Starting this school year, all public schools in Illinois will be required to teach a unit on Asian American history and culture as part of their social studies curriculum.

Starting this school year, all public schools in Illinois will be required to teach a unit on Asian American history and culture as part of their social studies curriculum.

After weeks of back-and-forth protests over whether students should be wearing masks, Governor JB Pritzker settled the question, requiring masks for a students and teachers, K-12, in schools public and private. The 21st was joined by the director of Safe and Health Climate at the Illinois State Board of Education.

Some school districts across Illinois have decided masks will be optional for students and staff this fall, even though no one under age 12 is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Two doctors and a teacher took calls from parents about masking in schools.

On The 21st: Making sense of the 2017 Illinois Report Card for public schools. Plus, author Johnathan Eig joins us to discuss his new book, “Ali: A Life,” and we learn about the first-ever Obama Foundation summit in Chicago. Also: More fall travel tips from some of our listeners.