Although both museums and schools figure into a learning network that includes lifelong learning processes in both formal and informal settings, these institutions must work further on achieving common educational goals. According to "Museums for a New Century," a report published in 1984, the museum-school relationship has been marked both by success and dissatisfaction. Museum educators say that teachers view museum visits simply as field trips, rather than serious educational activities; and teachers counter that museum educators do not let them know what their institutions have to offer. To facilitate collaborative efforts between the institutions, museum educators and teachers need to establish contact and develop a fuller understanding of the nature of museum learning, how it differs from classroom learning--particularly since ideas and concepts in museums are framed differently--and how the two settings can complement each other. Visits should be planned cooperatively by museum staff and teachers when they are relevant to curricular purposes. The visits should focus on exhibits related to those purposes and follow-up classroom sessions should build on these visits. Teachers should visit museums to assess potential resources and take advantage of the expertise of museum education specialists, whose responsibilities are to assist teachers in getting the most from museums. (DJR)