There is a worm in the apple. Salon owners, distributors, and manufacturer’s complain that all a student learns in cosmetology school is how to pass the state board exam, not the skills required of today’s professional. Experts say schools require too few hours of training for a nail technician to earn her license, and the hours that are required often cover a curriculum that is impractical and outdated. NAILS talked to school administrators, teachers, salon owners, manufacturers, distributors, technicians, and s

tudents to find out what’s wrong with our schools and what’s needed to make them right.

The challenges facing cosmetology schools can’t be considered unusual in an industry as young as the nail industry, especially considering that licensing nail technicians is still a relatively new practice. After all, U.S. public education has plenty problems of its own and it’s been around for hundreds of years. However, even making allowances for the industry’s youth, most professionals agree that cosmetology school education needs an overhaul if it is going to be able to produce the highly qualified nail technicians of the future.

Whose responsibility is it to reform cosmetology education? Ron Smith, director of the Association of Accredited Cosmetology Schools (AACS), says there is enough responsibility to go around: “Schools are accountable to the state board of cosmetology and the board of education. But salons, schools, the government, and the associations all have responsibility to improve the system.”

Some industry leaders say that although the system could stand improvement, on-the-job training will always be necessary for technicians just out of school. Says Smith, “You can’t expect them to come out of school completely ready. There is a certain amount of training that has to continue, as in any vocation. What I would like to see is a matching of the expectations of the salons and of the schools as to where the graduate should be at graduation. Granted, right now there is a gap.”

However, ask a salon owner who does invest time in new-hire training if expectations of new graduates are too high and you’re likely to hear that students don’t even know the basics.

Carole Hook, owner of the Nail Gallery in Overland Park, Kan., says, “In the five years that I’ve had this salon, I have never had one technician who came in here who knew enough about nails. They may know how to do a decent manicure, but they don’t know acrylics, gels, fiberglass. They’re tested on acrylics, but there is no way they could pass a salon test just because they pass a board test. It’s one thing to teach students from books and theories, but that doesn’t mean they can do nails.”

Hook’s training program for new graduates can take anywhere from three to six months, depending on the student’s level.

In order to ensure consistency within the salon, most owners and managers expect to do some in-house training of all technicians. However, salon owners say that isn’t the point. They don’t mind teaching “salon style” but too often they find they have to teach the basics. Says one exasperated salon manager, “It’s ridiculous to have to teach someone how to hold a sculpting brush or how to disinfect nippers. I don’t have time to reinvent the wheel.”

Davidson Beauty Supply in Beltsville, Md., had so many technicians with remedial skills in its continuing education classes that the company decided to start its own nail school. School director Anne Cutino explains, “I was teaching part-time and finding that we had to backtrack to show students the basics. Either they hadn’t ever learned or they had forgotten everything. Many people in the classes said they hadn’t learned this stuff in school.”

OUTDATED CURRICULA

Improving the quality of education doesn’t mean educators have to reinvent the wheel, but they may have to update its design. Cutino says state board requirements are ridiculously outdated: “In Maryland, a nail student has to do three state board nails: regular polish (like most people wear), then a polish technique where the moons show and one where the free edge shows. I’ve never polished with the moon or free edge showing. And, nail technicians are being tested only verbally on acrylic nails. There’s no practical! All you have to do is recite the procedure for acrylic nails, not actually do one. The only practical test required is a water manicure. There are ridiculous requirements in the curriculum, and it’s almost impossible to get something changed when it comes to testing.”

Cutino says those kinds of impractical requirements contribute to the decline of cosmetology school education.

Jan Bragulla, president of Creative Nail Design and a supporter of updating state board tests to reflect 1990s salon techniques, says, “It kills me that students are still being taught to nip acrylics. That’s a 1970s technique. But things are changing, and they’ll continue changing.”

SCHOOL’S OUT TOO SOON

Although most U.S. states require manicuring licenses, the range of educational hours and training required to get that license varies widely. For example, Louisianna requires 500 hours of classroom training, while Massachusetts requires only 100. Surely what can be expected from a graduate with 500 classroom hours is not what can be expected of someone with 100. Concerned industry professionals wonder if even 500 hours are enough to teach a future nail technician all she needs to know about nail care, salon business, financial management, chemical safety, and nail anatomy.

