This documentary series is essential viewing for anyone concerned about the future of education. Please share this information.
Featured programs include FRONTLINE, POV, NOVA, TED TALKS and AMERICAN GRADUATE DAY, with special reports from PBS NEWSHOUR and PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND. Major funding is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as part of the American Graduate initiative.
As a leading source of educational media for children and students—and a key partner for parents and educators across the country—PBS announces SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION, a dedicated week of primetime programming that examines the challenges facing today’s students and America’s education system.
SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION presents eleven films and documentaries on local PBS stations from September 12–17 (check local listings). The lineup includes special episodes of NOVA, FRONTLINE and PBS NEWSHOUR, a new film from POV, the premiere of TED TALKS: “The Education Revolution,” and concludes with the fifth annual AMERICAN GRADUATE DAY, a broadcast celebrating individuals and nonprofit organizations committed to helping youth stay on track to high school graduation.
The week also launches a year-long teacher support campaign called “Teach Boldly,” led by PBS and local member stations nationwide. Teach Boldly will offer virtual and community training events and introduce the new PBS Teachers’ Lounge, a digital space for educators to share ideas, learn from peers, find daily inspiration, and access classroom tools and resources.
“SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION highlights public media’s focus on education and our role in convening conversations about improving outcomes for students,” said Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS. “With on-air programs and teacher resources, PBS and our local stations are committed to supporting learning at home, in classrooms, and across communities.”
Pat Harrison, President and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, added, “Public media is committed to providing educational content to Americans of all ages, free and commercial-free. Spotlight Education underscores the importance of local stations working with community and business partners to help young people move toward graduation and career success.”
Short-form clips and full episodes from the week, interactive modules, and a social hub for SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION will be available on PBS.org and Americangraduate.org. Previews, clips, and full episodes will also be accessible through PBS mobile apps and station-branded digital platforms. For updates, follow the conversation via social media hashtags related to the programming.
The full primetime SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION lineup (check local listings):
Monday, September 12
10:00 p.m. ET – POV “All The Difference”
This intimate documentary follows two teens from Chicago’s South Side over five years as they pursue college despite heavy odds. The film highlights how support from family, teachers, and mentors can change a student’s trajectory and make all the difference in beating the dropout statistics.
Tuesday, September 13
9:00 p.m. ET – FRONTLINE “A Subprime Education” / “The Education of Omarina”
FRONTLINE presents two investigative films: “A Subprime Education” examines problems in the for-profit college sector, including allegations of predatory practices and institutional failures; “The Education of Omarina” follows one student’s path from a Bronx middle school to a New England private school and college, illustrating how targeted programs can address the dropout crisis.
10:00 p.m. ET – TED TALKS “Education Revolution”
Hosted by Baratunde Thurston and Sara Ramirez, this episode features speakers such as Anna Deavere Smith and Sal Khan exploring innovative approaches to learning, the school-to-prison pipeline, and strategies for lifting struggling students into scholars.
Wednesday, September 14
9:00 p.m. ET – NOVA “School of the Future”
As information, innovation, and globalization reshape the world, NOVA examines how the new science of learning can help reimagine education and better prepare all children to compete in the future economy.
Thursday, September 15
8:00 p.m. ET – CRAFT IN AMERICA “Teachers”
This program profiles artists dedicated to passing craft skills to new generations, featuring practitioners such as Barbara Teller Ornelas and Linda Sikora, and highlighting the role of mentorship and hands-on teaching.
9:00 p.m. ET – TIME FOR SCHOOL
A documentary that follows five children in different countries over more than a decade, portraying the challenges many face simply to obtain a basic education. The film reveals who reaches graduation and the obstacles they overcome along the way.
Saturday, September 17
2:00 p.m. ET – AMERICAN GRADUATE DAY
Many stations will extend Spotlight Education with the fifth annual American Graduate Day, a live, multiplatform broadcast presented by WNET from Lincoln Center. This four-hour program spotlights organizations and community champions working to keep students on the path to graduation.
Check Local Listings – PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND
A special edition hosted by Hari Sreenivasan from Nine Network in St. Louis will examine how schools and teachers are working to improve student performance and engagement.
Across the Week
PBS NEWSHOUR will air original reporting on the state of education, including the annual “Rethinking College” series. These segments look at how higher education is evolving to better serve underserved communities, explore low college graduation rates among specific populations, consider second-chance Pell opportunities for incarcerated learners, and examine how alternative models such as coding boot camps are reshaping post-secondary pathways.
Additional programs airing during SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION include:
CLASS OF ’27: AMERICA REFRAMED
A documentary that follows families, educators, and leaders in rural communities as they work to put their youngest children on a path toward graduating from high school in 2027. Presented in partnership with the WORLD Channel.
THE ADDRESS
A 90-minute film by Ken Burns that profiles the Greenwood School in Putney, Vermont, where students annually learn, practice, and recite the Gettysburg Address. The documentary explores the school’s method and the historical significance of Lincoln’s speech.
NAVAJO MATH CIRCLES
This program documents a collaboration between accomplished mathematicians and educators and students and teachers in the Navajo educational system, highlighting efforts to improve mathematics learning in underserved rural schools.
Funding for SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as part of American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, public media’s long-term commitment to community-based solutions that help young people succeed in school and life. More than 100 public television and radio stations have partnered with over 1,700 organizations across 49 states to elevate the stories of youth and the adults who support them. Through national and local reporting, public forums, town halls, and community conversations, public media provides a trusted platform to spotlight pathways to graduation and share practical, community-driven solutions to the dropout crisis.