Home of the What School Could Be Podcast, the Five Angles Podcast, & the Musings Community
Founder, producer, host: Josh Reppun – creative consultant: Mel ching
What inspired the What School Could Be Podcast? In 2019 What School Could Be rocketed to the top of the bestseller lists. Josh created this podcast as a way to continue the powerful ideas and stories first shared in the book.
What drives The Five Angles Podcast? This project is our attempt to create the kind of conversation that most education conferences, media outlets, and organizations struggle to sustain: one that is genuinely curious, intellectually honest, and capable of holding multiple truths at the same time.
What is the central question ever present on our minds as we produce these shows and build the Musings Community? It is: What could be school? The depth and layers of this simple question are breathtaking. They drive us forward through each of our episodes, all of our conversations and all of our efforts to build community.
What will you hear and read? Our content will consistently elevate, spotlight, uplift and highlight voices in the education and education-adjacent sectors who value relationships over compliance; mastery over points; relevance over routines; equity over sorting; and learning that honors culture, identity, and the whole child.
What topics do we seek to turn into conversations? We want to dive deep, with you, into learner-centered design, real-world learning, competency-based and mastery-based systems, career-connected pathways, durable skill development, positive youth mental health, play as learning, indigenous learning, and leadership moves that make change stick.
Who is our content for? It’s for anyone who believes this thing we call school should help every young person discover strengths, build skills that matter, develop an ethos of good ancestry and contribute to something bigger. It is for those curious voyagers seeking to learn and grow collectively, and as individuals.
What will listeners and readers leave with? We hope you leave with questions and a library of concrete examples, language, and next steps—so you can say, “Yes, this is possible,” and start making it real where you are. We also hope you will leave with…hope.
How might you use our content on your innovation journey? We invite you to start with an episode, or an article that matches your moment, share one insight with your team, and try one small experiment.
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Vision and Mission
Vision: A world where every young person experiences learning that is humane, relevant, and joyful; where schools are built around student voice, agency, advocacy, and a deep sense of purpose and belonging; and where communities treat learning as a co-created, living practice of becoming that evolves with learners and communities.
Mission: This podcast brings the vision to life by going where learning is happening, in classrooms and communities around the world, and capturing stories, field notes, and thoughtful conversations with the people doing the work. We listen closely, surface what is working and what is still taking shape, and examine what becomes possible as intentions take shape through thoughtful design. We craft these insights into concrete examples and shared language that educators, families, and communities can adapt and use in their own context.
About the Producer And Host, Josh Reppun
My previous careers include chef, hotel manager, history teacher (17 years), Apple retail sales specialist and non-profit executive director. It has been a joy, for almost six years, to produce and host the What School Could Be Podcast. (Which has now reached 135,000 downloads in over 145 countries.) My journey reimagining teaching and learning began in 2015 when I saw the acclaimed documentary, Most Likely to Succeed, and read the book, What School Could Be, which inspired this show. Currently I am focusing on continued development of projects under the banner of Josh Reppun Productions. Past projects include producing and co-directing two films: Ka Helena Aʻo: The Learning Walk and The Innovation Playlist. All of my energy goes into spotlighting creative, imaginative and innovative educators and education leaders around the world. I live in Honolulu with my wife, Cheryl and our shy cat, Penny.
About the Audio Engineer, Evan Kurohara
Evan Kurohara is an audio engineer and post-production specialist with over a decade of experience delivering high-quality mixing and mastering for music, podcasts, and digital media across independent, label, and sync projects. Born and raised in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, Evan does business as SOZEN SOUND, based in Honolulu. He began his audio journey as a DJ in 2015 while pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. In 2018, he transitioned into audio engineering through an internship at Blue Planet Sound, going on to work professionally across studio and live sound environments. As a credited engineer, Evan has contributed to projects totaling over 5 million streams across music and podcast platforms. He serves as chief editor and creative consultant for Josh Reppun Productions, which is home of the What School Could Be podcast – a role he has held for over five years through a connection made as coworkers at the Apple Store in 2021. You can find Evan on LinkedIn.
About the Graphics & Co-Producer, Mel Ching
Mel Ching is an educator, community builder, and creative consultant whose work centers on learning, relationships, and community. A grounding in progressive education has shaped her belief that play, curiosity, and wonder help people discover their strengths, develop voice and agency, and deepen their connection to others. She is happiest bringing people together around good ideas and creating spaces where curiosity, creativity, and community can flourish. For more than two decades, Mel served one of Hawaiʻi’s first public charter schools as a classroom teacher, technology facilitator and coach, and administrator. Along the way, she championed meaningful technology integration, transformed a traditional computer lab into a makerspace, and helped grow the makerspace and library into a Learning Commons for students and teachers. Today, her work has expanded beyond the classroom. She partners with nonprofits and mission-driven organizations to create youth leadership experiences grounded in relationships, place, and community. Drawing on Indigenous and strengths-based approaches, she helps young people recognize their gifts, strengthen their connections to one another, and contribute meaningfully to the communities they call home.
About JRP Advisor, Evan Beachy
Dr. Evan Reppun Beachy is an educator, strategist, and organizational learning leaderwhose work explores how culture, learning, and systems shape the way people and communities thrive. Over the past three decades, he has worked across public, charter, and independent education, leading initiatives in organizational strategy, educational innovation, leadership development, and emerging technologies. Drawing from anthropology, learning science, and Indigenous knowledge, Evan is interested in how people and organizations learn, adapt, and create meaning. His work seeks to bridge research and practice, connecting historical and cultural perspectives with contemporary challenges in education, leadership, and community development. As an advisor to Josh Reppun Productions, Evan contributes strategic insight, research, and interdisciplinary perspective to projects that explore complex ideas through compelling storytelling.
