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Hope lives in classrooms

by

Walker, Jenny

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

A new year invites us to pause, to breathe, and to remember why we began this work in the first place. As we step into 2026, we’re doing so in the midst of uncertainty, tight resources, and growing demands for adult learning programs.

These are certainly trying times.

They are also deeply important ones.

Hope lives in classrooms held together by dedication, in lesson plans written late at night, and in volunteers who return week after week because they believe in the power of literacy.

Just as we continue to show up, so do the adult learners we serve. They trust us with their goals, their fears, and their belief that tomorrow can be better than yesterday. That trust matters, and it reminds us that our work is foundational to families, communities, and workforce stability. 

The start of 2026 is an opportunity to refocus ourselves on what we can control.

We can strengthen relationships with learners.

We can support one another as colleagues and volunteers.

We can refine our programs, advocate for our work more boldly, and share the stories that show why adult literacy must remain a priority.

These small steps forward matter because, above all else, we are taking them together. New partnerships are forming. Innovative approaches are emerging. Communities are increasingly aware that literacy and workforce readiness are inseparable.

As we begin a new year, my greatest hope is that we can acknowledge the challenges without letting them define us. Let us enter 2026 ready to learn, to adapt, and to lead with compassion. The field of adult literacy has always been built by people who refuse to give up on possibility.

A new year is a fresh start, not because everything is suddenly easier, but because we choose to keep going. Together, we can make 2026 a year of renewed purpose, steady progress, and lasting impact for the learners who are counting on us.

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Adult Ed Can’t Work in a Vacuum

by

Walker, Jenny

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

Many adult learners enroll in our programs because they want stable employment, career growth, and skills that lead to real opportunity.

As we approach career navigation with our students, it’s important that we spend some time learning about local workforce needs. When we don’t work directly with employers in our community, we don’t fully understand exactly how to support our career-seeking learners.

Adult learning programs can’t operate in isolation and still expect strong workforce outcomes. If we want our workforce preparation programs to thrive, we must build real relationships with local employers.

Local employers offer insight into the local job market. They understand which skills are difficult to find, which credentials matter, and how job roles are changing.

When adult learning programs listen closely to employers, curriculum becomes more relevant and training pathways become clearer. Learners benefit because they can see a direct connection between what they’re learning and where it can take them.

I’ve seen the impact of these partnerships many times. Programs that collaborate with employers align instruction with workplace expectations and create smoother transitions into employment.

Employer engagement can lead to work-based learning opportunities, classroom presentations, interview practice, and hiring pipelines that support both learners and businesses.

These relationships allow employers to see adult learners as motivated and capable contributors. Learners gain confidence in knowing their efforts are aligned with real opportunities in their region.

Building employer relationships takes time and intention. It means showing up to community meetings, inviting employers into our learning centers, and being open to feedback. This isn’t always easy, but it’s essential to creating networks that work.

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A Letter to the Literacy Texas Community

by

Salazar, Magda

Author: Magda Salazar, Literacy Texas Board of Directors

I share this message as Literacy Month comes to a close, and right in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month. I share it in what, I hope, is a message of kudos to all of you.

Last month, I was excited to meet Linda Felix during the Literacy Texas state conference in San Marcos. I was moved by Linda’s story. Her growth, confidence, and strength to persevere. My few exchanges with her have been filled with such positivity, decorum, and that grit that comes from developed strength.

Often, we think about the logistics of learning and teaching in terms of reaching goals, such as reading, writing, communicating effectively, and being understood. The work, the showing up, the repetition, and the practice. Students progress, grow, improve, and go on to do incredible things.

Linda Felix addresses attendees at the 2025 Literacy Texas Annual Conference

Such was the case with Linda. When she spoke at the conference, she mentioned running into her former teachers at an event years later and updating them on all that she had accomplished; you see, she was there as their peer. I choked up, imagining the impact of the story, for both student and teacher.

Linda’s story played out for me personally when I saw my own name included in a new industry textbook. Alongside other professionals, we contributed to the conversation on the impact of diversity in public relations. A textbook, y’all! Like, a book that others will use to learn and develop their own skills, LOL.

