Revolutionizing School Culture with Josh Staub

Between 2021-2024, I worked as a youth mentor at a middle school in North Philly.

While working there, I had some conversations with the school counselor about implementing whole class community building circles and faculty wellness circles.

The counselor told me that my ideas sounded a lot like those of the man who lead the creation and implementation of the School District of Philadelphia’s Restorative Justice program.

Thus, I came to know Josh Staub.

Josh Staub is the founder and executive director of Humanity First Agape Consulting.

He has over 15 years experience as a successful educator and administrator in some of the most challenging urban public school systems, including Baltimore, Oakland, Philadelphia, and Camden, NJ.

His work has helped schools create curriculum, climate & culture/discipline systems, and has been awarded the National Blue Ribbon Award as well as highly competitive EIR grants.

In this conversation, we learn about Josh's story of how he moved from corporate retail to middle school English teacher to climbing the ladders of the Oakland school district and becoming one of the most revolutionary figures in the US education system.

In addition, Josh takes us beyond the buzz words (social emotional learning, restorative justice, systems of support).

He gives us a window into his personal experiences in the classroom, providing a deeper understanding of how these programs are actually transforming students', teachers', and families' lives.

If you're curious to learn more about Josh's work, check out his website: https://humanityfirstagapeconsultingll.godaddysites.com/