A flurry of bills filed in the Texas House on Thursday tackle public school funding, STAAR tests, teacher quality and a voucher-style program to funnel public money toward private school tuition. The slate of bills came amid a tense legislative session in which education is a central theme.

Last school year, the average teacher in Texas made thousands of dollars less than teachers in other states. A nearly $5 billion bill filed Tuesday in the Legislature seeks to provide across-the-board raises and put more money toward bonuses.