So how do instructors know what the actual standards are?
AFAICT, USFSA now expects even the lowest level instructors to take classes from the PSA. It appears that now they also expect PSA CER-C certification, even at the lowest level of group lesson instructor:
https://usfigureskating.org/content/Copy%20of%20Requirements%20Chart.pdfThat new requirement could seriously hurt our volunteer-taught program. You used to have to register, and pay fees, but certification was optional.
I haven't looked at the most recent PSA LTS training - they may still be puting it together - but PSA has always had very good materials, which are designed in large part to compensate for what is missing from USFSA and ISU materials.
Alas, those of you who aren't referred instructors may be unable to get a hold of PSA materials.
I notice that USFSA now has much more limited info online.
http://www.usfigureskating.org/programs?id=89713&menu=programsThere is no longer a tab there for instructors. Of course that might be because the program is so new...
OTOH, if you have old LTS Instructors' manuals, last season they took out most of the skill descriptions. Prior to last season, they used to have SOME useful skill descriptions. So it would be quite consistent for them to continue the trend, and remove all useful materials.
The merger of ISI and PSA might mean a lot more is moving to the ISI handbook:
http://www.skateisi.com/site/Sub.Cfm?Content=publications_manuals_ISI_handbookHas anyone gotten one of these, for 2016? They were supposed to come out June, 2016. Has it been expanded to include some USFSA-specific standards? That would sure be a lot of work to do.
Note that the ISI has a lot of explanations of what is happening here:
http://www.skateisi.com/site/main.cfm?membertype=coachesE.g., ISI rules aren't changing any time soon. Sounds like it is only USFSA rules that are changing. And that ISI and USFSA will eventually have a unified LTS program.
Can you imagine how much pain and arm twisting was involved in getting two competing bureaucracies to agree to that? These are two organisations that used to openly fight each other. At one point ISI tried to convince the ISU and IOC to disqualify USFSA as the USA's competitive ISU member, and to qualify ISI in their place. It's like the USA and Russia merging into a one friendly nation, but not quite so easy.