130: Creating the Schools We Need with Kapono Ciotti

How do we create schools where students actually want to learn? Meet Kapono Ciotti, an educator working to transform schools from teacher-centered stages to student-led learning environments. Drawing from his experiences in progressive education systems, Ciotti shares practical strategies for letting students take the lead in their learning journey. His innovative approaches and the What School Could Be framework offer a roadmap for educators ready to trust students with real ownership of their education.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• The shift from industrial-age schooling to student-led learning
• Building genuine learning communities in schools
• The role of AI in transforming education
• Creating schools where students want to be
• New frameworks for measuring educational success

  RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Connect with Kapono and What Schools Could Be on LinkedIn, Instagram, the WSCB community, and by visiting www.whatschoolscouldbe.org
• What Decade Is Your School Preparing Students For? Take the survey and find out: www.whatschoolcouldbe.org/survey
• Visit www.principledlearning.org to learn more about Jennifer D. Klein and her work
• Learn more about the Rebel Project Literacy Curriculum, a fully integrated literacy and project based learning curriculum, at  projectup.us or inkwire.co/rplc 
• Get your copy of Rebel Educator: Create Classrooms Where Impact and Imagination Meet
• Learn more about Rebel Educator, explore our professional development opportunities for educators and students, and check out our project library.
• Visit us at UP Academy to learn more about our personalized and inclusive learning environment.
• Connect with Tanya and UP Academy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about her journey here.

GUEST BIO:

Kapono Ciotti attributes his educational philosophy to his own schooling experience in a progressive, social-constructivist school during his early years in Honolulu, Hawaii. He taught in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Dakar, Senegal, for over a decade before moving into school leadership. Kapono has led schools in the United States and Egypt, where he put into practice the philosophy of "students making the world a better place," shifting school culture to impact-based education practice. His strong belief in education being an act of social justice drives his work.

Kapono has worked internationally in educational change organizations, leading the work of Deeper Learning and place and culture-based pedagogy, and he is currently the Executive Director for What School Could Be. In these roles, he has trained teachers in over 100 schools and school districts over four continents, impacting hundreds of thousands of students. In addition, Kapono spent 15 years as National Faculty for the National Association of Independent Schools in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, facilitating national and international learning experiences. As a curri