Debra Duardo, M.S.W., Ed.D.
Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools
It seems a lifetime ago when I joined with LA County and City officials on April 1, 2019 at Grand Park to mark the countdown to the 2020 Census.
Knowing that school personnel are trusted messengers in their communities, I committed LACOE to a comprehensive outreach campaign. Since that time, despite many challenges, LA County's school districts and our team have done an amazing job.
Their work has been tireless — producing trainings, curriculums, resources, special events, social media contests, telethons, chalkathons and more. All of it focused on reaching our hard-to-count students and families in partnership with districts and like-minded organizations.
My heartfelt thanks go to our many Census partners and to the LACOE team led by General Counsel Vibiana Andrade, including Carolina Sheinfeld and Esmeralda Flores. Though the Census was cut short, there has been no limit to their passion and commitment to ensuring that "Everyone Counts — Todos Cuentan!"