Exploring Cecilia Chung, Hawaii’s Epic Teacher of the Year: What School Could Be in Hawai’i

This is an episode from Josh Reppun’s “What School Could Be in Hawai’i,” a podcast on the people, technology and methodologies pushing the mantle of education in the 50th state. This episode features an interview with Cecilia Chung, Hawaii’s 2020 State Department of Education Teacher of the Year.

In this fifth on-the-road episode, Cecilia Chung (or CC for short) and host Josh Reppun dive deep into her thoughts on Ted Dintersmith’s film, Most Likely to Succeed, her remarkable education journey, how she became an EdTech Jedi coach, her views on student data, student voice, teacher collaboration and celebration, intentional school design, and the meaning of her selection as Hawaii’s teacher of the year.

CC currently teaches and learns with an awesome group of sixth graders at Kaimiloa Elementary School in Ewa Beach, Hawaiʻi. She has also worked as a technology integration coach for grades K-6. She is a proponent of student voice and agency for (all) students and loves dialoguing about this topic with others. CC is passionate about working with other educators; she leads and facilitates a variety of workshops for and with the education community.

An alumni of the Hope Street, Hawaii State Teacher Fellow program, she has facilitated education-related data collection and focus groups and worked as one of the planning leads for a Hawaiʻi complex-wide teacher conference called Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teachers and Teaching (ECET2). CC is a strong believer in the importance of elevating and celebrating teachers, encouraging teachers to tell their stories via platforms like Twitter and blog posts.

She most recently wrote, “Teachers: You Could Be Anywhere Else,” published on Medium. She is President-Elect for the Hawaii Society for Technology in Education (HSTE). She has monitored and provided content for her school Twitter and Instagram handles. She is a self-proclaimed foodie, an accessible introvert and a bookworm! Her Twitter handle is @MSChung808. Oh yes, and she is Reppun’s former student, a now very special friend.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Education Technology Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!
Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

marketers
Daily 12 Minute AI Habits for Marketers with Measurable Results
December 19, 2025

In this episode of The Marketing AI SparkCast, Aby Varma—founder of Spark Novus, which partners with marketing leaders to adopt AI responsibly and strategically—hosts Frank Lazaro, author of Finding 12 Minutes. Their conversation reveals how marketers can practically implement AI into daily workflows and unlock measurable productivity—starting with just twelve minutes a day. Topics Covered: The…

Read More
sports
The Business of Sports Tourism: How Dallas Converts Sporting Events Into Long-Term Economic Growth
December 19, 2025

Dallas–Fort Worth is entering its biggest global sports moment in decades. FIFA has confirmed the region will host nine matches at AT&T Stadium (branded as “Dallas Stadium” during the tournament) as part of the expanded 48-team, 104-match 2026 FIFA World Cup. With the group-stage draw now public and local planning accelerating—from stadium upgrades to…

Read More
in-home senior care
Bridging the Gap Between Hospital Discharge and Daily Life: How In-Home Senior Care Improves Outcomes and Reduces Readmissions
December 19, 2025

As hospitals across the U.S. shorten length of stay and push more recovery into the home, families are increasingly left to manage complex care needs without formal training or support. Roughly one in five patients with chronic conditions like COPD or congestive heart failure is readmitted within 30 days—a cycle that costs the healthcare…

Read More
business
Why Passion Beats the Perfect Business Idea by Ben Maitland
December 18, 2025

In a moment when AI tools, creator platforms, and decentralized media are reshaping how companies grow, founders are being forced to rethink what actually drives long-term success. According to Forbes, citing CB Insights research, 42% of startups fail because there simply isn’t a market for their product or service. As markets move faster and business…

Read More