“They don’t have to go to school long enough. They know what they are supposed to do, but they can’t do it because they don’t have the training, says Galaxy Nail Products owner Kym Lee. This opinion is echoed by many we spoke to.

There have been movements to develop a uniform national standard for cosmetology curriculum and hours, but getting 50 state boards of cosmetology to agree on the principle, let alone on the requirements, has kept that notion merely a dream. The All Industry Summit, a collection of representatives from several industry associations, has been meeting recently and will recommend national standards for beauty education. Some industry experts are skeptical about the reality of nationalization: Says Robert Oppenheim in his July 1992 issue of Salon Update, “There’s a strong movement for starting – again – for nationwide standardized curricula, licensing and testing. Good idea? Absolutely. Will it happen in our lifetimes? Doubtful.”

NO APPLES FOR THE TEACHER

Many technicians and salon owners single out teachers for the failure of the schools, citing their lack of specialized training and salon experience.

“My perspective, as a nail technician and as a salon owner, is that many cosmetology instructors do not have any hands-on experience in the salon. Many of them train to be a cosmetologist, then get their instructor’s license without ever working in a salon. So the students don’t get the benefit of that salon experience.” Sys Kathy Haller, owner of two nails-only salons in Arlington, Texas.

Hooks indicts her own state’s instructors: “I think the reason is that the only qualified teacher in Kansas is a cosmetology instructor, but cosmetologists don’t spend that much time learning nails. They’re really not qualified to teach nails.”

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Cutino, who spent time as a teacher herself, says requirements for teachers must be raised: “There’s no assurance that these people can teach. We need to improve the training requirements and licensing requirements. When we first started putting our school together the state required an eight-week course for teachers on technique, building a curriculum, writing tests, working with different types of people and different learning abilities. That course isn’t even offered anymore.”

Most states require nail instructors to be licensed cosmetologists, which, many nail industry experts argue, isn’t any better preparation for teaching nails than requiring a cosmetologist license is for doing nails. Many instructors spend a few thousand hours in school but relatively few in the salon (although in several states, instructors may forego part of the classroom training if they have work experience). Some states, like Massachusetts and Maryland, do require salon experience; other states, Iowa and Illinois among them, even require continuing education of instructors.

EASY MONEY, BAD MONEY

When the subject of cosmetology school education comes up, inevitably so does the subject of money. Many school administrators say government grants and student loans are the root of all evil in cosmetology school. There was a time when government money was relatively easy to obtain, both to start schools and to find student education. However, when students began defaulting on their loans and pushing schools’ loan default rates into the double digits, the government stepped in with tighter regulations. School went on notice to lower their default rates or risk becoming ineligible for many of the loan programs.

Says Smith, “The federal government has tried to control graduate who default on their loans by excluding schools with high default rates form the loan programs. However, the government has erred in assuming that there is a correlation between the default rate and the quality of the school.”

Smith attributes part of the rise in loan defaults to the recession, but also point to poor loan servicing and the simple fact that many of today’s younger generation do not have a sense of financial responsibility.

That a high default rate is not an indication of a school’s quality may be disputed by those schools that have managed to keep their rates low. Sissy McQuinn, owner of Nail and Skin Care Array in Atlanta, and Alice Forlin, owner of Gino Robair Beauty College in Riverside, Calif., and point with pride to their low default rates, which they attribute to an intensive admissions screening process.

Says Forlin, “We try to nip this in the bud. We don’t apply for a loan for a student unless it’s absolutely necessary. We counsel them not to borrow money unless they actually need it. Too much easy money can cause the student to lose his motivation.

At Pivot Point Beauty School in Chicago, students are indoctrinated about loan repayment before they’re admitted, while they’re enrolled, and after they graduate. Director of nail education Debbie Mack explains: “It starts with the admissions representative explaining the seriousness of the loan. We tell students that if the loan isn’t repaid their credit can be ruined, they may not be able to buy a house or car, they may not get their tax refunds. During school, students see videotapes about what happens if they miss a loan payment and what assistance is available if they can’t repay right away.