I took some time to think about the people in my life who created a path for my own literacy: my mother for ensuring my siblings and I had access to books, materials to read, and creative arts programs; my high school teachers Mrs. Kim Nabours (English literature and poetry), and Mrs. Jane Hambric (journalism and yearbook), and Professor Carla Holmes for including me in this project.

Similar to the support, access, and opportunities that I had, there is all of you, standing by the students with your passion for literacy that knows no boundaries. Many will never know the level of organization, the time, the trial and error, the frustration, the hope, the energy it takes to be positive, the effort required for the math to math, and the fundraising acumen required to do what teachers, volunteers, coaches, and leaders do.

I had a chance to meet some of you during the state conference. You shared positive feedback and experiences, and you opened up about the struggles you personally endure. Some of the numbers are daunting to say the least, but the numbers that show progress exist because you are part of the equation.

During Literacy Month and every month, know that what you do matters. By being a part of the conversation and showing up, lending your heart and strength to the literacy community, sharing your time and expertise, you create impact and new opportunities.

As we celebrate you, I also close today by reminding each of you to prioritize yourself with the resources we often encourage for others, to care for your physical and mental health, and to seek support where you can.

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Grammar, Reading, and English

by

Carroll, Kay

Author: Kay Carroll, Treasurer, Literacy Texas Board of Directors

Literacy. What did it mean to me as a student? 

Grammar, reading, and English.

Honestly, it was my most dreaded subject all the way through college (I had to pass my last English class to graduate college, and it was stressful)! Fast forward to now and all my family, friends and colleagues ask me (I’m the old version of ChatGPT) to proof and rephrase their business projects, policies, procedures, programs, trainings, resumes, and emails, due to my love of and skills in communication and writing.

In my eyes today, the definition of literacy has evolved – to reading a good book; reviewing, researching and writing business professional documents; communication and collaboration.

Though my career path has taken twists and turns that were not planned or expected, thankfully it led to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) of 1977, and it sparked my passion. I work for a bank in CRA and Community Development serving communities by ensuring all individuals and families have access to financial and essential services.

Volunteering with amazing organizations is my way of making the world a better place and giving back to the communities. During my time as a volunteer, it has brought joy and tears helping others, teaching classes and trainings around financial education from children to adult.

The truth is, making a livable wage today, providing for yourself and family, and sincerely feeling good about your ability to exist in our current daily life is a huge obstacle without the necessary skills of the Oxford Language Dictionary definition of literacy – “the ability to read and write”. That’s why Literacy Texas exists, a vital non-profit to elevate literacy across Texas and provide local non-profits the tools and resources to ensure boots on the ground in all communities whether urban or rural.

My heart breaks for moms, dads, grandparents, family and friends who don’t know what to do or where to turn during difficult times and enormous situations that arise. Having support to overcome obstacles is overlooked and undervalued today!

My grandson had difficulty learning to read, the frustration for him and his parents was crazy, tearful, and stressful. They were ignored, told he would be held back a grade (all the while making Bs on his report card, plus about a month before summer break); the school system he was in failed him and them terribly. You must be the advocate for yourself and your family members, reach out and find the correct path for you or a loved one – knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel if you don’t give up and strive for answers and help. I’m happy to say, he switched school districts (it wasn’t easy to get him accepted but his parents advocated and stood up for him) and he loves school, the teachers, and the kiddos, and his reading has improved beyond our wildest dreams in a short time; he’s exceling all the way around.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Hey this is me or my situation,” I’m here to tell and assure you that many people care and want to give you a hand up. Lots of people around us are unsure where to go for guidance – be the guiding force, point them to a community organization, a new school, or perhaps just give an encouraging word with a smile.

“Reading is dreaming with open eyes.” ~ Anissa Trisdianty

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Adult Literacy’s Crucial Links to a Thriving Workforce

by

Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

When finding a solution to a complex issue, the Literacy Texas team often looks for what we call the SMIT, which stands for the Single Most Important Thing. This strategy – brought to our team by the brilliant Kathryn Bauchelle – helps us drill down through all of the details of a challenge to get to the main problem we want to tackle.

