By contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Good evening. Founding two fortune 500 companies. The Insurance Company sunamerica along the way he amass ad considerable fortune. That focus philanthropy on reforming Public Education through Charter Schools and contemporary art accessible to all. Next year Broad Contemporary Art Museum will open its doors right next to disney in Downtown Los Angeles. Admission will be free. Eli, it is an honor to have you on this program. Delighted to be here. I want to start this conversation, if i might, going ever by going into your text that you wrote a few years ago. The art of being unreasonable. I want to go to page 60 here. It really does kind of set the framework for a conversation that we want on make part master class about some of the lessons you learned. I want to walk through five, six lessons you learned along the way in this buffalo billiant career of yours as an entrepreneur and philanthropist. You say a word about each of these. We will take our conversation from there if thats okay with you. Thats fine. The line is simply this. The lessons i have taken to heart for nearly 60 years in business and philanthropy i still use every day. Number one, ask a lot of questions. I do believe in asking a lot of questions and gaining as much knowledge as one can. Secondly, pursue the untried. I believe in start doing things that no one else has tried. And always asking why cant it be done . That spirit of innovation created the tried and untried comes from where . I think just being entrepreneurial. I have always been curious about things. I always wanted to see things that others dont see. Thirdly, revive expectations upward. I have High Expectations for myself and everyone i work with. I try to convince people they can do more than what they think they can do. Take risk. You have to take risks. You cant be risk averse. If you dont take risks you dont have rewards. What have you learned about how to calculate motivation . Well, you never want to say you want to know what happens that doesnt work out. Be restless. I have never im never satisfied. I always want to make things better. Whatever im involved in. Whether it is the business, or whether it is k through 12 education, reform or whether it is scientific research. I assume you have been in that situation you have to accept this particular project, a, b, or c and as restless as i am about this, this is the best i can do on this. How do you come to that conclusion . You come to the conclusion to do all you can. Not more you can do, you just say thats the best i can do. Hope it all works out. Seek out the best in your work, the best deal, the best investment, best people, and the best causes and the best art and the best in yourself. Seek out it is best. I do believe seeking out the best in people. I have been very fortunate to have operate college helped me do all the things i have been able to accomplish. When you were looking to to hire somebody, bring somebody on a project to work with somebody, bring somebody into your operation, what do you look for in people . A question you ask in these interviews and conversation. I look for someone that that determined and has a great work ethic and that his mind is very open here, her mind is very open to new ideas. So when im watching these things. Your confidence in people to deliver for you comes from where . It comes from a belief that if you get the right people and we are the right way, they can do a lot more than they think they can deal. I would assume i never had the pleasure of working for you, only talking to you over the years. Whats it like working for you . Are you a hard task master . I can only assume aguy like you has to be pretty demand. I am demanding but im demanding of myself first. I set example. I work all the time. I enjoy working. I enjoy making a difference. Take work home every evening and people i like to lead by example. You are an only child. I am an only child. How did all of this come out of an only child . Well, im not sure. Came from a lower middle class family. One in the bronx. I was born in the bronx. Raised in detroit. And went to Michigan City university. I like the spartans. Yes. And always wanted to achieve things. Whether it was in business. I had four careers. I was a young cpa. I had k. B. Holmes and kaufman. Sunamerica for Retirement Savings and 14 years ago abecame a fulltime fill an low piece. Let me back up just a second. I say many times on this program i believe in this. That we are who we are because somebody loved us. We are who we are because somebody loved us. I assume that must have started with your parents. Talk to me about your mom and dad. My dad was very gregarious. He was a funloving guy. My mother was very serious. She had a great influence on me. She was more intellectual. What did your parents do for a living . Well, my mother started out as a dress maker. My father started out as a house painter and became a merchant in detroit. How does a guy who starts with such Humble Beginnings dream of such a big world for himself . Well, i didnt start a step at a time. Whenever i would reach a goal i would say where do i go from there . I would never be satisfied with whatever i had. I was always looking to do more and do it better. So you mentioned for the last 14 years, you have been a fulltime fill an low piece. Fill philanthropist. What had you hoped to achieve 14 years ago taking on that assign. We are very fortunate. We sold our company 14 years ago, 15 years ago for 13 billion. That gave us a pair amount of money. I said i will work for two more years and then i want to give back. I said, whats the biggest problem facing america . And i concluded it was k through 12 education. I saw what was happening in china a india, japan, korea, Northern European nations and i said we have to improve our Public Education system. In fact, i always believe really civil rights issue of our times. A lot of people agree with you. The issue of our time. Yet, you are a big boy and you can handle this. Im starting to read more and more critique and not a kind i consider tecritique of people le you. People think you are well intentioned but you are giving it away and you are causing the problem, going about it the wrong way, solutions are slightly off. Charter schools are not the answer. I can do this all night. You heard these critique all the