"What Time is the Three O'Clock Parade?" An Introduction to Whitehead Learning Group
"What Time is the Three O'Clock Parade?
Every business wants to provide exemplary customer service. Yet sometimes, we fall short of truly understanding how best to serve our clients. Disney cast members are frequently asked “What time is the three o’clock parade?” The answer, "Three o'clock," by the way, is the wrong answer. Why? Because that is not really what guests are asking. Rather, guests are asking: “When do I need to find a spot to watch? Exactly what time does it pass by right here? Where is the best place to watch? Where will my kids be able to best see the parade?”
As an independent educational consulting firm, Whitehead Learning Group is committed to deliver the kind of personalized customer experience that builds lifelong relationships. What is our "What time is the three o'clock parade?" question that we are asked by parents? I have thought about this a lot. In its many forms, I think it can be a question about grades, testing, and applications. With final progress reports sent and year-end conferences complete, we are undoubtedly fielding numerous questions about next steps.
"What time is the three o'clock parade?" "Three o'clock!"
But that's not what you’re asking, is it? No, you’re asking, "Is my kid going to be okay?" "Will my child survive this grade?" "Am I doing enough as a parent?" "Is my child living up to his/her potential?" "Can my child be successful?" “What are my options?” PowerSchool, CollegeBoard, and a school’s website of facts and figures don’t answer those questions. We can. PowerSchool only tells parents the grade: "It's three o'clock." Collegeboard shares with parents the “average” testing score for acceptance at your child’s dream school: “It’s three o’clock.” School ABC’s website breaks down the acceptance rates for this year’s enrollment: “It’s three o’clock.”
Our primary focus as a consulting practice and advocate for your family is rooted in our understanding of the question behind the question—in the same way one of the cast members at Disney must understand what the guest is really wanting to know. This is why we strive to truly listen and try to answer the question our parents are not asking—but the one question for which they really want an answer.
I once saw a bumper sticker that read, "Want to touch the future? Become an educator." So, why did I become an educator? And now, why did I become an independent education consultant? Did I want to become a consultant? The obvious answer is yes, but too often consultants answer this common query in the same manner as the hurried customer service representatives: "I have to get through this amount of applicants." "I have to get through this conference." "I have to get my students to this point in the curriculum." "I have to prepare my clients for the ACT, SAT, SSAT, and more." "If only the parents..." "If only the administrators..." "If only the admissions teams..."
I could go on forever. The question, "Do I want to consult?" is eye-opening. Do I want to be an instrumental agent in the life of a child who will one day become an adult, a husband, a wife, a mother, a father, an executive, a civil servant, an educator, a doctor, a neighbor, a politician, an influence within their community and within our world?
"So, do I want to be an educational consultant?" It means I sort through hundreds of "What time is the three o'clock parade?" questions and many others from parents. It means I will endure the seemingly ever-changing educational trends and the equally changing directions of Greater Atlanta schools. It means I will sit through endless professional workshops. It means I will change my consulting and counseling methods time and time again—to tailor a specific fit for a student to be heard, understood, and affirmed. It means I will leverage my influence to accommodate this generation, then that generation, then another generation.
Thus, the question is not, "What time is the three o'clock parade?" The question is "Why did I want to become an educational consultant, and is it worth it?" As I venture through the corridors of Preschool Half Day and see the playful and smiling faces of the youngest innovators; as I walk in and out of the classrooms of Lower Schools where learning is so brand new and foundational; as I watch the transformation from boys to young men, girls to young women in Middle Schools; as I advise, coach, and counsel my seniors who are about to enter the world on their own for the very first time; my answer to "What time is the three o'clock parade?" is simply, "Yes." Yes, it is absolutely worth it. Yes, I still want to be a consultant. Yes, this is where I belong.