After 18 years at Parker, Director of Civic Engagement Shanti Elliott has left to begin a new job within the Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) Social Studies and Civic Engagement Department.  She has not been replaced, and there is no plan to replace her.

Elliott’s new role with CPS–which started on August 9–is similar to her previous position at Parker. “The work I’m going to be doing is the same thing I’ve been doing at Parker, just at a system-wide level,” Elliott said. “I will be working with teachers and community partners on fostering partnership that strengthens students’ opportunities to learn in real, authentic, and civically-engaged ways.”

Though Elliott will be based at the CPS office in Bridgeport, she hopes to spend most of her time in schools working with students, teachers, and community partners. At CPS, the Civic Engagement Department operates through a team, with each member having a different civic engagement focus.

According to Elliott, her focus is primarily on “students’ projects and teachers’ integration of projects in different classes.”

“I would love to see something where community organizers or non-profits partner with a classroom teacher,” Elliott said, “and develop projects together that are supportive of the organization’s mission and that help students develop their capacities to be involved in civic life.”

Elliott had been committed to partnering with CPS for some time, and her new position suited this commitment well. “A lot of my focus has always been on how can we strengthen relationships between Parker and CPS, and almost since I’ve been at Parker, I’ve been interested in those kinds of relationships,”  Elliott said, “The interest goes way back, and this position just opened up relatively recently.”

Elliott wants to remain connected with Parker. “I’m hoping to be able to continue a relationship with Parker and with Parker folks,” Elliott said. “I’m excited about being in Chicago so that I can be a resource to Parker as much as I can moving forward, both to students and to teachers. The Parker community’s commitment to social justice will always inspire and nourish me.”

As to the future of Civic Engagement at Parker, Assistant Principal Ruth Jurgensen wants to shift the program from separate learning, groups, and actions towards integrating civic work into the classroom–a change already underway.

“The faculty worked two years ago to determine the most authentic way to have students participate in Civic Engagement projects, and they proposed that it really be rooted in the curriculum,”  Jurgensen said.  “We’re on track to continue to make sure our students are active in civic engagement, social justice, and community service, but through the curriculum.”

The current 11th Grade Civic Lab will remain a part of the curriculum, and Elliott’s previous responsibilities as Director of Civic Engagement will be left to the department chairs and the newly-hired Director of Studies Sven Carlsson. “I don’t see a need right now to hire for a Director of Civic Engagement,” Jurgensen said. “This is everybody’s work, and we’ll see how this plays out.”