More School Days Could Be Coming to Dallas ISD. Yesterday, trustees were briefed about a plan for an “intersessional” calendar, which basically means year-round school. I wrote about this idea back in July, which some trustees were floating as an idea to curb learning loss among students. The district is considering starting school a week earlier and ending four weeks later at 11 feeder patterns. One idea is offering the new schedule to about half of the students while the other option is offering another 23 days of school to all of a school’s enrollment. The News’ Corbett Smith says just 10 campuses will be considered. The board can vote on the schedule before they select the schools that participate.
The Vaccine Distribution Looks More and More Like a Free-For-All. In Collin County, 86,000 people are signed up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. But the county’s health department has only received 2,000 doses. Another 2,000 are coming next week. Meanwhile, 22 mayors of large American cities signed a letter asking President-elect Biden to send vaccine doses directly to big cities. (Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s name does appear on that list, alongside the mayors of Houston, San Antonio, and Austin.) It appears that most providers and health departments are following the state’s guidelines until the vaccines are at risk of spoiling, then, as Will Maddox has reported this week, they look for arms to stick. Meanwhile, 39 percent of the doses sent to states have actually been used, per Bloomberg News. Some providers are giving family members of healthcare workers the vaccine regardless of whether they fit the state’s criteria. It’s only fitting that the end of the virus response is as messy and disorganized as every other bit of it.
Local Insurrectionist Goes Free Despite Prosecutors’ Plea. Larry Rendell Brock Jr. is the Grapevine man who was photographed on the Senate floor of the U.S. Capitol wearing a helmet and holding zip tie restraints. He was a former U.S. Air Force combat pilot who, according to an FBI agent who testified in his arraignment, had once been fired from a job for making “racist and threatening comments.” Prosecutors wanted him held in jail, but a federal judge declined, saying that the charges weren’t enough to prove he was a threat to the public. Here is the ridiculous kicker: “It is not yet clear if Brock was required to post bond before being released.”
Sunny, Chilly Long Weekend Ahead. Expect highs in the low 60s, high 50s, and lows in the mid-30s this weekend. There is no rain or snow in the forecast, only the nice sunshine that cuts through the chilly temperatures. Enjoy it.
