Re: Can quality work for public ed?

[PSIGROUP@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/15/00 6:02:02 AM Pacific Standard Time, mtribus@home.com 
writes:

> Dan Lyle wrote, in part:
>  >
>  >My question for you: in your experience, are there any top politicians you
>  >are aware of that have a solid understanding of Quality and how it applies
>  >to most effectively improving organizations by empowering their people to
>  >best serve customers?  (Whether in government agencies, industry, schools,
>  >or whatever.)
> 
Myron Responded: 
>  None to my knowledge. They may exist, but they would, at this stage, 
>  have a difficult time getting elected if they acted on their knowledge.

I agree with Myron . . .  When I went to a WED Seminar in Costa Mesa back in 
1992, Dr. Deming made note of the fact that he was "working with" someone 
within the Congress.  His name?  Newt Gingrich . . . . 

Newt did an interesting little class in a college down in Georgia a few years 
back.  I watched the whole series and found it rather good, actually.  Newt 
conducted the Red Beads while he was teaching one of his five pillars for 
reinvigorating American culture - Quality According to Deming.  Some of us 
may remember the problem Newt had in conducting this class with relation to 
PAC money and other political related problems that forced him to stop his 
teachings.  It is interesting to note that Newt was trying to simultaneously 
apply WED's teachings to both government and education - and earned the 
rancor of both, for the most part.  As far as I know - he no longer teaches 
(formally), and we all know what happened to his efforts in government.  Ahhh 
. . .  the life of a change agent!

As for education specifically - I believe there is hope.  I had very little 
until I sat next to a young man on a flight from San Francisco to San Diego.  
A high school teacher.  Somehow, we got on the topic of quality and he began 
to light up, telling me of all the things his mentor and he were doing.  It 
all started to sound very familiar and I asked him if he'd ever heard of Dr. 
Deming.  Of  course!!!  We spent the next hour discussing how the school was 
applying Dr. Deming's teachings within the classroom and to the 
administration of the school.  They were finding that money was not the issue 
related to learning.  The key issue - and this is a key point I have always 
taken from WED's teachings - has become that the schools no longer teach and 
challenge students and faculty to THINK.  To get to root cause analysis of 
problem solving.  This school - this teacher - and others like them ARE 
listening and going through the same travails and issues that many of us did 
. . .  and still are.   

"We, you and I, and as many others as may exist, have a solemn duty to 
educate the others and thereby create a constituency."  I couldn't agree 
more, Myron.  I have found the best opportunities are those that come about 
naturally, during the chance meetings and encounters that we have in our 
daily lives.  As for my encounter with the young man?  He went out and bought 
"Out of the Crisis" - he had never heard of the Fourteen Points.  Go figure.  
And so, the endless journey continues . . . . . . 

Charles C. Hannabarger
Process Solutions International
El Cajon, CA
619-443-3165
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