Opponent Testimony on HB 227
Before the
House of Representatives
Government Oversight and Reform Committee
By
Nancy Brown
January
Chairman Representative Brown, Vice Chairman Representative Blessing, Ranking
Minority Member Representative Clyde and members of the committee, my name is
Nancy Brown. I will testify today to provide opposition testimony on HB227
My experience in the salon and school business has spanned 5 decades. I have taught
the Cosmetology Program in both Vocational Education and Private Schools in Ohio. I
founded Ladies and Gentlemen Salon in 1975. My husband Ed Brown and I became
business partners in 1987. Currently we own 3 salons with locations in Mentor, Legacy
Village in Beachwood, and Chicago, Illinois. In 1997 we opened a school for
Cosmetology in Mentor Ohio, in 2006 a school in Rocky River, Ohio and in 2013 we
purchased an existing school in Austintown, Ohio. We employ 300 employees our
student population at any given time is about 300.I have provided written information
on our community service involvement, our awards etc. to further establish our
credibility as I realize the necessity of the committee having that information.
I am speaking today about the HB227 because I have real concerns about the
outcome that passing this bill may have on the future of the graduates of our Ohio
schools and the financial sustainability of the Salons in Ohio. Ohio has one of the most
effective Cosmetology Boards in the country. I have firsthand knowledge because we
own a salon in Chicago Illinois. There is no practical testing just written. The salons are
never inspected and anyone can work there shampooing etc. as long as a licensed
person is with them. However that is never monitored.
As school owners since 1997; we serve on an Advisory Board which consists of 62 Private
Cosmetology School across the country. We meet and participate on calls monthly. So
we have the unique opportunity to converse about our respective State Boards we
always feel the Ohio State Board is far superior.
The proponents of the HB227 argue that Ohio is the only State Board that includes a
Managers License which require 300 additional hours for a total of 1800. What they do
not say is that 6 states have basic Cosmetology at 2000 or more hours.
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Idaho- 2000
Wyoming 2000
Iowa- 2100
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Nebraska 2100
South Dakota -2100
Oregon with 2300
Colorado 1800
Kentucky 1800
Hawaii 1800
West Virginia 1800
While Ohio Licensure includes Men’s cutting and Relaxation Massage in the 1500
hour basic program and !800 hour additional managers program The other states
that offer more hours are also require an additional 1500 Barber License and a 600
hour Massage License.
The elimination of the Managers License would affect the schools that offer it in a
negative way. The Managers Program and the State Board Managers test that follows
is the only qualifier currently in place for the advancement beyond basic skills.
This 300 hour Program and test is the only requirement in place for a student that seeks
a career as an Instructor of Cosmetology, Esthetics, or Nails. The necessity of having a
more in depth understanding of all of the areas required for Public Health and Safety,
as well as the practice needed to teach this will not happen without these additional
hours.
Cosmetology services while creating a beautiful end result are achieved by using hot
tools and caustic chemicals, razor sharp implements. If the Instructor is not advanced in
their own skills and knowledge how can they teach others. The 1500 hours have been
challenged by many who say the Career Tech Students can graduate in 1000 hours.
The truth about the comparison between the two is apples to oranges. As a former
teacher of Cosmetology on the Vocational level I have experience. The vocational
student attends school is some cases less than 3 hours a day, they are between 15-17
years old in most cases and many schools exist in rural areas and they are unable to
practice on clients. Most of their work is on mannequins. They are quite simply still
children teachers in this program need skills to consult with the parents. Many students
do not take the test at the end of the program. This is not meant to demean the
vocational student in any way. Even though we have a school we continue to hire from
our vocational schools in our area. However they are less practiced they may score
well on paper but need a great deal of additional coaching because an unpracticed
unskilled hand cause a great deal of harm.
The adult contingent that the private schools educate are in many cases career
change students, or students having gone to college for 2 or more years that simply
wanted to work in a service, artistic, fashion centered environment. But they do in many
cases want to become Instructors. The additional 300 hours in the managers program
set them on a different path and give the student the opportunity not only to learn
what they should not do but practice the skills so injuries do not occur.
