Correction: Courtney Butler is the owner of Balance Yoga and Wellness Registered Yoga School in Hot Springs. Stacey Faught, who is an assistant director at the school, is the owner of Blue Yoga Nyla in North Little Rock. This article incorrectly said Butler owned the North Little Rock studio.
Arkansas schools that train yoga teachers soon will have to be licensed by the state Board of Private Career Education, which oversees private postsecondary career schools for fields such as real estate, bail bonds, and tattooing and body piercing.
Brenda Germann, director of the Board of Private Career Education, said that under state law, yoga teacher-training schools should have been licensed sooner, but she had little knowledge of their existence until recently when a national association that works to improve regulation of private postsecondary education asked each state about licensing for these facilities.
"State law says that we license anything that leads to or enhances a career," Germann said. "We're here for consumer protection, and we need to make sure these are ethical school operators. Right now, no one is holding them accountable."
These schools now will have to supply the state board with curriculums, undergo site visits, ensure instructors meet certain requirements, and pay licensing fees. Those fees could be anywhere from $900 to $3,800 for schools that offer year-long training, depending on what the school charges for its services.
Courtney Butler, co-owner of Blue Yoga Nyla in North Little Rock, said the regulations are necessary in an industry that has become more popular.
"It has become the Wild West in that there are many very reputable people out there, but there are also people with very limited knowledge and experience who are opening yoga schools," Butler said. "You can hurt someone in yoga if you don't understand."
Germann sent letters to the state's 11 yoga teacher-training schools July 30, notifying owners that licenses would be required starting Monday. Germann put forth the licensing mandate as an emergency regulation, meaning it will become effective the date it's filed with the Arkansas secretary of state's office and will be good for 120 days without a public hearing.
For a school to become licensed, each instructor will have to meet requirements established by the state board. Germann called two meetings this month to hear suggestions from school owners on what these requirements should be; however, after weeks of disagreement among school owners, Germann decided Thursday to use the default requirements for private, postsecondary instructors under Arkansas law.
"There's an email feed going between all of us, and people are fighting back and forth," said Cassandra Benning, owner of Little Rock's The Floating Lotus. "I'm just sitting back watching it all."
Many of the instructors aren't opposed to licensing, but some were concerned with the rush to set requirements. When the board first attempted to set specific requirements pertaining to yoga-teacher trainers by the deadline, some school owners thought their ideas weren't taken into consideration.
"I've been doing this for 21 years here in Arkansas," said Andrea Fournet, owner of Arkansas Yoga Center in Fayetteville. "I'd like to be involved in the process. Let's not be so hurried here. We could slow it down and all be licensed by the end of the year."
But Butler supported a push to get regulated quickly, noting two recent graduates from her school are opening a school of their own.
"I've had some students graduate from my school as little as one year ago, and they are opening a school. I would not advise or condone that," Butler said. "It's been a frustration."
By Monday's deadline, schools will need to at least make an effort to become licensed, Germann said.
To receive a license, a school must meet the requirements that are already in place. Under Arkansas Code, each private postsecondary career instructor must have one of the following: a baccalaureate degree in the field; an associate degree in the field and one year of on-the-job training; a high school diploma or GED and completion of an instruction program, along with three years of on-the-job training; a high school diploma or GED and seven years of on-the-job training.
Over the next few months, the state board -- along with instructors of the schools -- will replace these general requirements with ones specific to yoga teacher-training. Germann said she would like these to be introduced to the state Legislature and in effect by the start of 2015.
"We'll work with them," Germann said. "I understand them not being happy, but at this point there's nothing I can do about it."
Many school owners were still unsure Thursday whether the current or future requirements would lead to a loss of instructors or a shutdown of their schools.
"I don't think it's going to put most people out of business if they're reputable and have experience," Butler said. "I only know of one school that might be put out of business, and that's the one run by those who I unfortunately graduated. I just hope the requirements are stringent enough to make a difference and make our industry safer."
Metro on 08/29/2014