City Cast Chicago

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 AllenFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm[More possible 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/mmmrFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

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/)Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

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)Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

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. Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

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 SchoolTeacher Appreciation Week ends soon. Tell us about your favorite teacher and where they taught you. Email it to us at chicago@citycast.fm.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

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)Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fmPBS 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=110Op-Ed by Grace Pai: https://educationpost.org/heres-why-we-need-asian-american-history-right-now/

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)Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

It’s been over a month since Chicago Police shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo. And Chicagoans are contending with yet another video of police shooting 22-year-old Anthony Alverez. The recent shootings are prompting journalists to re-think how they cover these stories. To help with that, City Bureau’s Ellie Mejía is helping to gather input from the public through the organization’s “Public Newsroom” workshops.Guest: Ellie Mejía, Community Resource Organizer, City Bureau (@_elliemejia)Watch last week’s Public Newsroom: https://fb.watch/5enrbkVE01/ Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Thursday that Chicago is easing more pandemic restrictions and increasing capacity for indoor venues. Chicago’s restaurants have been in Phase 4, which means indoor tables up to six people and outdoor seating up to 10 people. The return of indoor dining should be welcome news to hospitality workers who were hit hard during the pandemic, but some restaurants are having trouble finding staff. We talk about “what’s happening with” the restaurant scene, including this week’s Bib Gourmand awards and Michelin stars. Guests:Ashok Selvam, Editor, Eater Chicago (@Shokdiesel)Josh Noel, Reporter, Chicago Tribune (@hopnotes)Chicago Michelin Guide: https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/illinois/restaurants/3-stars-michelin/2-stars-michelin/1-star-michelinFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm