Dear Shelley,
We believe America’s students deserve the very best, and like you, PBS and member stations are committed to nurturing their lifelong love of learning. More than any other profession, educators build our nation and shape our future. That’s why we are proud to
support you and your work. We’ve heard from so many of you about the value of our free resources, including those on PBS LearningMedia, as well as our trusted PBS KIDS programming and digital learning apps.
Unfortunately, future federal funding for public media, including our educational resources, is in jeopardy. While PBS and your local station enjoy strong bipartisan support in every region, Congress is now considering whether to eliminate these popular programs.
We are working tirelessly alongside member stations to send a clear message to Congress that cutting federal funding for public media would result in a devastating loss to our country – and it would hit our most vulnerable children the hardest.
You may already know that public media funding only amounts to about $1.35 per American each year, but the benefits are priceless, especially for students and teachers. The investment in terms of school readiness, resources for teachers and educational programming
alone makes it worthwhile.
These benefits are particularly critical in rural and underserved areas, where many families do not have access to preschool, enrichment programs in school or afterschool activities, and often, do not have cable, the Internet or many books at home. Any cut
to federal funding for public media would be a threat to the existence of small stations in these communities.
Given how much is at stake, you may be wondering what you can do to lend your voice in support of public media. I wanted to share a few options:
- SHOW YOUR LOVE: If you have not already done so, add the “I Love PBS” frame to your profile picture on Facebook and share a post about what you value most about PBS [Click here and
search for “PBS”].
- SHARE YOUR STORY: How have PBS and your local station made a difference for you and your students? Please let us know by emailing your story to us at pbseducation@pbs.org and
we will follow up.
- LIFT YOUR VOICE: If you would like more advocacy opportunities, visit ProtectMyPublicMedia.org where
you can send a message to your members of Congress and tell them how much public media means to you, your school and your students.
Thank you for your consideration and for all that you do every day for America’s children and your community. We are grateful for your partnership.
All the best,
Paula Kerger
