Susie An is a reporter for WBEZ and covers state and suburban education.
She also serves as an occasional news anchor and show host on WBEZ. She’s directed shows like, Schools on the Line, a past WBEZ call-in show focusing on education in Chicago. Her work has also been heard on NPR, CBC and BBC. Susie joined WBEZ as a news desk intern in September 2007. Prior to joining WBEZ, Susie worked at the Peoria Journal Star newspaper and worked as an acquisitions editor for Publications International, Ltd.
Susie’s work has won awards from the Associated Press and Chicago Headline Club. She has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, Susie has been a Chicago resident since 2006.
Susie An
Curious City Editor
Stories by Susie An
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Who’s behind the CTA holiday train? Santa and the elves, of course.
We spoke with the man in the red suit himself to learn more about the Chicago Transit Authority’s longest-running holiday tradition.
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Illinois students will learn Native American history under a bill pending in Springfield
Some existing lessons on Native American history are incomplete and possibly inaccurate, according to many Indigenous people.
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Nearly 10,000 Illinois students get taxpayer-supported scholarships for private schools. Should this continue?
Families who participate say it’s been essential for their children, while others say it hurts the public schools that most students attend.
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Illinois Democrats spending big to combat ‘extremist conservatives’ in school board races
As outside conservative support grows in school board races, the Democratic Party of Illinois for the first time is investing in these local races.
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Pandemic learning loss, staff shortages are top challenges for Illinois’ new education leader
Supt. Tony Sanders sees an “ever-widening gap between the left and the right … I think public education is squarely in the middle of that fight.”
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Illinois educators try to tackle pandemic learning loss with high-impact tutoring
One educator compared the learning disruption caused by the pandemic to water freezing in cracked pavement, deepening the divide.
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Class of budding scientists in the suburbs working on ‘an exceptionally accelerated pace’
Every student in a science class at OPRF High School in Oak Park made the semi-finals of a regional STEM competition. Now, two of them are on to nationals.
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Kids Ask: Why do schools do lockdown drills?
Young kids often turn to their parents to understand why we do safety drills. One parent, along with a social worker, takes on this tough one.
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Illinois student test scores are in. They remain far below pre-pandemic levels in reading and math.
The results on state math and reading exams mirror last year’s scores, showing the ongoing toll of COVID-19 and remote learning.
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Illinois students are getting their first broad exposure to Asian American history this year
A new state law requires teaching Asian American history. Some teachers have jumped in headfirst, while others are still preparing lessons.
