions under the Certification Program Appeals Policy. This may lead to certifications being revoked or suspended. These rules serve significant organizational, public protection, and professional purposes, and are particularly important where court, governmental, and professional organization matters relate directly to a professional arborist's public conduct.
 
I didn't have to sign it either. Your renewal fell on the "bad" year! Enough of us must have complained when we heard about it that they didn't include it when my last renewal came up either. I'm with Nick, I dislike how the ISA is run, I don't want to get on the board, and it makes me enough money to be cost effective.
On the other hand I would love to learn more about appraisals!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14
they say they are working on it but there's privacy issues and little kinks for the boards to work out, but it is on the agenda
 
sotc said:
On the other hand I would love to learn more about appraisals!
Click to expand...
Doesn't the PNW do any sessions on this?

Appraisal is far and away the most requested topic by conference programmers--I'm doing 4 talks on it this winter, picked each time from a list of over a dozen topics.

I'm with you and Nick too--I disagree with some policies, but I agree with a whole lot of what ISA does and stands for.
 
PNW ISA is pretty lame compared to western chapter. They dont even have a venue for this years conference
 
say what Willie? I thought this year was in Washington then next is the international in Portland? I have been to the 2009 in Kelowna and the 2005 in Victoria, both were well organized and executed. From my perspective it sucks that we canadians have to pay US bucks for registration etc even when the event is held up here in Canada.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18
sotc said:
PNW ISA is pretty lame compared to western chapter. They dont even have a venue for this years conference
Click to expand...

i think western chapter is a good chapter

if youre from frisco south.......they dont do jack up here
we did the cass turnbull thing and got ceu's locally
but we did it on our own

no classes here on anything relevant to here, mainly city stuff

which amazes me, because with the size of the trees here we could do some good rigging seminars,
falling classes, advanced climbing skills workshops etc....
but no we can go to san fran to learn about how to plant urban trees or something that doesnt apply to my location

i've inquired with wc isa, but i think they feel it's too far for folks to go and would be low turn out

maybe 1 day they'll do something up here
 
I view the western chapter as being very san fran-centric. I see many of the filers for classes get me all pumped up, then I see that they are wayyyyy up north.

That said, the WC climbing comp is in san diego in two weeks! :)
 
Hi guy's. Been trolling, time for a change.
I will be posting pic's of the event in Balboa Park, San Diego after the event.
But on topic, You all feel you have valid reasons for your belief's.
We do not do residential and I can say cert's matter if you live in So-Cal,
We are TCIA Aceditted, I and 5 others are CTSP, and we are cert arb's.
It is dog eat dog here,
Jeff
 
thattreeguy said:
i think western chapter is a good chapter

if youre from frisco south.......they dont do jack up here
we did the cass turnbull thing and got ceu's locally
but we did it on our own

no classes here on anything relevant to here, mainly city stuff

which amazes me, because with the size of the trees here we could do some good rigging seminars,
falling classes, advanced climbing skills workshops etc....
but no we can go to san fran to learn about how to plant urban trees or something that doesnt apply to my location

i've inquired with wc isa, but i think they feel it's too far for folks to go and would be low turn out

maybe 1 day they'll do something up here
Click to expand...

They need to be prompted! Write them.
Jeff :P
 
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