Around Texas and the U.S.

1. An appointed state panel headed by Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott has adopted a plan to give public school dropouts "multiple pathways" for earning a diploma, some of which could look an awful lot like private school vouchers. If that happens, it would mean that the state through the actions of a non-elected body will have put into effect a policy that the Legislature has rejected repeatedly. -Star-Telegram
2. The House Mexican American Legislative Caucus is insisting the State Board of Education include Hispanics in the writing of a new English language arts and reading curriculum for Texas. -San Antonio Express-News
3. Turmoil in credit markets has not blocked access to federally guaranteed student loans, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings told lawmakers Friday, but the administration is planning a safety net for students who might need help. -The Washington Post
4. Only a decade ago, home-school athletics was considered little more than organized recess for children without traditional classrooms. Now, home-school players are tracked by scouts, and dozens of them have accepted scholarships to colleges as small as Blue Mountain in Mississippi and as well known as Iowa State. -The New York Times

-Patrick M. Walker