As the federal government continues to push in court for an earlier end date for the U.S. Census, it’s more important than ever for Americans to step forward now and be counted.

Educators can play an important role in informing their school families of the importance of the once-a-decade national headcount and encouraging folks to take 10 minutes to answer nine confidential questions online.

Getting an accurate count of everyone who lives in Michigan ensures our fair representation in Congress and adequate distribution of federal funds to our state.

MEA has compiled resources for teaching and learning about the Census, and the state of Michigan offers information on how to complete the census by phone.

Last week, a federal judge reinstated an end date of Oct. 31 for the Census after the Trump administration tried to stop the count one month early. On Monday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the administration would seek an Oct. 5 end date.

Bottom line—be counted now, and encourage your school families to fill out the Census sooner rather than later!