Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash
The Tennessee Department of Education and Shelby County Schools have partnered with WKNO to provide at-home learning instruction for students in the Mid-South during school closures.
“WKNO is pleased to be working with the Shelby County Schools and the Tennessee Department of Education to provide instructional educational programs to the students and parents in our community who are sheltering at home due to the coronavirus outbreak,” says Charles McLarty, WKNO CEO.
WKNO began airing the content on WKNO on Monday, March 30th, and will continue to air content every weekday from noon to 5 p.m. Additionally, the local NBC affiliate will be airing the same content in the mornings on their secondary channel.
According to Shelby County Schools superintendent Dr. Joris M. Ray, during times when it’s uncertain when kids will be able to go back to school, it’s important to find alternatives to providing educational instruction for children.
“As more districts address the potential for long-term school closure, it is essential to find ways to address digital disparities and continue to provide learning opportunities and critical services to our students,” he says.
Daily:
- 6:30 a.m.-10 a.m. - PBS Kids programming (WKNO PBS Kids 24/7 Ch 10.3 will not be affected)
Monday:
- Noon - SCS Class is Still in Session: K-5
- 2 p.m. - SCS Class is Still in Session: High School
- 4 p.m. - SCS Class is Still in Session: K-5
Tuesday:
- Noon - SCS Class is Still in Session: K-5
- 2 p.m. - SCS Class is Still in Session: Middle School
- 4 p.m. - SCS Class is Still in Session: K-5
Wednesday:
- Noon - SCS Class is Still in Session: K-5
- 2 p.m. - SCS Class is Still in Session: High School
- 4 p.m. - SCS Class is Still in Session: K-5
Thursday:
- Noon - SCS Class is Still in Session: K-5
- 2 p.m. - SCS Class is Still in Session: Middle School
- 4 p.m. - SCS Class is Still in Session: K-5
Friday:
- Noon-3 p.m. - SCS Class is Still in Session: High School
Parents and students can access resource guides here.
Anyone without access to a computer or internet may pick up guides at YMCA Meal Distribution Sites.
Beginning April 6th, WKNO-TV will become one of six PBS stations in Tennessee to offer two hours of instruction from 10 a.m. to noon. Four hours of content will also be streamed overnight, available for viewers to watch or record.
As part of the partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education, this content will be developed by Tennessee instructors to ensure students have access to high-quality instruction, whether or not they have access to computers or the internet.
“This is an incredible example of Tennesseans coming together to support kids,” says Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “We are so thrilled to be partnering with PBS stations across the state to make high-quality instructional content available to all students so they can continue learning during school closures. Families and students are hungry for content right now, and we are grateful our local stations have stepped up to help fill this need.”
WKNO provides numerous other learning opportunities. These include:
- High school and college students may enjoy WORLD programming daily from 11 p.m.-11 a. m. on WKNO2 (10.2).
- PBS’ new American History Night will air on Saturdays on WKNO (10.1) beginning April 18th at 8 p.m. with Ken Burns’ seven-part series "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History."
- Children and parents can enjoy “Book Adventures with Teacher Teacher,” a series of book readings, on WKNO-TV’s Facebook weekdays at 8 a.m.