Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1208082
A N E W elementary school in Stockton has been named after Flora Arca Mata, the first Filipino American teacher in the state. Mata was the first Filipino American to graduate from UC Los Angeles (her older sister worked as a farmhand to pay her tuition). She was the first woman of color to teach in Stockton Unified School District, where she taught for 32 years. A UCLA newsletter noted that Mata was hired at a time when it was difficult for minorities to get teaching positions, and her work paved the way for other Asian Americans in education. Even after retiring in 1980, Mata, who died in 2013 at 95, continued to substitute teach. The school is currently under construction and will open in the fall. The 2020 Census, which counts every person living in the U.S. regardless of citizenship or immigration status, is particularly critical for students in public K-12 schools and higher education. The count impacts federal funds that communities receive for special education, classroom technology, teacher training, after-school programs, school lunch assistance, and other public services. Questionnaires should arrive by mail around mid-March. Responses can be on paper, online, or on the phone (the Census Bureau has plans to count pop- ulations in unique living situations). You can help ensure an accurate count. "Educators are trusted, and we can reassure others that participation in the census is safe, important, and neces- sary," says NEA President Lily Eskelsen García. "Being counted helps ensure that all communities receive their fair share of federal and state funding for schools and other critical services." Hard-to-count populations include recent immigrants and English learn- ers, LGBTQ+ people, those without financial stability and stable housing, children in shared custody arrangements, and children being raised by someone other than their parents. Children ages 0-5 are particularly at risk for being undercounted. Talk to friends, family and colleagues about the importance of the Cen- sus. Incorporate census data into curricula, whether focusing on civics or data literacy. Find lesson plans, maps, historical data, coloring pages, quizzes, and other resources at NEA Today neatoday.org/2020census, census.gov/schools and censuscounts.org. CensusCounts.org Got a Good Idea? CTA's Institute for Teaching awards grants to members for their innovative projects. Apply for Educator Grants up to $5,000 and Impact Grants up to $20,000 by March 31. For more information, go to teacherdrivenchange.org. And see our story on page 50. School Named Aer First Filipino American Teacher Every Kid Counts c e n s u s 2 0 2 0 12 cta.org In the Know N E W S & N O T E S