WASHINGTON – May 6, 2025 – Kate Riley, President and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations, made the following statement in opposition to the termination of public television’s Ready To Learn grant at the U.S. Department of Education:
“America’s Public Television Stations are deeply concerned by the U.S. Department of Education’s termination of public television’s 2020-2025 Ready To Learn grant. This abrupt termination of a congressionally funded grant will limit the creation of and access to the kids’ educational programs and resources that American children and families rely on.
“Ready To Learn supports the creation and distribution of educational media content to millions of children across America. For nearly 30 years, over 100 studies have confirmed that this program has helped build science, math and literacy skills of children ages two to eight and close the achievement gap between children from low-income families and their more affluent peers.
“Ready To Learn is the heart of public television, supporting the core educational content and services offered by public television stations throughout the country. Ready To Learn has impacted millions of families -- educating, inspiring and uplifting children for nearly three decades all while preparing them for success in school and life.
“Ready To Learn leverages a national-local partnership among the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), PBS and local public television stations that helps families, caregivers and teachers make the most of these educational media resources locally -- including online, mobile apps, on television, and through in-person events in partnership with schools, preschools, homeschools, daycare centers, libraries, mobile learning labs, Boys and Girls Clubs, and community centers.
“The investment in Ready To Learn has supported the production and academic rigor of PBS KIDS series, such as Molly of Denali, Wild Kratts, Work it Out Wombats!, Lyla in the Loop, Elinor Wonders Why, Peg + Cat, SuperWhy!, Martha Speaks, Odd Squad and other iconic programming for children.
“Public television, through Ready To Learn, supports families in preparing their kids for success in school and life with free, universally accessible, proven educational content and services, including for the over 50 percent of U.S. kids that don’t attend formal preschool. These are services that American families rely upon every day. In fact, according to a recent YouGov survey, 82% of voters, including 72% of Trump voters, said they valued PBS for its children’s programming and educational tools.
“Public television’s educational work through the Ready To Learn grant is truly essential and worthy of federal investment. Federal funding for public television is irreplaceable and critical to local public media stations’ ability to serve their communities.
“We are pursuing all options and working with Congress to restore this essential program to support the families and communities that rely on our local stations to provide proven educational resources every day to Americans in every corner of this country.”
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About APTS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and community connections to their local areas and the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
Contact:
Stacey Karp
202-654-4222
skarp@apts.org