New Partnership with RMPBS to Offer K-3 “Read With Me at Home” Programming

Beginning May 18, Rocky Mountain Public Media will provide remote learning programming for K-3 children and their families as taught by Statewide School District Master Teachers. 

DENVER — Governor Jared Polis, the Colorado Department of Education, and the Colorado Education Initiative are partnering with Rocky Mountain Public Media (RMPBS, KUVO JAZZ, The DROP) to provide K-3 learners, and their families and caregivers with direct-to-home remote literacy learning though “Colorado Classroom – Read With Me at Home” starting May 18.  

“I am thrilled to announce this partnership with Rocky Mountain Public Media to provide high-quality, standards-aligned literacy instruction for K-3 learners across Colorado. This programming will be available to families across Colorado to help close the digital divide and prevent learning loss during this critical time for children,” said Governor Polis. “I want to thank all of our partners, as well as the incredible, creative teachers that have helped make this a reality for Colorado children and families.” 

Thanks to the generous support of Gary Community Investments, this critical learning initiative will be broadcast in English with Spanish subtitles and available for free on a statewide basis through participating RMPBS stations that include: Denver (KRMA), Pueblo/Colorado Springs (KTSC), Steamboat Springs (KRMZ), Grand Junction (KRMJ) and Durango (KRMU). During the COVID-19 school closures across Colorado, this remote learning initiative will provide continued early literacy development and provide K-3 learners with access to free educational reading resources at home on television and online, regardless of their ability to access broadband internet services. “Colorado Classroom – Read with Me at Home” will connect teachers directly with students in their homes through literacy lessons geared specifically towards K-3 age ranges each Monday-Friday from 8am-10am. 

During the COVID-19 school closures across Colorado, this remote learning initiative will provide continued early literacy development and provide K-3 learners with access to free educational reading resources at home on television and online, regardless of their ability to access broadband internet services. In addition, the lessons customized on Tuesday and Thursday will leverage expert teachers to support students with language development needs. The Colorado Education Association has generously provided the funding for stipends for the expert teachers. Viewers can watch or record the lessons, as they will be rebroadcast overnight to allow for DVR recording. Accompanying lesson plans and work packets will be posted on RMPBS’ website for parents and caregivers to use, adapt, and build upon. Access to the lesson plans and student work packets available at rmpbs.org/ColoradoClassroom or by calling 800-274-6666.

“Particularly for the 15%-20% of children who live in rural areas without access to high-speed internet, RMPBS offers a way to ensure every child has a place to continue learning in the framework of Colorado’s curriculum outside of the classroom.” said Amanda Mountain, president & CEO of Rocky Mountain Public Media. “Partnering with the State of Colorado Governor’s Office, the CDE and Colorado Education Initiative is such an important collaboration to ensure we can reach all Colorado families with this important early literacy development initiative.”

“During the COVID crisis, CEI has been inspired to work alongside a variety of partner organizations to rethink how we deal with a timeless question in education: how do we get a great teacher in front of students everywhere?” said Rebecca Holmes, President and CEO of the Colorado Education Initiative. “Recruiting best-in-class teachers to get relevant and thoughtful content into the living rooms of families across the state will meet families where they are and open up important conversations about how we support all learners in this moment of disrupted learning.” 

“GCI is excited to be an initial funder of this incredible partnership—it’s a fantastic way to support children and families across the state with accessible learning opportunities,” says Mike Johnston, President and CEO of Gary Community Investments.

Beloved educational PBS KIDS programming will continue to be available all day on the 24/7 PBS KIDS subchannel or on the free PBS KIDS Video or Games apps. For information about how to access channels based on location, visit http://www.rmpbs.org/channels .

The partnership with the Office of the Governor of Colorado, the DOE, the Colorado Education Initiative and Gary Community Investments builds upon the existing RMPBS partnership with Denver Public Schools, offering STEAM-focused content, on its airways. Local listings will reflect individual station schedules and include programming for additional educational content.

Monday-Friday Daytime Schedule:

• 8 – 8:35 am MST- K-1^st Grade
• 8:40 – 9:15 am MST- 2^nd Grade
• 9:20 – 9:50 am MST- 3rd Grade
• 10:00-11:00 am MST – (History Detectives) – 4^th-8^th Grade
• 11:00 am – noon MST (NOVA) – 4^th-8^th Grade
• Noon-5 pm MST – 4^th-12^th Grade

Monday-Friday Overnight Schedule*:

^{*Check your local listings for air times.}

• K-1^st Grade- 35 minutes
• 2^nd Grade- 35 minutes
• 3^rd Grade- 35 minutes

Colorado Classroom – Read With Me at Home” will re-air nightly from 3 a.m. – 5 a.m. MST for families to record.

Online:

• Lesson plans and student work packets at: www.rmpbs.org/ColoradoClassroom 

Other guidance documents and resources developed specifically for district and school leaders are available on the Colorado Department of Education’s coronavirus webpage: https://www.cde.state.co.us/safeschools 

Special thanks to RMPM’s partners, Colorado Education Association, Bright By Text, and Invest in Kids. 

The Colorado Education Association (CEA) represents 39,000 educators across the state of Colorado. CEA has generously provided the funding for educator stipends to our excellent master teachers for their time and expertise in providing broader access to learning during the suspension of normal in-person teaching and learning. CEA is proud to support the valiant efforts of educators doing all that they can to ensure access to learning for Colorado’s students.

Bright by Text delivers actionable information from trusted early childhood experts to parents and caregivers of young children — from prenatal to age 8 — to support healthy child development and build strong, resilient families. The service is free for caregivers and available in English and Spanish.

Invest in Kids improves the health and well-being of Colorado’s youngest children by partnering with local communities to support research-based programs with a proven record of success. Serving nearly 17,000 children and families each year, Invest in Kids focuses on supporting the unique needs of low-income children to see every child thrive.

The Colorado Education Initiative is a non-profit organization that cultivates systems improvement and equity in K-12 education. For more than a decade, we have been at the forefront of improvement, innovation, and change in Colorado’s public education system.

Rocky Mountain Public Media is Colorado’s largest statewide, member-supported, multimedia organization and the parent company of Rocky Mountain PBS (RMPBS), KUVO JAZZ and THE DROP. Rocky Mountain Public Media has more than 90,000 members representing every county in Colorado and reaches 98 percent of the state’s citizens through television, radio and digital platforms. A non-commercial media organization by and for the people of Colorado, RMPM creates high-quality local and multimedia content through Regional Innovation Centers in Denver, Colorado Springs, Durango, Grand Junction and Pueblo. RMPBS, started in Denver in 1956 as Colorado’s first public television station, is now a statewide television network, with stations in Denver (KRMA), Pueblo/Colorado Springs (KTSC), Steamboat Springs (KRMZ), Grand Junction (KRMJ) and Durango (KRMU). In its 35^th year, KUVO JAZZ broadcasts jazz, blues, and a lineup of locally produced diverse music programs. Launching in 2019, THE DROP, the People’s Station for R&B and Hip Hop, was voted the best new radio station by Westword in April 2020.