Teachers As Lifelong Educators and Activists
Judith E. Stein, 1992 Golden Apple Fellow
This month’s Free Resource is a Chicago Public Radio pod-cast featuring Golden Apple Fellow, Judith E. Stein. Always an educator and activist, Judith’s interview relates to all educators, both in content and inspiration. Judith (accompanied by Deborah Gillaspie, curator of the Chicago Jazz Archive Collection) tells about the history and growth of jazz on the mid-south side of Chicago since the 1920’s. Judith shares a memory of seeing and hearing John Coltrane in the 1960’s at McKie's on 63rd and Cottage Grove, commenting, “The music was in the streets. It was everywhere.”
Equally important, Judith encourages the public to fight to keep alive the jazz venue, Room 43 (home to the Hyde Park Jazz Society), where people gather weekly to hear the best Chicago musicians and keep jazz in their lives. Educators are passionate fighters for causes, especially as defenders of the arts. They want children to grow up in a world filled with music and art, not devoid of them. Judith’s pod-cast reflects the notable achievements of teachers who choose a worthy purpose outside of the classroom, and then devote their time and effort to generate a more vibrant world.
To join Judith, go to: www.hydeparkjazzsociety.com.
Download and Hear the Podcast >
Judith E. Stein, from 1996-98, was the Golden Apple Academy Chair and Vice-Chair of the Golden Apple Board of Trustees. As English Chairperson at Kenwood Academy, Judith, for over twenty years, was part of the team that built Kenwood’s reputation as a premier academic institution on the south side of Chicago. Her reputation for excellence is national as well as local, and Judith was an invited reader for the SAT II Writing and GMAT Examination and a Table Leader for the A.P English Literature Examination from 1987-2005.
At the University of Chicago, her alma mater, Judith remains active, presently serving as the V.P. of the Alumni Board of Governors. She also has served on University of Chicago panels relating to school issues and worked on their Moral Life of Schools Project. In addition, Judith has been a valued Visiting Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Roosevelt University and an English and Secondary Education consultant in the Midwest.
Presently, Judith is “all about jazz”: Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival; Executive Committee of Hyde Park Jazz Society; Chicago Jazz Ensemble (CJE) Board of Directors; Jazz Institute of Chicago (JIC); and Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (CJP) Advisory Board.