GA 648 | Discovering Lean in High School with Ted Pendergrass

GA 648 | Discovering Lean in High School with Ted Pendergrass

Author: Ron Pereira: Lean Thinker & Co-Founder of Gemba Academy September 3, 2026 Duration: 37:11

Most lean practitioners spend their careers trying to change the minds of adults who have been doing things the same way for decades. Ted Pendergrass decided to start earlier. Over 20 years coordinating a career technical education program at a California high school, he brought 5S, practical problem-solving, and Yellow Belt certification to students who had never heard of lean. The conversation covers what actually stuck, what surprised him, and what the rest of the lean community could do to help.

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • How a cabinet maker’s instinct for efficiency led to lean teaching (4:57)
  • What happens when high schoolers 5S their Google Drives (6:57)
  • Why practical problem solving opens students’ eyes more than any other unit (9:06)
  • How student tours reveal whether lean is actually taking root (12:22)
  • Why education is not the most lean process and what chunking has to do with it (13:34)
  • How to teach students to use AI as a tool rather than a crutch (15:53)
  • Why CTE programs are the right entry point for spreading lean (19:46)
  • What a Yellow Belt certification does for a student in a job interview (21:51)
  • How the California Partnership Academy model keeps students engaged and career-ready (24:18)
  • Why getting companies inside schools changes what students believe is possible (29:00)
  • What practitioners outside education can do to plant lean seeds in their communities (30:49)

“If you have to ask if it’s good enough, it probably isn’t.” – Ted Pendergrass

Keep Learning

Ted’s seniors earned Yellow Belt certification as a capstone to a three-year lean program. If that kind of structured progression interests you for your own team or organization, the certification path is worth a close look.
Learn More About Certifications at https://www.gembaacademy.com/solutions/certifications

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What Do You Think?

If you had two hours with a classroom of high school students, which lean concept would you start with and why?


Hosted by Ron Pereira, a lean thinker and co-founder of Gemba Academy, the Gemba Academy Podcast is a deep and practical resource for anyone looking to build a better organization. The conversations here move beyond theory, focusing on the real-world application of methodologies like Lean Six Sigma and Toyota Kata. You’ll hear from practitioners and leaders who share stories from the front lines, detailing how they tackle complex problems, foster genuine productivity, and develop effective teams. Each episode feels like a candid workshop, breaking down concepts into actionable steps you can apply immediately. This isn't about abstract ideals; it's about the tangible work of improvement, from the shop floor to the executive suite. Tune in for a learning experience that challenges conventional wisdom and provides the tools for meaningful change. The Gemba Academy Podcast turns the philosophy of continuous improvement into a clear and accessible path forward for business professionals and educators alike.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership
Podcast Episodes
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Confidence and arrogance can look identical from the outside. George Barrios has spent a career in rooms where the difference mattered, from running a semiconductor division at 29 to co-leading a $20 billion merger betwe…
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Most organizations have the systems. They have the processes, the KPIs, the structured meetings, the strategic plans. And they are still stuck. Norman Wolfe has spent decades helping leadership teams understand why, and…
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Most people trying to improve their lives are doing it without a clear picture of what they are building toward. For Joel Steele, a near-miss with prison forced him to start making different choices. His book "Life Switc…
GA 635 | Emotions Are Not the Enemy with D. Earl Johnston [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Most continuous improvement practitioners are trained to prize logic and treat emotion as noise in the system. D. Earl Johnston spent nine years and thousands of research hours across twelve disciplines discovering that…
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This week's guest is Ben Hansen. Ron and Ben discussed how Ben helps companies improve their profit margins, dealing with "profititis," shifting your focus from revenue to profitability, and more. An MP3 audio version of…
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This week's guest is Andy Olrich. Ron and Andy discussed the roles of people and tools in continuous improvement, what NOT to do when building a lean culture, teaching younger generations, and more. An MP3 audio version…
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GA 630 | Why Tone Matters with Shahab Shah [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:05
This week's guest is Shahab Shah. Ron and Shahab discussed the importance of balancing human empathy with the demands of reality, why tone matters, first steps for making improvements, and more. An MP3 audio version of t…