Legislation creating a new state board to oversee charter school applications and removing limits on the number of state charter contracts was filed Monday by Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston. 

A scholarship to help students trapped in failing public schools attend another of their choice is near the top of the legislative agenda for top Republican leaders. But Texas has a similar existing program, and it is dramatically underused.

Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams implored higher education leaders Thursday to engage in discussions about the state’s high school requirements.

Texas' founders wanted a part-time Legislature with no room for full-time politicians. But paltry state pay means today's lawmakers must hold full-time jobs elsewhere — narrowing the ranks of likely officeholders to those who can afford to do it. 

Former House Public Education Chairman Rob Eissler, now a lobbyist, has taken on publishing and testing giant Pearson as a client, according to recent Ethics Commission reports. The company holds a $468 million contract with the state.

When the Texas Supreme Court last considered school finance system in 2005, it upheld one of the trial court's findings and overturned another in a 7-to-1 decision. There has been high turnover on the court since that ruling.

On Monday, a panel of senators questioned Barbara Cargill on her appointment to lead the State Board of Education. If she wins their approval, she will be the first SBOE leader to earn confirmation from the Legislature since 2005.

Newly appointed House Public Education Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock filed legislation Wednesday that would restructure the state's high school graduation and student testing requirements.

In a decision sure to be appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, state district Judge John Dietz ruled Monday in favor of more than 600 school districts on all of their major claims against the state.

After the $5.4 billion cut to public education during the 2011 legislative session, the advocacy group Children at Risk teamed up with a coalition of nonprofit foundations to provide comprehensive data on how Texas schools were coping with less money. 

Gov. Rick Perry's brief remarks at the State Board of Education on Friday echoed his State of the State address, where he called for the creation of more charter schools and the expansion of career and technical courses for high school students.

Goodwill Industries hopes to open a charter school in Central Texas to help adults who lack a high school education. But there is an obstacle: The state only provides funding for students under age 26.

Educators and conservative activists will air their complaints about CSCOPE, the state's curriculum delivery system, at a Senate Education Committee hearing on Thursday led by state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston.

Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams on Tuesday called on educators to hold the line on the state's accountability system amid a "ranging conversation" at the Legislature about how to address concerns about the role of high-stakes testing.

In a hearing on Wednesday, senators probed Michael Williams, the new head of the Texas Education Agency, on student assessments and funding for remedial tutoring.