time. Whats your response to people who think that people like and you gates are well intentioned but are causing problems here . Looking we are look at a system where america used to be number one in graduation rates. Miswe are tenth. We used to be high up in math and science and so on. We are now 18th, 25 toth 30th. The system we have is not working. You have to find solutions outside of the Current System whether Charter Schools or the or doing other things. Why do you think the Charter Schools are the answers . Why you are not the only answer. You are a good Charter Schools, they are very good Charter Schools that support Charter Schools. But the best Charter Schools one last week, the Charter Schools. They do a magnificent job. 09 of the kids go to college how is the kids school motto . It might work well for those kids but how does that solve the larger problem of Public Education that kids majority of my kids are zpli would hope that traditional Public Schools will learn from public Charter Schools and adapt their best practices. What do they need to learn . I think we longer school year, longer school year. Which Charter Schools have. I think we have to use more technology and best of futures and the best of technology. You gave a sizable contribution some years ago. 100 million to teach energy. Do you recall writing that check . I do. You wrote a big check. Teach for america was back in the day still regarded for the work it has done in regard to putting teachers in difficult settings in inner cities. What do you make now . Having written that check for 100 million . I feel type for america, teach for america. The staff sin credible. Getting the best and brightest people out of the best schools in america to convince themselves to commit to teaching for two years. Many stay on a lot longer. A lot of them start Charter Schools and do everything to education. These are people that otherwise would not have gotten teaching. If the Public Education crisis is more than just about money, what is that more . It is about a willingness to change. A willingness to do things better. A willingness to recognize that for us to have a standard of living, to be competitive in the world, we need to do a far better job of educating our children. We want all children to go to college but all children are not going to college. So we want to stop people from dropping out after their eighth or ninth year. The way to do that is to show a good paying job rather than say nothing point staying in school because i dont know what you do for me. What do you make of p specifically here in california, it used to be that our Education System was top flight. And that i think it is still the case. What happens in california politics cast a long shadow or long sun team across the country and for years, education, we cast a long sunbeam. And the numbers are abundantly clear. We are not where we are used to be. But this is where you made your home all these years later. To say a brief word to me about the state of education in this state that tops in the nation. Well, we are far from tops in the nation. Massachusetts and other states are tops. The problem we have is we have status quo by a lot we dont to change. And, therefore, and very influenceal in the state legislature and so on. As you probably know we recently had a lawsuit that ruled that giving after 18 months does not make sense. We need a longer period than that. Seniority is the only basis for laying off teachers doesnt make sense. We are going to see a lot changes and it may happen hue the courts and not only in california but across america. Maybe prophetic. Thats where i was going. Figure i would get my way to the Court Decision by starting to ask you about californias education and work my way through to the Court Decision. The Court Decision you referenced ran was a call. That bell was heard across the country. And teachers unions, i know, you know, were shuttered and started stuttering quite frankly when that decision came down. You take it from your comment now you support that decision. I did support the decision. I supported that lawsuit. Will is a new lawsuit now in the state of new york also. Similar lawsuit. There will be many more. How do you respond to teachers watching now who say they are there goes eli broad again blaming teachers as if teachers are the problem. I dont blame teachers. I dont blame teachers. That decision was seen as a slap against teachers month. It was more a slap against the establishment, the teachers unions and practices that no longer made sense. I believe if you have tenure it ought to be learned like at a university or five years or so. 18 months is too short a time. Too short a time. And then when you come it comes to laying off teachers, you best teachers regardless of seniority. What role do you think teachers generally speaking, what role do you hi teachers and teachers you dont knowors are playing in this crisis right now . I think teachers are the most important element in Public Education. And oftentimes young teamers are not in line with the teachers unions. Teachers unions seem to be more interested in your older members and protecting those that are on occasion havent done as well as they should. As you well know, not just in this state but this country, we live in the most multicultural and multiracial america ever. In this state, across the country, so many of the children of color dont have teachers that look like them. I wonder if if with your work in the urban programs, thats something that the Broad Foundation started thought about it, considered, think is important that most of the kids are being taught you about white female teachers and dont get a chance what looks like them in the classroom. Thats partially true. We try to change. In michigan, i went to detroit Public Schools. We created a program. It brought us kids out of detroit public high schools and teachers. So we immediate more color in the lass room than we currently have. We also need the brightest people of color. How did you create the Obama Administration six years in on their education reform . Very high grades. I think the president is doing all the right things. I think secretary duncan is doing all the right things. And i think that strong endorsement. All the right things . All of the right things. Absolutely. What do you like about this . I like race top top. It costs 30some