About JRP Advisor, Robert Landau
Robert Landau has spent nearly five decades challenging schools to become worthy of the young people they serve. An educator, school leader, provocateur, and founder of Two Roads Education LLC, he works with communities around the world that are ready to move beyond outdated assumptions and build learning around purpose, agency, human potential, and the future students will actually inherit. Robert helps leaders recognize and activate the strengths within themselves and their teams, turning individual talent into collective capacity and bold ideas into meaningful action. He is also the founder and co-director of The Guardian Project, a global movement empowering young people to become engaged changemakers and guardians of a healthier, more just, and sustainable world. His work is grounded in a simple conviction: education will change when adults find the courage to loosen their grip, rethink their roles, and create the conditions for young people to lead, contribute, and thrive.
About JRP Advisor, Emma Jean George
Emma is the daughter of Ann, granddaughter of Mary Ann and Jean, great granddaughter of Marion and Eliza. Resilient, bold, brave women on whose shoulders she stands. Raised between the Koʻolau Mountains of Oahu and the rolling hills of California Emma currently enjoys residing in the forests of West Marin with her husband and two beloved cats. When she’s not working to serve the Mothers, babies, children and families in her community she can be found hiking, swimming and gathering spring water along the magical coastlines of northern CA.
About the First Post Production Team
When I launched this podcast one of the essential questions on my mind was: Who is going to edit the episodes? One night, while working at the Apple Store, just before closing, I spied Mathieu Williams, the founder of Kealakehe MS’s Hawk Media Productions (near Kona), and a group of his students. I invited them into the store and made a pitch to these 7th and 8th graders and the rest is history. Mathieu’s team did all post production for season one of this show. The manager of that team, Mei Kanada, is pictured front and center. Mei is now at university in Japan – she is the voice that starts and ends every recent episode. Mathieu has since moved on to Kealakehe HS and is building a similar media program for young storytellers.
Accolades
In June of 2023 Getting Smart updated their list of the top 100 podcasts focused on education, and the What School Could Be Podcast landed near the top! This was an incredible honor and a reflection of the hard work of the show’s editor, Evan Kurohara, the magical theme music provided by Michael Sloan, and the innovative, creative and imaginative educators and education leaders showcased in these episodes. And a shout out to Mel Ching, who has served as co-producer on many of our episodes and is a major reason for the show’s success.
You have a real knack for storytelling-weaving-dialogue that invites sincere exchange. I find it inspiring to be in the company of someone who cares and listens as you do. I also learned so much about myself and my work from our conversation and your thoughtful questions and preparation. What a gift to have a conversation that sparks new ideas and connections, already shaping my work. ~ Courtney Joly-Lowdermilk, #158, the Christmas Day 2025 Episode
“I hit replay the moment episodes end, then share them with friends; the student interviews from the What School Could Be Podcast capture young people speaking from the heart about their hopes for the world. Josh’s podcast delivers a masterclass in talking and listening to his guests so they’ll speak truthfully, earnestly, and powerfully.”
“In a crowded podcast universe, Josh Reppun stands alone. No one prepares, researches, or plans with more precision, curiosity, or care. Every guest feels genuinely known, supported, and honored for their work. Each episode reflects exhaustive preparation and deep respect for ideas, people, and purpose. Josh does not just host conversations. He elevates them.”
“The WSCB Podcasts are centered in rich conversations with educational experts and students, providing a vast library of creative, inspiring, and necessary ideas for educators and the future of education.”
“The What School Could Be Podcast brings learners to the center by spotlighting people who are actually doing the work of transforming schools. Each episode offers authentic, practical ideas I can use right away, along with powerful connections to inspiring educators. It fills me with hope, joy, and courage to do the “heart” work of education. If you want motivation on your run or in your leadership, this podcast delivers every time.”
“If I taught a graduate course on education or ran a teacher prep program, The WSCB Podcast would be required listening – no question. With 160+ episodes featuring youth and adult leaders across independent and alternative schools, every conversation is a deep dive into the human stories of becoming within school systems. I always leave inspired, thinking more deeply about why schools are structured the way they are—and how they can be radically reimagined. This podcast helps me feel less alone and pushes me to believe public schools can be innovative, liberatory, and built for the betterment of humanity.”
“Personable, relatable, accessible conversations with teachers on the front lines of a revolution in public, private, and charter school education. Josh’s mixes fun classroom anecdotes with big, powerful questions about what it means to foster thoughtful, creative, talented students. This podcast will give you hope for the next generation.”
“l’ve turned off a lot of news media (TV shows, podcasts, etc.) because of all the bad things happening in the world today. This podcast is one of the very few shows that gives me hope for the future in these uncertain times. It makes my work commutes a lot more enjoyable as well!”
“This podcast hits home for me as an educator who wants more out of the educational experience! I am already hooked after only listening to my first episode.”
“I adore this show and the bright spots it captures in education and learning!! It’s so easy to get caught up in what school isn’t… or how negative things are. But this show captures what school could be. AND what could be school. I love it.”
“In the first podcast, Josh mentioned a moment in time where he took learning to another level with online discussions and taking learning beyond the four walls of the classroom at LP. I was there, 18 years ago, when he had the courage to make a difference. Looking forward to listening to all the segments hosted by Josh, he is a Innovative, deep thinker.”