“Once they leave school we send a series of letters to them, reminding them that they’ll be getting a loan coupon book for repayment and telling them about deferments. These letters go for about six months, and we let them know we’re available if they need it.”

Gordon miller, a vice president at Pivot Point Beauty School, says the quality of education does suffer when administrators are judged more on their default rates than on factors such as completion rates and job placement. “The problem schools are having today is that the government measures our success based on only one thing: our default rate. It doesn’t look at our completion rate or our job placements or the fact that we have given these students an opportunity to get jobs and become taxpayers,” he says.

Miller believes the government’s narrow thinking damages the quality of education and the morale of instructors and school administrators. He explains, “Being measured only by our default rates has changed the industry’s way of thinking. Instead of focusing on how to maximize job placement or student completion, we have to put a lot of effort into minimizing student loan defaults. When you’re a small school you only have so much money and hours to get the job done, so if instructors are involved in loan counseling, as they are in some schools, they lose education opportunities. Every moment we give up is a lost opportunity. This also has an emotional effect on the school leadership. Rather than leading and inspiring educators, they’re putting their leadership efforts into fighting this battle.”

WHAT’S RIGHT?

There are plenty of U.S. cosmetology schools that have waiting lists of salon owners who want their graduates. What makes these schools successful is the same thing that makes any business successful: a commitment to quality, superior standards, long-term commitment, and solid industry partnerships. School reform starts with improving the quality of students, elevating school’s internal standards, expanding and updating curricula, investing in instructor education, fostering industry relationships, and finally, lobbying for national change.

Successful schools say that improving the quality of education starts with rigorous screening to ensure that entering students are ready and able to learn, responsible enough to repay their loans, and will benefit from the education. This process starts with a pull-no-punches orientation.

“You’ve got to really interview your students well. Find out if they’re capable or if they’re just coming for the financial aid. You can tell whether they’re going to make it or not,” says McQuinn.

Experts agree that if a school is going to produce successful salon professionals, it has to provide a curriculum that goes beyond getting a student ready for her board exams. It must teach students about the realities in today’s salons: how to get along with people, retailing and sales techniques, job-hunting, and starting a new salon.

There needs to be greater emphasis on continuing education as well as formal education. Illinois’ new licensing bill is one of the few that requires nail technicians to amass continuing education hours. Mack reinforces the importance of continuing education to her student with this analogy: “I tell students that I see a doctor who’s 58 years old. If he worked on me only from what he learned in medical school 30 years ago, I’d be scared. Beauty technology changes and you have to continue learning.”

Relationships with manufacturers are essential: A school may use a particular product to teach with, but students need to be exposed to all sorts of products and techniques. Davidson Beauty School is a branch of Davidson Beauty Supply and has some built in manufacturer relationships that have enabled the school to offer students product directly. Most manufacturers send educators into the schools regularly to educate and demonstrate.

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“The most important thing,” says Mack, “is to be in close touch with salons. Owners are always in touch with us about what they want out of our students. Our school owners meet regularly with salon owners. What we’re hearing lately is that students need more retailing experience. So we’ve had companies come to the school and train our students on how to use a product then how to sell it.”

Teachers need continuing education just as graduates do. Schools that provide continuing education for their instructors involve them in curriculum decisions and administrative duties are rewarded with committed instructors. The American School of Nail Technology and Cosmetology in Akron, Ohio, keeps teachers motivated with continuous in-house education and motivational meetings.

Enduring, universal change must come at a national level. Although state governments don’t seem to put a high priority on cosmetology issues, they may have to start paying more attention as consumers (their constituents) become ever more concerned about the safety of salons.

An interesting example of this is the furor over the recent news linking hair color and lymphoma (although just bout everyone has refuted the report’s methods and its findings). And, one only has to open the latest issue of any fashion magazine to see that bad nail care is a major concern for today’s young female consumers. Too much of this bad press and legislators may decide to take another look at cosmetology reform. Although licensing is the presumed first step toward industry legitimization, reforming our educational system is surely the next one.

