[Vendorsmi] So much for integrity and excellence in the BEP

[Joe Sontag]

Below is the text of a letter written by the members of the most recent BEP training class to Patrick Cannon, Director, Michigan 
Commission for the Blind and is shown as I received it.  Respectful and candid discussion the issues brought out in this letter is 
strongly encouraged on this list.

Let's hear from you!

November 22, 2010
RE: BEP Training Class October  2010
Attention:  Director Pat Cannon
Dear Mr. Cannon:
This letter is to serve as notice from the above entitled matter as to the inadequacy
of the training and services we have thus far
received.
Following are a listing of some, but not inclusive, of the issues that we as a class
and consumers of the Agency have encountered.
1.        The schedule which we were initially given has not been followed the largest
majority of the time.  For example, we have
Instructors that have not shown up either on time, or if at all.  There has been
no forewarning to the students as to when these
events occur.  (With the exception of a couple of times, which we found out only
after we initialized contact with the Agency to
find out where our instructors were.)
2.       The unpreparedness of the instructors has not only been unprofessional,
but has caused this class to suffer a lack of
training, as required by the Agency's training rules for the BEP.
Although we understand that John McEntee's  medical leave was not expected, it certainly
should not affect our ability to receive
adequate and proper training.
3.        We havenot received training in the following areas:
a.        Talking Cash Register
b.      Pop Machine maintenance and repair
c.       Inventory
d.      Bookkeeping (while it has been on the schedule, the training has been so
scattered there is no sense of clarity or
structure, thus making it difficult to retain or grasp the concept of the bookkeeping.)
e.      Hotel & Catering Tour (which was rescheduled at least twice and now doesn't
even appear on our schedule)
if.        We were not given the opportunity to experience the mock store training
which we recognize as an  important part of the
training ,taking into consideration that the majority of our classmates will operate
snack stands. _
Furthermore, as you are aware being the Michigan Director of the ADA, we have a student
who is blind/deaf.  There have been numerous
times when the structure of the class has hampered this student's ability to gain
the necessary information from that class.
We have also dealt with a fair amount of belittlement and indifference from the instructors.
This is certainly not a respectable
way to conduct training.  We have several hours of recordings from day one which
will validate the issues we have dealt with.
Most recently we were required to attend an EOC meeting on a Friday evening and an
all day Saturday session.  We learned a lot from
those sessions, but not in the way you may think.  There was an incident involving
James Cheney, the EOC Chair, and a fellow board
member/operator.  That was very disturbing to say the least.  It went as follows:
Students were standing in the hallway of the hotel when James approached the other
board member.  James choked the other operator in
front of students.  This was a clear message to us that the board doesn't even care
about it's fellow board members much less
students or other operators.
There is a strong concern within the student body of failing the exam.  Not because
we are not diligent or intelligent enough to
pass, but because of the lack of structure, training, misinformation , number of
instructors trying to teach the same subject matter
and the general unprofessional attitude causing us to not be able to tie everything
together to pass the final exam.
We have expressed our concerns to many individuals including Senator Cropsey's office
only to receive nothing in return.
We are uniformly requesting that we be given TODAY a study guide from each instructor
or subject matter as will be contained in the
final exam.  Other classes have had this in the past and we have yet to receive even
follow up emails as promised by instructors
from the first week of class.  We would like a fair opportunity to pass the final
without fear of failure, again, not on our part
but by the let down of the Agency and the shallowness of the training .
We request urgent attention/action by the Agency as our training is drawing to a
close.  We understand that there is no time to
recoup what we have not lerned.  As you know, our training was cited to be an "intensive
nin week training" and it has proved to be
less intense and more tense.  Further, as of this writing, we do not even have enough
operators for our OJE.  Nor do we have any
information as to our OJE (where we will be placed, when, with whom, etc.)
Our solution to the above issues is that we be given no further class instruction
as it has proven to be relatively useless.  We are
requesting that we just take the final exam based on the information we DO have and
get the additional training from VR when the
time approaches.  Such as, individual bookkeeping training, inventory specialists,
etc.  We cannot possibly gain in three days
remaining enough information to successfully pass the final exam.  This was to be
a nine week course and it has been literally days
of instruction.  Therefore, for us to be crammed in a three day training session
of what should have transpired over a period of
weeks is unfair and possibly unattainable.  We have been receiving apologies and
exc uses for the lack of training, but at the end
of the day, those do us no good as we cannot pass on excuses and inadequacies in
our businesses.
Please respond ASAP and we will be awaiting an affirmative response to our requests.
Sincerely the BEP October Class of 2010:
Tyrone Pertee  313.212.4950
Darisse Wray  313.523.5440
Robert Jordan  313.221.7460
Roxanna Mann 517.402.4120
James Boyer  231.360.1608
Charles Glime  248.252.4568
Michael Torrez 517.285.3192
Lisa Powells  Upon request
Luis Pena  Upon request