odd states teach laws dealing with all sorts of things. I like the push for a common core which is not a practical program. Started with 45 governors and state education officials. We immediate a longer school year. We immediate better training of teachers. How much of the problem in American Education has to do with the fact we have race to the top and i think education is a right and not a race. I dont like the way we make this thing race. It is a right for children. Not a race. Wry like this competitive thing. Thats my motto. I dont like it. Thats me. Thats not you. I think the question is how much of the problem in American Education there are 50 different estates and 50 different ways of doing it . I think thats a problem. Thats were we have the common core which, again, endorsed by 45 xofs and state officials. You cant have a different curriculum, massachusetts and montana or the state of washington. Or one nation. Something, privatization, education is the answer. I dont think it is the answer. I dont believe that. Charter school are Public Schools. I believe in competition and i believe in current choice. What makes you hopeful . Obviously, the kind of resources and kind of time and trade you are putting into thissings suggesting you believe your efforts are making a difference. Obviously it is the work of your life at this point. What makes you hopeful about your efforts on education . I think people are beginning to wake up and we have to do something about our Education System. That it isnt getting country to work where it needs to be. We are not being competitive. We are leaving a lot of young people behind. I think that her starting to be realization that things have to change and starting to change. Slower. Time is running out. I could talk to you for hours on edge indication. But the other asks ever aspect of your life we are fort mat, i think, hear in the Greater Los Angeles area to be beneficiaries of your fill an low pit, art is concerned. How did you become such an art lover . My wife was a collector. I have always encouraged her about things. Before i got involved in art i was involved in higher education. I was on the board. I was the chairman of one colleges. I it was out of curiosity. And i said life would be i spent all my time with other Business People, bankers and lawyers. I started with arts and became fascinated because their view of society is very different than that of this of Business People and lawyers. We are now celebrating ten years of disney hall. You look back ten years later on the efforts you were involved in to help bring us disney hall. What do you make of that anniversary ten years later . I feel very good about it. I think disney hall has been a great success. A great asset for the city of los angeles. It is a crown jewel. I can think of no city that has a better Symphony Hall or better symphony than we do. Tell me more about this museum that is scheduled to open in 2015. Right next door to walt disney concert hall. Great piece of architecture 37 free admission. Hope reply it will have great attendance. Why is free admission so important to you . We know free admission get twice the attendance we would get if we charge admission. You have been at the center. You have persons that disagree with you on certain issues, i dont think anybody in this town thats being pair would not give you your props and respect you deserve for being at the epicenter of helping to usher los angeles into a cultural renaissance. Let me ask you to set modesty aside. Tell me how you feel, again, being one of the Major Players thats really starting to make this a cultural, artistic, and destination. I love this city. This city permitted me to do things i couldnt do in other cities. I want to give back. Im very happy to devote my time and energy and resource to make this especially having a vibrant center in Downtown Los Angeles which we are finally starting to have. Looking at brand avenue. Arts high school. Between new cathedral. Wall disney music hall. Our museum. It is exciting. And more and more people grand park, of course, where we have a place where it is the fourth of july, new years eve where people from all arts parts of the city can celebrate together. Circle back to this master class where our conversation gun lessons you learned you a long the way. We all have our detract wrors and people disagree. What have you learned about yourself and how you best manage situations and circumstances even in the public eye where people sometimes violently disagree with you . Well, if i truly believe one of doing the right thing, i have thick skin. Im not going to i do what i think is right. I do it with passion and belief. It is not for personal profit. It is for the public good. How have you been able to find the line between doing that and love and humility and arrogance and narcissist. I try not to be arrogant. I try to be as helpful as i can. I want to be forceful and make sure that my things i want to get accomplished to get accomplished with others. This book has been out a little while. It is worth reading and rereading if you want to learn good lessons. Michael bloomberg. The book is called the art of being unreasonable. Written by eli broad. Mr. Broad, honored to have you on the program. I enjoyed the conversation. Pleased to be here. Thank you. Thats our show for tonight. Thanks for watching. As always, keep the faith. For more information on today as show, visit tavis smiley at pbs. Org. Im tavis smiley. Join me next time for conversation with Demian Bichir and jonathan butler. Thats next time. See you then. Announcer tonight on quest, the climate is changing. Its not a question of if or when, its happening now. Scientists already have clear evidence that california is warming, affecting everything from Water Supplies to wildlife. And looking into the future, what kind of state will our children inherit . Most experts agree that the decades ahead will be very different from the california weve all been used to. Weve dubbed the phenomena that were looking at the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The world of 2050 is already in the pipeline. And the question is, if were going to be smart enough to avoid the worst of it. Those people that are still skeptics that dont believe, that think that we ought to just wait, let nature take its cose
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