ONE THAT’S GOT IT RIGHT

In a state licensed less than a year, Pivot Point Beauty School in Chicago has a list of salons waiting for its graduates. The school provides high-quality education and high-quality graduates with a curriculum that balances technical skills and people skills.

Curriculum. Pivot Point director of education Debbie Mack says, “We train students in all facets of cosmetology – including business skills, how to retail, how to get along with people.” Besides classes in nail technology, the school offers workshops that focus on client relations, including role-playing exercises. Students are trained to understand classic personality types and tailor their sales and service techniques to those individuals. Mandatory communication workshops show students how to conduct client consultations, read body language, and deal with upset clients. The school routinely invites industry celebrities to conduct seminars for student; Michael Cole is a frequent motivational speaker.

Motivating students. On the first day of class students exchange phone numbers; when a fellow student is absent, she usually gets a call from several classmates. Mack explains: “It can be tough to go through several months of school. Many students are working another job and juggling family responsibilities. We use this “Keep the Students in School” program to help students to work out problems among themselves – so they work as a team. We had one student who just stopped coming to class so several students called to see if they could help her, and eventually whatever the problem was, was resolved and she came back to class.”

Students are kept motivated with a series of small incentives: prizes for perfect attendance, a graduation banquet and awards ceremony, and a nail competition in front of salon owners and prospective employers. Pivot Point supports tradeshow attendance and regular competition. Last year the school sent a busload of students to the Midwest Beauty show and brought home five of the top six student awards.

Job placement. A Pivot Point graduate enjoys lifetime job placement services. The school recorded an 88% placement rate last year.

Motivating instructors. Pivot Point conducts regular hands-on seminars for instructors and encourages them to continue salon work so their skills stay current. Mack says the student-to-teacher ratio stays at a low 10:1 for maximum student attention. Chicago Cosmetologists Association membership for all instructors is paid by the school, and the company regularly brings in leading industry educators to conduct instructor-only classes. Time in the limelight also keeps instructor enthusiasm high. Says Mack: “We send our educators on the road all the time to teach. They’re stars in their own right. They also have a voice in how the school is run.”

 

SOME THOUGHTS ON SCHOOL REFORM

More hours. Nail technicians should be repaired to have at least 350 classroom hours in preparation for their licensing exams. Licensed technicians and salon owners agree that those hours should be devoted to equal parts nail anatomy and physical sciences, chemical awareness, practical applications, and client relations.

Nationalize requirements. The reputation of the entire industry suffers when there is such disparity between the states in the qualifications of nail technicians. Only when all 50 states standardize hour and curriculum requirements can the quality of graduates and the image of the industry improve. Uniform requirements would also allow technicians to practice their craft in any state; under the current system, a technician can practice only in states that recognize her license. Some states, California among them, have no reciprocity agreements with other states, so a technician who wants to do nails in that state has to refrain and requalify before she can be licensed.

Mandatory continuing education. The nail industry is changing constantly, and the only way today’s technicians can stay on top of new technology is by attending technical workshops and seminars. Some states, Illinois for example, have included mandatory continuing education in their licensing bills.

Instructor education. To blame teachers for the problems of school education misplace the responsibility, but many industry experts believe that teachers should be required to have some salon experience before they are qualified to instruct new technicians. And, just as continuing education benefits the rank and file technicians, it keeps instructors abreast of new technologies as well.

Tighter purse-string. Part of the reason that the student loan situation got out of control was due to a shift in government priorities that made fewer grants available, but made loans easier to obtain. Because less money was available, many cosmetology students turned to the loan program to finance their educations and many of them found themselves unable (and sometimes unwilling) to repay those loans.

If the government makes more grant money (as opposed to loans) available, it may stem the defaulting many schools currently suffer; but in the meantime, schools need to do everything in their power to get students to replay their loans. Although the responsibility for repayment lies with the student, the government holds the school accountable for unpaid loans by cutting schools with high defaults off from financial aid programs.

Although accrediting organizations base their assessment of schools on a variety of areas, the government does not. It evaluates schools based on student default rates. Most of the school administrators we spoke to hope that narrow thinking will change and that the government will also begin to look at such measures of success as their job placements, attribution, and completion rates.

 

 

 

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