<p> Opposition Testimony House Bill 227 Before the House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee January 13, 2016</p><p>Chairman Brown, Vice Chair Blessing, Ranking Member Clyde members of the House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee</p><p>I am Sue Carter Moore President Emeritus of Salon Schools Group. I entered cosmetology school in 1965, graduating in 1966 from the last class to meet the 1250 clock hour requirement. The hours were increased to 1500, where they have remained. Since 1970 I have been with Salon Schools Group. That is 45 years of cosmetology education.</p><p>I have been at the Statehouse many times seeking updates to 4713, among them the creation of the Hair Designer License, the Natural Hair Stylist License, the 1000 hour Cosmetologist to Barber License, and the creation of the Esthetics License. </p><p>The written testimony submitted by small, independent salons in Ohio, most with less than $500,000 in annual sales volume, is representative of 92.4% of all salons nationwide. Their testimony demonstrates they want the manager license for their particular business model. Chain salons with as little as $500,000 in annual sales volume only represent 7.6% of all salons nationwide. Chain salons with $5,000,000 in annual sales volume only represent 0.1% of all salons nationwide. These mega-corporations should NOT be speaking for the entire industry. This information is derived from The Professional Beauty Association’s report: Distribution of Salon-Industry Establishments by Sales Volume.</p><p>Research also compiled by the Professional Beauty Association shows nationally that 98.7% of all salons and spas are single unit salons, and 0.3% of all salons have 5 to 9 locations. National franchised chains with 10 or more locations constitute only 0.2% of all salons in the US. The fastest growing salon owners are the Independent Contractors, mushrooming with the concept of Salon Lofts and other knock offs, allowing for individual salon ownership by virtue of leasing an outfitted small space.</p><p>16 chain salon owners provided testimony in favor of the bill. Each testimony cited Ohio as being the only state to require a manager license. A survey of 9 states by the LSC found that Wisconsin indeed has a manager license, obtained by 4000 hours of work experience, or a mixture of 2000 hours work experience and 150 classroom hours in a licensed school of cosmetology. Further, a salon owner must employ at least one manager who holds a cosmetology manager license and manages the salon on a full-time basis. I am confident, that were a survey of all 50 states done, others states would be found to have similar requirements. Cosmetology Schools must teach to all students, not just to those who may plan to work for chains. With a large segment of our graduates planning to become ICs, or work in small salons, the OPTIONAL manager courses are more vital than ever. All managing components to our licenses are optional. Why eliminate optional education? I am opposed to elimination of all managers' licenses, changing the names to “advanced” and the reduction of optional education.</p><p>Elimination of manager licenses, replaced by shorter education, but with a 6 month apprenticeship in salons, will create a hardship for the vast majority of small salon owners in Ohio. They didn’t ask for it, and they don’t want it. We are firmly opposed to apprenticeship.</p><p>Misinformation about the amount of financial aid a student qualifies for has been circulated as the reason private cosmetology schools are opposed to the reduction of education the optional manager licenses require. In our schools, the additional aid a student may receive for the cosmetology manager course is $1275.00, provided the student has full eligibility. Not profiteering, as we have been accused of, and vastly offset by the hundreds of thousands of dollars our school has awarded in scholarships over the years. Do not believe that our stance regarding the reduction in optional education is motivated by financial gain.</p><p>Cosmetology education has changed in the last 45 years. There are 89 career technical schools, and 84 private schools. Cosmetology training in today's career tech schools is very different from the 1970s' vocational education, as we called it then. I can only speculate as to the causes that necessitated the reduced daily hours that a high school student attends cosmetology training. In order to aid career tech schools, private schools helped create the 1200 clock hour Hair Designer course, eliminating facial, manicuring and spa training, facilitating career tech schools’ ability to continue offering cosmetology training. Now, they are being held out as the standard to which we must aspire.</p><p>I do not understand why career tech schools are permitted to continue teaching the 1500 clock hour course and call it the same education private school graduates receive. I assure you it is not. As cosmetology board member Osterhage testified in proponent hearing, career tech schools only provide 1125 hours of true cosmetology related training. The other 375 hours are spent in academic subjects. I suggest career tech schools be required to teach the full 1500 cosmetology hours, without credit given for academic subjects or teach the 1200 clock hour Hair Designer course specially designed for career tech schools. There are those who say "but look at the test scores, they are virtually the same". I don't disagree with that, but the true test is how many career tech grads remain in the business? Do they have the necessary skills to sustain a long term career? Without industry data, reducing the 1500 clock hour course is folly, particularly, when 25 states require 1500 clock hours, and 21 states even more. With 1500 clock hours required, Ohio is clearly in the right spot.</p><p>Last, I feel the proposal that private cosmetology schools instructors be required to have an additional examination, is meant to be punitive. </p><p>Accredited cosmetology school instructors are required to obtain 12 hours of Continuing Education per year. Ohio requires 8 hours of Continuing Education per 2 year renewal cycle. Ohio cosmetology instructor renewal continuing education hours may count toward our accrediting agency requirement. That means teachers in accredited cosmetology schools must obtain 16 more hours IN TEACHING METHODOLOGY. As has been pointed out, private schools and career tech schools have very similar test pass rates, proving our teachers are highly skilled. </p><p>The need for this examination has not been demonstrated by poor passage rates of private school graduates, and will create an unnecessary expense to potential instructors who would need to travel to Columbus for the examination. It has been stated that cosmetology instructors are the only group of cosmetologists not requiring additional testing. Quite untrue. The State Board Inspectors and Examiners are not tested and are not required to hold a particular license other than a manager license. If the State Board Examiners are going to be responsible for testing instructors, we believe they should be held to a higher standard with an examination demonstrating their knowledge of the content on which the instructors will be tested.</p><p>As written, I urge your no vote on HB 227.</p><p>Respectfully,</p><p>Sue Carter Moore President Emeritus</p><p>Salon Schools Group 1720 East Broad Street Columbus, OH 43203 [email protected] 614 252 5252 Cosmetology Course Lengths Utah By State Washington</p><p>1000 Massachusetts New York</p><p>1200 Florida 1650 New Jersey Alaska</p><p>1250 1700 Pennsylvania Oregon</p><p>1500 1800 Alabama Colorado Arkansas Hawaii Connecticut Kentucky Delaware Nevada District of Columbia North Dakota Georgia Wisconsin Illinois Indiana 2000 Kansas Idaho Louisiana Montana Maine West Virginia Maryland Wyoming Michigan Mississippi 2100 Missouri Iowa New Hampshire Nebraska North Carolina South Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas 1000 hours: 2 states Vermont 1200 hours: 2 states Virginia 1250 hours: 1 state 1500 hours: 25 states 1550 1550 hours: 1 state Minnesota 1600 hours: 5 states 1650 hours: 1 state 1600 1700 hours: 1 state Arizona 1800 hours: 6 states California 2000 hours: 4 states New Mexico 2100 hours: 3 states</p>