Thursday, February 24, 2011

My Experience at Paul Mitchell Partner School at MTI College Sacramento CA

and the letter that I sent to the head of admissions to forward onto the president of the school.




  Thank you for giving me a chance at your school, at first, I was upset that it didn't work out.

    Today, Janie Ross dropped me from your Paul Mitchell program, in a pretty messed up way.  I've shown up to school everyday since Jan. 18th, between 8am and 840am (at least 30 minutes early).  Pretty much everyone who knows me, knows that I show up that early everyday.  Tomorrow, as you know, is the last day of core, and instead of asking me to stay longer yesterday, or pulling me aside this morning before Learning Leader pow-wow, or the adaptive/creative pow-wow, she waited to have my core mentor to pull me out partially through my floor orientation.  When I got up there, Janie stated that I was not living up to your school's standards, or speed.  Yet, when I asked my core learning leader how I have been doing in class, she's said I am doing well, and improving a lot.  I know I did poorly on my practical test, and had to parts of it, and after I retook it, I asked Jamie M. how I did, she said I did good.  I got a 90% on my written test.  I was led to believe that I was doing good.  I asked Jamie M. what I could do to improve, and she told me to just practice, that not everyone gets it right away.  I know that practice is what will help me improve, but there really wasn't any more guidance, to what I already knew.  Personally, I think that if you are going to be booting someone out of the program, that you should give them a heads up so they have time to work harder to show you that they can succeed, instead of telling them they are doing well and improving, and then saying "you are not living up to the standard/speed, so we are dropping you".  I asked Janie Ross if there was anything I could do, be put on academic probation, have a trial basis.  Just stay longer to prove myself.  She said no but that I can always reapply.  The main reason I chose your school, was because when I went on my tour, I was told that the learnig leaders did everything they could to teach the students, and to help those that are struggling.  I asked what I could do to improve, and was told something I already knew, and wasn't offered extra help.  I was dropped, because I struggled with my practical test.  I know that was it.  I was so nervous, and realized the mistakes I made after I showed the teacher, and told her my steps.  2 parts I had to retake, the foils and the perm, while she was looking at it she stated that it looked good.  My model heard her.  And, when I went in to talk about my results she said I failed it.  My model saw plenty of people during their test struggling as much as I was, if not more, and were handling it a lot worse than I did.  Also, my model saw that one of the future professionals who was using another student as their model, the student was "coaching" her in what to do, and was telling her to do the wrong thing.  I thought the school's policy was "we make discoveries, not mistakes", but I guess in my case it was a mistake.  So, about 5-10 minutes after I was called out of my floor orientation, I was asked to go collect my things from the classroom.  Janie Ross said because she cared about all the students, that if I wanted someone else to go in the room to collect my things so I wouldn't have to face my classmates that could be arranged.  Like that is any less embarrassing.  And as I was walking down the stairs people were carrying my things outside of the classroom.  And, I hear from a friend of mine later, that some of the classmates were talking badly about me after I left.  So I think you should focus more on your "golden rules" and enforce them more.  Also, if this is really how you tell your students that they aren't up to par, when they really haven't been given the chance to prove themselves, I would recommend Janie tell them in a more discrete way.  To either call them on the phone, or email them, or pull them aside after school, or in my case 30 minutes to an hour before school starts, and before all the students are there to see them pack up their things to leave.

    So thank you again for giving me the 5 weeks, 4 days of your program.  But to be honest, it is the school's loss, and not mine.  You just let go the most determined student you had without even knowing.  And I know I am the most determined person.  I'll tell you why.  I moved, and changed schools 6 times during my junior year in high school, and I failed that year because of it.  All the schools I went to, all my teachers and family, not one person thought I would graduate on time, in 2004 because I had to earn enough units for 2 years of high school.  Not only did I earn 60 units for my junior year, and 60 units for my senior year, but I graduated a month and a half early, with almost 240 out of 220 units.