Here is what I know….. A NEW TESTING COMPANY HAS BEEN CONTRACTED!!!!! The company’s name is Professional Credential Services, their web address is www.pcshq.com….. They are headquartered out of Nashville, TN….
At the 10/27/2014 Board Meeting I asked the Board again to provide me with any information about our new testing company. ONCE AGAIN I WAS TOLD NOTHING!! I really feel that the Board is not even sure themselves as to what subject matters our students will be tested on.. However, Board President Leisa McElreath, gave a long speech on the process that NIC uses in the development of their written and practical examinations… So you have your answer… PCS will be using the NIC written and practical examinations to test our students…. I guess NIC knew what they were doing when they elected Leisa McElreath to service on their Board… I wonder just how much expense reimbursement NIC has paid to Leisa McElreath to help ensure that NIC would get the Mississippi Testing?????
Pearson Vue will not be testing Mississippi students after 12/31/2014…. If you have students that have not tested and you want them to test with Pearson Vue you need to contact them ASAP…. Time is running out as most testing sites only have one practical examination scheduled per month… However Pearson Vue has agreed to open more test dates should they deem it necessary…. If you have a student that is trying to schedule a testing but the systems tells them that they are booked you MUST have the student call in by telephone to book their testing…. For those of us who have students graduating IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER… The Board has authorized Executive Director Cynthia Johnson to e-mail the student their approval letters. Also, if you have students that have made application but have not received their approval letter you can e-mail Mrs . Johnson directly to check the status. Her e-mail address is cjohnson@msbc.state.ms.us. For those of us who have students graduating in December and January we are screwed because we know nothing about what practical skills our students will be tested on… I do know that the Board has voiced wanting Pin Curls, Fingerwaves, and a Full hair cut put back in the practical examination but have no conformation of that yet…..
I also found out from the Board that students testing with the PCS will only be required to take the part of the examination they need… In other words , should you have a student that failed their written but passed the practical with Pearson Vue, then they will be allowed to only re-take the failed written examination with PCS and vise versa…. In reading how PCS test Cosmetology in other states as well as numerous telephone conversations, it is my understanding that PCS will be using the NIC written examination which will include 5 to 10 State Law questions… However here is the big kick in the ass… Our students are currently paying $65.00 to take the written examination and with PCS that fee will be between $90.00 to $95.00!!!!! The practical examination will be the same $90.00 that they are currently paying……
Where will our students test???? According to the Nashville office PCS only has one testing site in Mississippi which is located on the campus of Hinds Community College in Raymond… Students will be required to do Written and Practical at this site… I don’t know how everybody else feels about only one testing site, but in my opinion this is a HUGE MISTAKE…
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Thanks, Melvin – don’t know what’s we’d do without you and your updates! Our Board certainly doesn’t care whether they leave us in the dark or not…….
Some board members!
Thanks for the info!!! WOW
I have been at a couple of Board Meetings where the Board was questioned about a new testing company…. and the look on their faces when asked, makes it perfectly clear that they have no intention on sharing ANY info until they absolutely have to! But what is strange to me is: 1) the State Law says that THE BOARD must contract with a testing company. However, it is my understanding that ONLY 2 Board members along with the Executive Director had a vote on this contract. And, these 2 members, the Executive Director, the Board Attorney and a representative from I.T.S. negotiated the RFP and the FULL CONTRACT! WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? Is it REALLY asking to much to allow the FULL BOARD TO DO WHAT THE LEGISLATURE REQUIRED THEM TO DO? 2) I have also noticed that the Board President seems to know as much (if not more) about what is going on than some other Board Members! What is up with that? OH…I FORGOT… SHE SERVES ON N.I.C. BOARD TOO! And as the expense money she is getting… I’m sure she will come up with some LAME, UNBELIEVABLE excuse “I don’t get paid… I volunteer my time.” AND IF ANYONE BELIEVES THAT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND! AS I THOUGHT, I DON’T SEE ANY HAND IN THE AIR!!! I feel something stirring in the air, and it isn’t just the wind!
This has been in the making since 2011, thanks to Meeks, atty: C Johnson, Myrtis Elizabeth Leisa Stuart Lide McElreath and Teresa Kay Whitman and fence straddler Shelley Harsin. It’s a Hot Mess that someone has to sort out. Folks, be sure and thank them when you see them.
Thanks Melvin. Looks like we have our work cut out for us yet again. This will be another problem that will haunt us in two years with our accreditation agencies! lol
Good Luck School Owners!
This profession is all I know…My family has been a part of the Mississippi Cosmetology Industry for over 4 generations so to have to sit here and watch Kay, Leisa, Shelly ( 3 Amigos), and Cynthia Johnson destroy our professions, makes me sick at my stomach. I hope one day I get the chance to ask them face to face “What the hell is yall’s problem” But since we are only allowed 3 mins, it is not worth it to asked to be put on the agenda because I have 4 generations worth to give them an ear full over.
I have Senior students who tried to walk out and quit this week after hearing about us losing our testing contract with Pearson. These are students who will graduate before the Christmas break and will test in January (or the good Lord only knows when) but will test under the new test THAT WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. When a student who has done a year’s worth of “weekly work” in preparation for the Pearson Vue Practical Exam and they look at you with tears in their eyes and say “what am I suppose to do?” It takes a piece of your own heart out. This is the kind of situations that the under qualified Board President, Vice President, Secretary, and Executive Director has left us Instructors to deal with while they get to sit back and laugh because I know without a doubt that with all the evil those 4 has done, they are on a mission to completely destroy this industry before their term is up. I don’t even know how they are able to look at themselves in the mirror each morning.
It is very funny how I remember sitting at the very first “Industry Day” and hearing the Board members complain about how expensive the Pearson test was going to be but now look at them…they increased it again and I am sure the test wouldn’t be so expensive if PCS didn’t have to pay NIC and NIC didn’t have to give Leisa a kickback. Certainly the 3 Amigos don’t think we are stupid.
One last thing…I remember when the state was fussing about how much postage it was going to cost them to mail out Approval letters so why didn’t they chose to email them then??? Makes sense to me esp since Kay was under the impression that it cost more to mail the exact same letter whether it is going to Jackson or Meridian..But yet they think we are dumb 🙂
Thank you for giving us this update and as always, please keep up the amazing work because I know this has to be a full time job for you!!
Thanks for keeping us informed. Like I say if board is not up and going January 1,2015, students having to wait to be licensed needs to do what they have to and schools should be helping do this. We need to work together as they r.