Our Mission

Parents United for Responsible Education-Texas (PURETexas) exists to enhance and build support for quality public education in Bexar County by keeping parents informed about educational issues, bringing the views of parents into the decision-making process and acting as an advocate for parents in their relationships with the school administration.

Each year, PURETexas will institute programs that will provide direct assistance or referrals to hundreds of parents and local school council (LSC) members by use of hotlines to make requests for help and information. PURETexas will  strive to provide informative and empowering workshops for LSCs in all areas of their responsibility. PURETexas will also offer a variety of parent workshops and continue to develop new workshops to meet parents expressed needs. PURETexas will publish at least four newsletters to keep parents, LSC members, and other school leaders informed of current educational changes and issues. PURETexas will work actively to focus attention on the parents' perspective in any discussion of critical school problems through such means as press conferences, public testimony, and editorials.

Origin of PURE

PURE originated during the infamous 19-day Chicago school strike of 1987. They began holding classes for inner city youth outside City Hall while the schools were shut down. To give parents a voice in this struggle, PURE held weekly meetings at Wells Park, which resulted in the famous march on City Hall. At the culmination of this march, PURE members met with Mayor Washington who assured them that the schools would be open the following Monday.

After the strike ended, most parents agreed that sweeping changes were needed to improve Chicago schools. PURE continued to meet so that parents would play an active role in planning these changes. In the spring of 1988, PURE, along with other school reform groups, were invited to the office of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to hammer out the school reform law. PURE members developed a list of 13 objectives they wanted to see incorporated into the law. One of our most significant points, resisted by other groups, was that the majority of LSC members should be parents. All 13 objectives were written into the law.

Until the law was passed, PURE members focused their efforts towards lobbying for passage of the law, informing the public about the law, and combating special interest groups which were trying to sabotage the process. PURE, in addition, filed a lawsuit charging the Chicago Board of Education (CBOE) and the Illinois State Board of Education with misuse of $2 billion of State Chapter I money.

After the law was passed, PURE members organized parents and gave workshops to encourage parents, teachers, and community members to run for the LSCs. More than 17,000 candidates ran in that first election. After those election, PURE trained thousands of LSC members in the fine details of the new law. PURE held other citywide workshops in areas of interest for LSCs. PURE also published a newsletter, which provided up-to-date information about education and school reform issues.

This organization became advocates for schools and their parents and teachers. They have filed a lawsuit in behalf of their members against the CBOE when they ordered the LSCs to make a decision about principal retention by February 28, 1990, in which the CBOE backed down in court. In 1991 they successfully challenged a proposed amendment that would have permitted schools to reevaluate special education students without their parents' permission. PURE has also filed complaints with the U.S. Office of Civil Rights on behalf of special education parents when schools misused their special education teachers, failed to provide speech services, and in other ways denied appropriate services to special education students.

PURE operates with well-established by-laws, a permanent Board of Directors, and a paid membership. In spite of these formal actions, they have maintained that ability to make quick decisions and take action, which has made PURE such an effective organization.

PURETexas operates and follows the same model as our successful Chicago counterpart. We appreciate any input from our local community in what we can do to provide the best possible service for our clients in Bexar County.