When it comes to education, Pepper gets it

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When it Comes to Education, Pepper Gets It

BY KRISTA RAMSEY • kristaramsey@enquirer.com • March 27, 2010

Tucked away in my desk is a yellowed article on how Procter & Gamble employees spend hours watching people do their laundry and scrub their floors to figure out what products they need.

I saved it because it explained why I've always felt P&G probably knows more about me than I know about myself. Before it figures out "solutions" for consumers, it observes them, listens to them and simply asks what they want and need.

The article came to mind Thursday as I listened to former P&G chairman John Pepper talk to 500 community leaders about improving education at the awards luncheon of UC's Economics Center for Education and Research. He laid out three fundamental solutions. The way he arrived at them, however, was revolutionary.

First, Pepper told the group to find and empower the best teachers and principals. It sounds straightforward, but is in fact a dynamic shift from how many districts handle staffing. They wait for good candidates to come to them, then do little to groom them for bigger roles or better performance.

Second, Pepper lobbied for significant, consistent investment in high-quality early childhood programs. Invest is the right verb. Catch-up is not only miserable for third- and fourth-graders who can't read or handle simple math; it soon feels impossible. Want to see how it's working for them in ninth grade? Good luck, because they won't be around.

Third, Pepper said communities must recognize that education happens in and out of schools and that educators can't do the job alone.

Did you learn your work ethic at school alone? I didn't either. Did your confidence and competence start to click in when you shined in a community sports program or took on a leadership role in your church or temple, or earned praise at a part-time job? Same with me.

The notion that schools can build children's skills, impart information, shape their character, nurture their creativity, support their mental health, oversee their socialization - all on their own - is not only wishful thinking by the rest of us, it's an abdication of responsibility. Joining hands with schools makes far more sense than pointing fingers at them.

From the look on the faces of teachers, principals and superintendents in the crowd, John Pepper hit a grand slam Thursday. He "got" what they wrestled with each day. He laid out clear and realistic solutions. He drew the right starting line for improvement.

That's why it brought to mind P&Gers watching people do their laundry. Pepper said he talked with 30 educators and leaders in childhood development as background for his speech. The truth is, he's devoted more than a quarter of a century to observing, listening, encouraging and advocating for educators and students. And he did it during the years he held a pretty big day job, too.

There's a reason Pepper's speech drew a crowd of 500, and why you could hear a pin drop as he presented it. He modeled respect, sincere interest, demonstrated commitment and informed opinion. Suddenly the fleeting interest and cheap shots so many politicians, business leaders - and journalists - take at education seemed not just tawdry but unproductive.

Battered by a bad economy and political infighting, people are tired of posturing, hungry for sensible solutions and starving for a respectful, intelligent and collaborative approach to problems. The reason John Pepper had the right answers Thursday is because he spent 25 years asking the right questions - and listening to the response.