The U.S. Census Bureau will begin its count on April 1, 2020, and principals are vital to its success. Conducted every 10 years, the census seeks to accurately record the population throughout the country, and more than
The U.S. Census Bureau will begin its count on April 1, 2020, and principals are vital to its success. Conducted every 10 years, the census seeks to accurately record the population throughout the country, and more than 1 million young children were missed in 2010. More than a typical tally, the results help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year, as well as how many seats in Congress each state and your local school board boundaries are awarded. Of course, some of that federal funding is funneled directly into schools—and principals can be highly effective influencers when it comes to census participation.
According to recent survey findings from the Pew Research Center, “Americans have varying levels of confidence in key aspects of job performance by those who hold important positions of power and responsibility.” While majorities believe that members of Congress and local elected officials take responsibility for their mistakes only a little or none of the time, confidence in K–12 public school principals is much higher. In fact, the public has “the most confidence in the way K–12 public school principals, military leaders, and police officers operate when it comes to caring about people, providing fair and accurate information to the public and handling resources responsibly.” So, what does this mean for our educators?
Using Your Influence
As trusted leaders in your communities, you have the unique ability to highlight the importance of census participation among your staff, stakeholders, and even the parents of your students. After all, the census affects school funding as it relates to special education programs, free and reduced-price lunch, class size reduction, classroom technology, teacher and principal professional development through Title II funds, as well as Head Start and after-school programs. Without accurate data—and community buy-in to get that data right—your programs may not get the funding they need to properly serve the students who rely on them.
To support you with further inform