Like many other organizations in the adult education and literacy world, we have been on a wild roller coaster ride that stems from federal funding instability. As we’ve navigated an ever-changing landscape, our team has considered the SMIT. What we’ve found is that more than anything else, we (and I mean we, collectively as Texas adult literacy providers) have to help people understand that our work is relevant and critical to the state’s future. The way to do that is to help them see the connection between the work we do with adult learners and the development of a strong, educated workforce.

You’ll see this approach in our programming this year. To clarify, we’ll continue to provide the same top-tier professional development you’ve grown to appreciate from Literacy Texas. However, when we talk about different areas of adult literacy (adult basic education, language learning, and computer and digital literacy, for example), you’ll notice that we’ll begin to explore those content areas through the lens of workforce preparation.

We’re not changing what we’re doing, necessarily. We’re just changing how we talk about what we are doing. An example might be that a class at your learning center called “Digital and Computer Literacy,” simply changes its name to become “Technology for the Workforce,” and we encourage our adult learners to consider how they could use those skills to find employment, improve performance in their jobs, or promote into a new position. We hope you’ll teach the same computer and digital skills that you were already sharing with your students but with a slightly new approach.

By centering on workforce development, adult learning programs could potentially have the opportunity to attract new students, and it also opens up more grant opportunities and innovative ways to connect with local corporate partners and employers. Ultimately, I believe this can actually be a really good shift in our work.

Change is hard, but right now, this shift is the SMIT. Without it, Literacy Texas – and other adult education and literacy organizations across our state – will struggle to remain relevant in the eyes of those who hold the power to either keep us going or cancel our future funding. Let’s work together so we can continue to elevate adult learners and support them as they reach their goals. 

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The opposite of “wasteful”

by

Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

Since his election, President Trump has prioritized the need to reform wasteful spending on the federal level. Most Americans would agree that a sensible and efficient approach to spending benefits us all.  

However, the proposed “skinny budget” for FY26 calls for the complete elimination of funds for adult education (page 6).

Funding adult education and literacy is the opposite of wasteful. The truth is that an investment in our work is an investment in the future of our country and of our state. 

First, this investment helps provide an educated workforce for continued economic development.

The United States is a strong world leader in many industries, and Texas, specifically, has become home base for many leading corporations focusing on a variety of vital fields including technology, manufacturing, agriculture, and others. 

To push forward continued growth in these areas, we must have people to fill jobs and to lead innovation. Adult Education programs help people build the skills they need to join the workforce and help these companies flourish. A rise of just 1% in literacy scores leads to a 2.5% rise in labor productivity and a 1.5% rise in GDP. 

Additionally, Adult Education is an investment in the next generation. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of Education, Texas ranks among the lowest states in the country for literacy, with 28 percent of adults functioning at or below a level 1 for reading (the lowest level) and 40 percent of adults functioning at or below a level 3. 

Many young students are being sent home with books to read to parents who themselves do not have adequate literacy skills. Texas has done a great job in recent years at supporting early childhood literacy programs, but active involvement of parents and caregivers is a critically important component of many of those programs. When we fail to invest in Adult Education, we leave those children without the support they need, and the low literacy cycle will perpetuate. 

One of the points the president uses to justify the elimination of this funding is the so-called “dismal” results found in Adult Education programs. What many may not realize is that there are millions of people who need our services, but Adult Education and literacy providers have been operating with skeleton crews and shoestring budgets – for decades! It’s impossible to make the kind of population-level change we need to see with even less funding than we currently receive. 

Instead of being cut, Adult Education funding should be expanded. 

“Recent causal research in Massachusetts offers a glimpse of what’s possible if AEFLA [Adult Education and Family Literacy Act] had a larger budget. Researchers were able to take advantage of the state’s waiting lists and admissions lotteries to compare the outcomes of learners who were admitted to an English language acquisition program in Framingham with those of learners who lost the lottery and were turned away.

…Researchers found that participation boosted the annual earnings of learners by 56 percent over the 10 years following their admission to the program. Participants were three times as likely to have middle-class annual earnings in the range of $60,000 to $70,000 in any year as those who were not admitted. Importantly, the increased tax revenue generated by those earning gains fully covered the costs of the program.

In other words, adult education, if adequately funded and well-implemented, can pay for itself.”

