Today is the kickoff for the 2017 School Leaders Summit, taking place in Chandler, AZ. Industry leaders from across the country will meet this weekend to discuss the most pressing matters facing our profession, and how we will all move forward – together – from this crucial moment in our industry. We’ll be having candid conversations about deregulation, salon-ready vs. licensure-ready students, standardization and industry innovation.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@AACSchools) for updates and peeks from inside the Summit.

One of our newest AACS Member Schools opened its doors this week – Sierra Academy of Style in Carson City, NV! Owner Brandy Gayner attended Cosmetology school in the same building – although, then it was Carson City Beauty Academy. Earlier this year, Brandy purchased the building with her husband, Anthony, and the two have been busy building out their new school which launched on May 2. 

Congratulations, and welcome to the AACS Family! Visit http://www.sascarsoncity.com/ to learn more about Sierra Academy of Style.

Most of us work under pressure, that is a given, but not many of us who work under pressure will have our work affect hundreds if not thousands. As a leader, CEO, boss, what we do, gets magnified, scrutinized, and maximized. The idea that a leader can make decisions when times are under pressure, and still bring out the best in their people, is something that we can all learn from and certainly apply to our lives and leading. 

Read more on how to echo great leaders during times of chaos from executive leadership coach Lolly Daskal.

Last week, Texas’ Senate passed SB 1087 by a vote of 30 to 1.  Since the bill reducing the course of instruction for cosmetology from 1,500 to 1,000 hours was on the local and uncontested calendar, it was passed without debate.

The Senate also passed the following bills without debate:

SB 1088 – which allows credit hour instruction and schools to administer practical exams; 

SB 1502 – which deregulates threading; and

SB 1503 – which removes "shampooing" from the state's barbering and cosmetology scope of practice definition; and abolishes shampoo apprentice permits and shampoo specialty certificates.

Read more about this bill and others in this week’s AACS State Relations Update.

Enhance your program with new skills that will take your students to a new level of client care, one more fitting current clientele. Train your technicians to work safely with three groups of clients who formerly were told to or desired to avoid nail salons: the fragile elderly who were directed not to go to nail salons; the fearful consumer whom the media scared away from nail technicians; and the chronically ill client who required special care due to chronic conditions, such as diabetes. You will be taught how to refer to and receive referrals from physicians and podiatrists who hold a new respect for your technicians. Taught how to take these skills to a welcoming public and an interested medical community, the technicians will expand their clientele and their job market while dramatically increasing respect for themselves, the school that trained them, and the nail industry. Join Janet McCormick from NailCare Academy for this timely and relevant webinar.

Win an all-expenses paid trip to the 2017 CEA & AMP Convention

Do you or one of your educators want a chance to present at this year’s CEA & AMP Annual Convention? Create an 8-minute session on how you refuel your students’ passion in your school. Then, record and submit a 2-minute video explaining what you will teach, how you will deliver it, and how you will inspire your audience. Three winners will win an all-expenses paid trip to Vegas to be on stage in front of educators from across the United States. Visit this page to get all the details, and enter by May 15, to win!

Adapting to a game-changing regulatory environment, improving retention strategies, increasing graduate employment rates, and re-thinking admissions processes continue to be top challenges in career education.  AACS Online Training Center can help you with these challenges.