TAREI letter about Texas HB3250

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

I think I've met Vernon before in years past at an ASHI meeting. Is he an ASHI member?

[Michael R. Boyett]

Russell answered "Yes" in post #10.

[John Cahill]

Originally Posted by dbowers

Texas has very specific SOP's and guidelines that other states don't have. We're told a few examples would be appliances, sprinklers, your promulgated report that calls things like "no GFCI's" as in need of repair, etc. The NHIE does not address the Texas issues. Why in the world would you not simply change your own rather than try to rewrite NHIE.

Texas can easily set up a secondary test to ask questions like "How many inspectors are on the inspector committee". (at this time 0, 3 or 9 would be a good answer ).

Texas does not have the money or skill to create and manage a fair test.

The pass rate is below 20%. That means you have a bad test or bad schools. I have seen ITA curricula and they have a great school. I know of other very good schools too (not mine; mine expired). Something is wrong with the test and we do not have money or skill to fix it.

Testing aside what we need is some measure of experience and defect recognition testing.

All in all I don;t think the test means anything. I know an inspector who passed it with a 90 and he cannot recognize a defect; I know a guy who flunked it 3 times and he has ESP when it comes to seeing a defect.

Read this email twice. There is a test on it.

[rstrahan]

Originally Posted by mboyett

I have to say I was really surprised that Larry wasn't elected as chairman. It seems to be pretty clear that the 3 new guys on the committee will not be allowed to overwhelm it and take over control.

Yeah, I think the entire community is not buying their act any more. Was proud to see the committee show some spine. There was NO planning or politics, it just happened.

Originally Posted by mboyett

I was even more surprised that Larry was not appointed to the SOP sub-committee

HE WAS ASKED and refused!

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

As you know, we train HI's also. ITA has a 2 day cram course for the test. Its supposed to be good.

In the past 6 years I've had 5 guys come up from Texas to KC and sit through our 1/2 day class on Code Check & 1/2 day class on Test Prep - go back home and pass.

Twice in the past 3 years we've held a 1/2 day Test study session in conjunction with the local NAHI Chapters Annual Seminar here in KC. We've had 48-65 people at each study session from 8 states.

They've used the study session to take the NAHI CRI exam, the NHIE, and state licensing or association exams in Oklahoma, California, Indiana, Arkansas, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois and recently in West Virginia. In checking with these guys afterwards I've only heard 4 say they failed the test the 1st time out. Two of those had no experience at all other than the class.

Point to this is - it can't be the test. Its gotta be the quality of your schools (or lack of) or the students are just plain potato chips. OR you could be allowing online or correspondence which is great for CE but IMHO is crap for entry level training to our PROFESSION.

Probably 80% of the students taking our 8 or 12 day class immediately go take the NHIE or the NAHI CRI for credentials. Quite a few take both. Many of our students say the NAHI CRI is more valid for what we do.

As you know both are pychometrically vaid.