Chicago's Almost Above-Ground Audio Magazine
Mike Stephen discusses the crisis of Illinois state prison staff levels and working conditions with John Howard Association executive director Jennifer Vollen-Katz, learns about a new report about the educational attainment of CPS students from Alexandra Usher, the director of data and research at the To&Through Project, and discovers the Secret History of local blues rocker Nick Gravenites. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.
Mike Stephen talks to Chalkbeat Chicago reporter Samantha Smylie about Chicago Public Schools’ compliance with a state law dealing with punishment in schools, learns about the next chapter of the historic Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge from Mike Jeffers, founder of Chicago Jazz Magazine and venue & programming consultant, and gets the lowdown on a local organization that empowers youth with media and storytelling skills called True Star Media from production team member Christopher Lockridge. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.
Mike Stephen talks to Leslie Westerberg, a former school librarian, about the library crisis in Chicago Public Schools and then discusses the impact of the lack of crime data reported to the FBI with Weihua Li of The Marshall Project. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.
Mike Stephen learns about a project to give new life to shuttered Chicago schools called Creative Grounds, discusses the impact of local community organizing, and gets the Secret History of the late jazz drummer Alvin Fielder. This week’s local music is brought to you by The Artist Formerly Known as Vince. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.