The arguments comparing the hours of medical procedures like an EMT, or someone
using harsh chemicals in farming are not even close to what we need to learn about
disease and contagions. Our industry is misunderstood and our hands on education is
much undervalued by those who think severe harm cannot befall the public if the flat
iron of 450 degrees to create lovely smooth hair but is held at close proximity to the
face is held in an unskilled unpracticed hand. No amount of study can minimize that
danger only practice under a Qualified Instructor.
If the student wishes to become a teacher as some students aspire to do, the Managers
Program provides another level of learning about the industry. The Managers Program
offers the necessary managing skills, advanced skills in technical, business and personal
development training at a higher level. As outlined in Revised Code 4731.13
It is also the first step required toward acquiring a license to teach. In our school if the
student passes both basic and managers tests after they receive their license they
become eligible to enroll as an apprentice instructor. To complete that requires 1000
hours of hands on training in the school reported to state board.
We provide the teacher training in theory and practical and compensate them as they
learn. This program has allowed us to develop teachers that are consistent in their
knowledge and training especially on State Board Rules and Laws.
The concerns regarding the proposed changes in HB227 to shrink the current managers
program to 100 hours of advanced would be a negative outcome for the graduates.
Less opportunities for those who do want to become teachers. As recent graduates
they know the curriculum. The more recently it was learned is better retained, and
taught. I became an apprentice teacher right after my licensure in 1966. If I had not
had this experience I may have chosen another career
How would it impact the salon if there were no manager’s license? Graduates need to
have a working knowledge of how the salon business operates. We conduct advisory
boards meetings on a regular basis with salon owners who hire our students.
The feedback they give us on the difference in a student that has completed the
managers program has been noticed and all positive. I have included their comments
in the packet.
We began as a small salon with three people now we have 300. We began with a
school with 11 students now we have over 250. As large business like the proponents of
this bill we are already have a level of accountability does not occur with many salons
in Ohio. Most salons 33% operate with an average of 10-15 people. They are owned by
a hair dresser and quite frankly cannot afford an individual with an MBA to manage
their salon. Salons operate to serve the hours that their guests are available. A salon
owner cannot be there all the time and has to be sure they have someone that would
make good choices with regard services being performed, sanitary practices, advice
on new techniques etc. . This I believe was the intended purpose of Managers License.
Business decisions for would be made by ownership and safety and customer care
service related decisions handled by a Manager’s Licensed employee.
Another point raised is the advanced training taught at the Managers level. The school
is better equipped to train than most salons. Schools have presentation equipment and
trained teachers. In many cases in a salon it is the owner and even online the salon
education programs can be very expensive. $200-500 a month for salon access for
their stylists is an average. In salon trainers can charge as much as several thousand a
day.
The managers program as the State Board guidelines required offered advanced
training in technical services for hair and spa, a class in creating a business plan, salon
tours to gain business knowledge, and most importantly a teacher just dedicated to
teaching the program.
The idea of Managers Programs being chosen strictly to make money due to financial
aid and use years. As a school we must comply with decisions made by the
Department of Education and to be clear they are the only ones that decide on the
span of time it takes to educate a Cosmetology student. If it spans one or two use
years. We are also prevented from advising a student to not take all the financial aid
they can get even if we believe they are over borrowing. The Department of Education
does not allow us to dissuade them.
The further reaching truth about the school vs the salon for advanced training is; the
better prepared a student is by the time they graduate, the less money the salon needs
to spend training them. The stylist and the salon owner are then the real beneficiaries of
the 300 additional hours in the Managers Program.
If all schools do not view this program as important they may choose not to teach it but
why must we all lower the bar in an industry by all accounts set to grow by 14% in the
next 3 years. In a day when education costs are soaring we are held accountable like
no other industry for a program that can promise a job a year after graduation.
I hope I have been able to provide a different slant on what really goes on we are
hands on in our business my reason for providing this testimony is not for my agenda it is
for the many people whom I have seen benefit from the way the State of Ohio stands
head and shoulders above other states in integrity and ethics in the Cosmetology,
Managers, Esthetics, Nail and Natural Stylists Programs.
Thank you for allowing me to share my opinion.