In 1996, former Governor George W. Bush announced the Texas Reading Initiative and formed the Governors Focus on Reading Task Force (GOFOR) at the state level.  Brownsville READS Task Force is a non-profit organization of community members and educators who have joined together to promote research-based reading instruction in the public and private schools of Brownsville, Texas with the overall goal of creating a more literate community.

To ensure that all Brownsville students read at grade level or above, by the end of the second grade and continue to read at grade level throughout their academic careers, in accordance with the Governor's Reading Challenge.

1.    To develop public awareness of the critical role that research based  reading instruction plays in education.

2.    To build the business community's support for research based reading instruction.

3.    To recognized schools with successful reading outcomes.

4.    To promote Brownsville as a center for research and evaluation in the    field of successful reading practices and bi-literacy.

Brownsville Reads does not endorse any specific reading program, noting that there are a number of them which provide valuable services to students.