Squelching Smart Starts: The U.S. Department of Education Terminates Ready To Learn Grant
Federal Education Department Cancels Ready to Learn Funding for CPB
WASHINGTON', D.C. - Prepare for a changes in the landscape of educational programming, folks! The U.S. Department of Education has axed the 2020-2025 Ready To Learn grant, potentially snuffing out a treasure trove of educational content from beloved shows like "Molly of Denali," "Work It Out Wombats!," and "Lyla in the Loop." The controversial decision aligns with the broader efforts of the Trump administration to trim federal support for public media heavyweights like PBS and NPR.
Gird your loins, because it ain't all sunshine and rainbows ahead. CPB, who dished out the dough, reached out to grantees, including PBS and 44 public media stations, ordering an immediate halt to the program. The organization has vowed to square off with Congress and the administration in an attempt to restore the funding.
Now, let me run ya through the nitty-gritty details. Picture televisions all across the nation flickering into silence, the golden age of edutainment fading into the abyss. Kate Riley, president and CEO of America's Public Television Stations, sounded the alarm, railing against the termination of the grant funds.
Riley pointed out that for the past 30 years, these dollars have fueled the production of learning pillars 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 venerable shows – educational cornerstones that have helped shape the minds of young 'uns across the nation. Moreover, the investment in Ready To Learn has backing from over 100 academic studies, confirming that this program has been a key player in building essential skills like science, math, and literacy in children aged 2-8, especially closing the achievement gap between kids from disadvantaged and affluent backgrounds.
The Trump administration has been on a mission to shave federal dollars allocated to public media. Let's recap: besides scrapping the Ready To Learn grant, the administration has ordered the CPB to wave goodbye to funds for PBS and NPR, opened an investigation into the sponsorship practices of PBS and NPR, and is attempting to fire three members of the CPB board.
The CPB predicted that the plug pulled on the Ready To Learn grant would result in more than 1.8 billion video streams, 27.6 million digital game plays, 10.2 million television viewers, and 2 million mobile app downloads going dark. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting President and CEO, Patricia Harrison, stated, "Ready To Learn has received strong bipartisan support from Congress and every Administration for the last 30 years because of the programs' proven educational value in advancing early learning skills for all children. We will work with Congress and the Administration to preserve funding for this essential program."
So, what'll happen next? The future will be a roller-coaster ride as public media organizations tirelessly scour for alternative resources to maintain their expansive work in children's programming. Stay tuned for more updates on this ever-evolving story!
- The termination of the Ready To Learn grant by the U.S. Department of Education may lead to a decline in educational content on television, with shows like "Molly of Denali," "Work It Out Wombats!," and "Lyla in the Loop" potentially disappearing.
- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has reached out to grantees to put a halt to the Ready To Learn program and plans to engage with Congress and the administration in an attempt to restore funding.
- Kate Riley, president and CEO of America's Public Television Stations, has expressed concern over the termination of the grant, which has supported educational programs for the past 30 years.
- Shows like "Molly of Denali," "Wild Kratts," "Work it Out Wombats!," "Lyla in the Loop," "Elinor Wonders Why," "Peg + Cat," "SuperWhy!," "Martha Speaks", "Odd Squad," and others have been instrumental in building essential skills in children aged 2-8, particularly closing the achievement gap between disadvantaged and affluent children.
- The Trump administration's efforts to cut federal support for public media include the termination of the Ready To Learn grant, the order for the CPB to discontinue funds for PBS and NPR, an investigation into PBS and NPR's sponsorship practices, and an attempt to fire three members of the CPB board.
- The CPB anticipates that the plug being pulled on the Ready To Learn grant will impact over 1.8 billion video streams, 27.6 million digital game plays, 10.2 million television viewers, and 2 million mobile app downloads, highlighting the significant scale of the impact on digital media and education-and-self-development content.
