Meet
Karen Zaccor
District 4
Teacher. Organizer. CPS Parent.
Karen Zaccor is a recently retired science teacher from Uplift Community High School, a community organizer, and a CPS parent based in Uptown for over 40 years. With a passion for educational equity and community empowerment, Karen has fought tirelessly for the rights and resources that students and families deserve.
Rooted in Uptown
Karen has called Uptown her home for over 40 years, where her commitment to education equity began with the Parent Equalizers of Chicago, where she helped remove the racist Mastery Learning curriculum. She served as LSC chair and parent representative while her daughter attended Stockton Elementary and Joan Arai Middle School, where she also taught.
Karen co-founded Uplift Community High School and served on Uplift’s Sustainable Community Schools (SCS) Leadership Team. Beyond the classroom, Karen has been a dedicated advocate for expanding affordable housing, combatting lead poisoning, and coordinating mutual aid efforts during the COVID-19 Pandemic.