Issue link: https://www.ahpindiestylist.com/i/1544743
10 AHP Indie Stylist Volume 7 Issue 1 Who remembers the days of traveling to another city or state to cram as many continuing education (CE) hours into a weekend as possible? If you've been a hair pro for a decade or more, I bet you do. But for many newer cosmetologists, that's a foreign concept. e new norm of using distance education for both cosmetology school and CE is in part due to technological developments, but it's also a lingering effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and a societal adjustment to allow more people to live full lives while getting their education. So, how did the slow shi to online education come about, and is it a good thing? Let's break it down. PANDEMIC AND FOLLOWING Many states had already adopted changes allowing for minimal use of distance cosmetology education long before COVID upended things, but the hours were severely limited before 2020. e pandemic came around and drastically accelerated adoption nationwide out of necessity. Washington State moved to allow 100 percent of cosmetology theory to be taught online. Virginia did the same. Delaware moved all 24 CE hours online during the pandemic.* Other states also went to all CE hours online during the pandemic. The Evolution of Online Cosmetology Education by Laura Puryear ese temporary allowances did not revert a er lockdowns ended—at least not entirely. Washington, for example, raised the percentage of a cosmetology program that was allowed to be taught online from 25 to 50 percent, and that change was made permanent. e state said it saw value in additional online instruction, including the potential to decrease costs for students and schools. Washington wasn't the only one. Now, it's just as common for states to allow online CE as it is for them to require those hours to be completed in person. More and more schools are teaching theory courses online to provide fl exibility and cost savings to their students. It's safe to say that distance learning is here to stay. IS REMOTE LEARNING DOING THE JOB? is new norm begs a few questions: Is distance learning suffi cient? Are cosmetologists getting the foundational and continuing education they need to provide safe and sound services for their clients? Associated Hair Professionals (AHP) thinks the answer is a resounding yes, provided, of course, the shi doesn't go too far. ADVOCACY *Delaware has since eliminated its CE requirement. GETTY IMAGES AHP