Kicking Off CPS Census Week! #BeCounted

In 2010, there was no Google Classroom, the Cubs had yet to win the World Series, and we were the principals of our respective schools, Westinghouse College Prep and Keller Regional Gifted Center. Though our district and our world have changed quite a bit over the past decade—especially during the past few months—the census remains vital for Keller, Westinghouse, and every CPS school. 

Our students can only receive the federal funding they deserve when every CPS family is fully accounted for in the census. Thus, we are declaring this week as the district’s official Census Week to ramp up efforts to engage with and encourage each one of our families to be counted. Many of our students and teachers at schools across the city—from Social Justice High School to STEM Magnet Academy to Kelly High School—are already working hard to promote this critical civic duty in their communities. You’ll hear more about their efforts later this week. 

Maximizing your contribution to these efforts can be as easy as remembering three steps: Watch. Participate. Share. 

1) Watch. If you have any questions about what the census is or why it matters to Chicago schools, watch this video to learn more.  

2) Participate. Make sure that every member of your household has completed the census either by mail, by phone at 844-330-2020, or online at my2020census.gov. 

3) Share. Call and offer support to your neighbors, relatives, and friends if they have yet to fill out the census. You can also share information on social media using the hashtag #BeCounted. 

By working together, we can reach our goal of getting as many people counted as possible during this week. We may be separated, but doing our part to improve the future of education in Chicago should unite us. Let’s take action and #BeCounted. 

Sincerely,

Janice K. Jackson, Ed.D           LaTanya D. McDade
Chief Executive Officer             Chief Education Officer
Chicago Public Schools           Chicago Public Schools