Much has changed in our communities over the past two months, but one thing that remains the same is the importance of the census. To help ensure maximum participation by Chicago families, we are declaring May 25-28 CPS Census Week, and we want to help make sure students and their families are counted.
As you can see from the video below, the census will have significant implications for our city’s education system for the next decade. So we must ask ourselves this question — how can we ensure everyone is counted in the 2020 census? The answer lies in education, engagement, and encouragement.
We’ve seen powerful examples of students leading the way in promoting this critical civic duty -- from students at Little Village Lawndale High School’s campuses leading peer-to-peer learning on census completion, to students at Foreman High School developing a PSA for all families. We’ve achieved a great deal in this area, and now is the time to ramp up our efforts.
Our goal as a district is to promote completion of the census and to get as many people as possible counted during the week of May 25.
Only when our CPS family is fully accounted for can our students receive the federal funding they deserve. Participation in Census Week activities is an ideal way to accomplish that goal. The week will feature many opportunities, including virtual workshops for families and a campaign to highlight the great work CPS students are doing to raise awareness of the census.
We thank you for your support and encourage you to reach out to Heather Van Benthuysen, Director of Social Science and Civic Engagement, at HVanBenthuysen@cps.edu with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Janice K. Jackson, EdD
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago Public Schools
LaTanya D. McDade
Chief Education Officer
Chicago Public Schools
