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A Cautious Return to Normal on 53rd Street May 17, 2021

Show notes

Host Jacoby Cochran heads to the commercial center of Hyde Park to talk to diners, shoppers, and Sunday strollers about how they’re feeling after the CDC’s new finding that masks are no longer required indoors or outdoors for fully vaccinated people. And while that was welcome news for some, others decided to stick with the plan from the last year and stay masked up.

The Fight to Stay A Two-Newspaper Town May 14, 2021

Show notes

On Saturday, the Chicago News Guild is hosting a rally to “Save Local News,” particularly the Chicago Tribune. The paper’s parent company is facing a takeover by Alden Global Capital, which has a reputation for gutting the newspapers it buys. Guild President and Sun-Times reporter Andy Grimm explains why he thinks the deal is bad for Chicago. And we hear from Tribune reporter and guild organizer Louisa Chu about her perspective from the newsroom.

Guests: Andy Grimm, Courts reporter, Chicago Sun-Times (@agrimm34)

Louisa Chu, Food and Dining reporter, Chicago Tribune (@louisachu)

Why Kids Can’t Just “Shake Off” Depression May 13, 2021

Show notes

Episode Description: Teachers have had to adapt in so many ways during the pandemic. Remote learning created new challenges for students’ academic success, but it’s also meant a new level of anxiety and isolation. Teachers-- really all adults-- have to be plugged into kids’ mental health in addition to their other needs. Communities in Schools works with 175 Chicago Public Schools to train teachers in “Mental Health First Aid” to look for signs of depression, anxiety, suicidal behavior in students and teach them how to help. We talk with Dr. Judith Allen about how it works.

Guest: Dr. Judith Allen

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Giving Birth While Black in Chicago May 12, 2021

Show notes

Black women in Illinois are three times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related conditions, according to a recent report from the state health department. This disparity has persisted for decades. It’s one reason a mother-daughter team founded the Chicago Birthworks Collective. The doulas focus on making giving birth safer and healthier for Black people. Jacoby talks with Birthworks co-founder Toni Taylor about her work.

Guest: Toni Taylor, co-founder, Chicago Birthworks Collective (@chicagobirthworksco)

IDPH Report: http://www.dph.illinois.gov/mmmr

A Love Letter to Our Pandemic Refuge: The Parks May 11, 2021

Show notes

The pandemic has forced us to get creative in how we can socialize. That means: go outside. The Chicago Park District has more than 600 parks across the city with playgrounds, swimming pools, tennis courts, soccer fields and indoor activities at field houses. Even though playgrounds and pools were closed during the pandemic, Chicagoans used the green space to throw down chairs, play some music and, uh, not drink beers with friends while maintaining safe distance. Jacoby tours Humboldt Park with parks booster and historian Julia Bachrach to learn more about the landscape and its long history as a community gathering spot.

Guest: Julia Bachrach, Historian and preservationist (https://www.jbachrach.com/)

The Legacy of Helmut Jahn's Thompson Center May 10, 2021

Show notes

Less than one week after Gov. JB Pritzker announced the James R. Thompson Center was for sale, its architect was tragically killed in a biking accident. Helmut Jahn’s most famous building in Chicago has also been a source of controversy. It’s been derided for its retro colors, its inefficient heating and cooling system, and its spaceship-like facade among neo-classical architecture. But Jahn’s designs were integral in ushering a new era of design known as post-modernism. We discuss Jahn’s legacy and style with one architecture buff who says Chicago had never seen anything like the Thompson Center when it was first built.

Guest: Lee Bey, Photographer, former Chicago Sun-Times architecture critic, author, Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago's South Side (Second to None: Chicago Stories) (@LEEBEY)

A Tour of Pill Hill and a Teacher Surprise May 07, 2021

Show notes

We’ve been hearing all week from our guests about their favorite teachers. Today, host Jacoby Cochran introduces us to Dr. Denise Spells, principal at St. Ethelreda in Auburn Gresham, whom Jacoby calls “a second mom.” Plus, a tour of the Pill Hill neighborhood with Theresa Ferrell, who is Jacoby’s actual mom. “Mama T” takes Jacoby to the block where she grew up and where she still lives.

First Year, Worst Year? Becoming a Teacher in a Pandemic May 06, 2021

Show notes

Being a new teacher is already a tough job. It gets even tougher when you’re starting out during a pandemic. That’s one reason the Illinois State Board of Education teamed up with state teachers unions in the fall to create a mentorship program for first-year teachers. As we approach the end of the school year, we check in with one of the program coordinators to hear how it’s going. Then we hear from a new teacher about how she’s navigating the pandemic. Both of them offer advice and share who their favorite teachers were.

Guests: Louise Stomper, Coaching and Mentoring Coordinator, Illinois Education Association (@ieanea)

Erica Conwell, Teacher, Grant-White Intermediate School

Teacher Appreciation Week ends soon. Tell us about your favorite teacher and where they taught you. Email it to us at chicago@citycast.fm.

A First for Asian American History in Illinois May 05, 2021

Show notes

The Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act would require public schools to include lessons about Asian American history, including the wrongful incarceration of Japanese Americans and the heroic service of Asian American military during World War II. The curriculum is based around the PBS series “Asian Americans.”

Guest: Grace Pai, Director of Organizing, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (@gracekp3)

PBS series: https://www.pbs.org/show/asian-americans/

TEAACH Act: https://www.advancingjustice-chicago.org/teaach/

Bill status: https://ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=376&GAID=16&GA=102&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=128327&SessionID=110

Op-Ed by Grace Pai: https://educationpost.org/heres-why-we-need-asian-american-history-right-now/

Another CPS Chief Resigns. Why? May 04, 2021

Show notes

Janice Jackson is resigning as CEO of Chicago Public Schools, effective June 30. She's been in the job nearly four years. Jackson joins other top CPS officials in leaving after a tumultuous year for the school district. WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp breaks down Jackson’s legacy and what these moves mean for schools, students and families.

Guest: Sarah Karp, Education Reporter, WBEZ (@SSKedreporter)

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