As a high school student in Chicago in 1995, Jackson Potter led a walk-out to push for equitable schools funding in Illinois. He taught at Englewood High School and was the union delegate there when the district slated the school for closure. He and Al Ramirez formed the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) in May 2008 and the Grassroots Education Movement, with community organizations, shortly thereafter. He and future Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Karen Lewis served together as the first co-chairs of CORE. After working as CTU’s staff coordinator for eight years, he went back to teaching for four years and now serves as CTU’s vice president.