Elana Jacobs is a 2024-2025 Illinois Policy Fellow and high school Driver’s Education teacher at Waukegan High School in Waukegan, Illinois. She also mentors science, ESL, and special education teachers, and is an elected school board member at Niles Township High School. She has led extensive science professional development sessions and presented at the National Science Teacher Association Conference. Elana began her teaching career in Chicago as a union leader, serving on special ed committees and political action committees. She has worked to implement LGBTQ history in K-12 classrooms. She now takes her teaching experience and policy knowledge to become a pro-educator elected school board member. She received a BA in environmental science and outdoor education from Hampshire College, a MEd in instructional leadership from University of Illinois-Chicago, and is a disability studies and equity doctoral candidate at National Louis University.
