Coronavirus News

Dallas-Fort Worth PBS station airs educational shows for schools out from COVID-19

The station is airing shows on TV and also online.

Photo courtesy of KERA

KERA is hot for teacher: The Dallas-Fort Worth public TV station has launched a lineup of curriculum-based programs supporting At-Home Learning for students in more than 120 school districts across North Texas.

With the coronavirus forcing many schools and districts to suspend classes, the PBS and NPR member station is providing programs that a release says are "aligned with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards."

The program begins on March 30 and airs weekdays from 6 am-6 pm on KERA TV, with specific blocks of time for pre-K through 12th grade levels.

Subjects covered include English language arts, social studies, science, and just a little bit of math.

In addition to broadcasting on KERA TV, the schedule will stream live online at kera.org/learn, enabling students to watch on mobile devices.

KERA also is sharing free access to PBS Learning Media, featuring TEKS-aligned videos, interactives, and lesson plans. These resources correspond to the programs airing as a part of KERA’s At-Home Learning programming block.

Services include:

Educational TV: KERA is broadcasting curriculum-based programs like Nova, SciGirls, History Detectives, American Masters, Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed The World, and Africa's Great Civilizations, weekdays from 6am through 6pm. The daily schedule is here and you can see programming for the first week from March 30-April 3 here.
Digital Media Collections: KERA is providing resource collections from PBS LearningMedia that correspond with the TV broadcast schedule.
Teacher Tips and Tools: KERA Learn offers blog posts and online guides for At-Home Learning activities, lesson plans, discussion questions, and student writing.

Educators at North Texas schools and districts can contact KERA at education@kera.org with At-Home Learning support questions and requests.

KERA President and CEO Nico Leone says in a statement that school closures are presenting challenges for students and educators alike.

"KERA is excited to expand our services, both on the air and online, and turn every home into a classroom," Leone says.

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Police News

Fort Worth police officer fired for unjustified use of force

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A Fort Worth police officer has been terminated following his involvement in a use of force incident. According to a release, Officer Matthew Krueger was let go on December 18, following an investigation into an incident involving someone who was videotaping his actions while he was on duty.

On Sunday, June 23, Fort Worth police officers responded to a hit-and-run collision near 1000 Foch St. The incident involved a suspected intoxicated driver who crashed into another vehicle and a structure before fleeing the scene on foot.

While officers were investigating, a woman approached them and used her cell phone to record their actions. Krueger asked and advised her multiple times to move across the street. When she failed to comply, she was placed under arrest.

During the arrest, Krueger used force to take the woman into custody, resulting in injuries that required medical care at an area hospital.

After being treated, the woman was released from the hospital, booked into jail, and charged with interference with public duties, resisting arrest and/or detention, evading arrest, and making a false alarm or report.

Krueger had been with the department for just under eight years and was assigned to the Patrol Bureau at the time of the incident.

The Fort Worth Police Major Case and Internal Affairs Units began immediate and congruent investigations. Krueger was transferred from Patrol to a unit with no public interaction, pending the outcome of the investigation.

After a review of the Internal Affairs investigation, Krueger’s chain of command determined that the level of force used was unjustified and violated departmental policy. Police Chief Neil Noakes concurred and terminated Krueger’s employment.

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