Quote from NewAmerica.org

There is a small window of time before the budget becomes official, and if you’re interested in supporting Adult Education, you can help. Literacy Texas is joining forces with the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) and their advocacy efforts, as well as ProLiteracy, who is urging action on the same issue. We encourage you to learn more about these campaigns (COABE) (ProLiteracy) and to help us communicate the crucial importance of the continuation of Adult Education funding. 

Investing in Adult Education will pay dividends well into the future. The elimination of funding for this work will be devastating in many ways, and it will negatively impact both economic development and future generations of Texans. Lawmakers should rethink this budget proposal and include expanded funding for Adult Education.   

Please act now.

Amazing things are happening in Texas!

“Best of Texas” brings local experts together to share their wisdom and experience.

find out more about this monthly series

Loving our neighbors with literacy

by

Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

Houses of worship often serve as the center of a community, providing the perfect place for language learning, adult basic education, and other academic and skill-building programs. For this reason, faith-affiliated organizations have long served as some of our most valued partners at Literacy Texas.

Last month, I had the privilege of attending the Metroplex Literacy Conference, a gathering of those working in adult and family literacy ministries in the Dallas-Fort-Worth region. Organizers invited me to serve as the keynote speaker at their event, which was held at Dallas Baptist University, and it reminded me of the calling that I believe led me into this work.

Sometime around 2019, I read a quote from Mother Teresa that said:

“I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that He will guide me to do whatever I’m supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I’m praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.”

At the time, this quote shook me to my core. I had been walking through a valley in my life and in my career. My prayer was always, “Lord, I don’t know what you have for me, but I know it is not this. I am ready for something new when you’re ready to send me.”

He heard my prayers and sent me directly to adult literacy.

Starting a GED program at my church was a dream I had shared with my pastor long before an opportunity came up to work at the Literacy Council in Texarkana. I was thrilled at the chance to let my career also serve as a mission field for me. While I was not running a faith-based organization, I was running the organization as a woman of faith who believed that changing the world started with loving the people in my community and providing them with the resources they needed to be able to live well. It was a model I learned from reading about the ministry of Jesus.

The world around us is full of uncertainty, and there is so much in today’s headlines that can leave us feeling unsettled. However, in these times when so much is out of our control, we must cling to the things we can control like our ability to love and serve others. This is what matters the most and the best chance we have, collectively, to change the world.

Plan to join us at our next Best of Texas online session, highlighting Texas-based Faith-Affiliated literacy programs, on April 24.

Amazing things are happening in Texas!

“Best of Texas” brings local experts together to share their wisdom and experience.

find out more about this monthly series

Too important to ignore

by

Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

According to 2017 data from the National Center for Education Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of Education, 17 percent of Texas adults do not have at least a high school education or equivalent – well over 3 million people.

Across Texas, there are hundreds of small non-profits, public libraries, church ministries, and other community-based organizations working with skeleton crews and shoestring budgets to support this slice of our population. These organizations are hosting bake sales and car washes so that they can buy curriculum for their programs.

This matters not only in the lives of the men and women being served by these literacy programs, but it also matters to Texas as a whole. The most recent rankings place Texas near the bottom in the country for adult literacy. Texas is below the national average in both literacy and numeracy.

Those of us working in the adult literacy field are not ok with this. Texas cannot be ok with this. It directly impacts everything in our state from our economic development to our social services.

This issue is too important to ignore.

Our organization’s main mission is to serve as a support system for the organizations working tirelessly to make a positive impact on adult basic education and other areas that fall under the literacy umbrella. Things like computer and digital literacy, financial literacy, and language learning are critically important to individuals and families in Texas.

This is a problem that is too big for any one person or organization to solve. I know there is strength in numbers, and it will take us all working together to support this effort. I welcome any opportunity to talk with individuals, organizations, and corporations about ways we can partner in this incredibly important work.

Together, we can stand strong for adult literacy in Texas.

Our theme throughout March is Focus on ABE, and we’re looking at related topics throughout the month.

Plan to join us at our next Best of Texas online session, highlighting Texas-based Adult Basic Education programs, on March 27.

Amazing things are happening in Texas!

“Best of Texas” brings local experts together to share their wisdom and experience.

find out more about this monthly series

Breaking the Stigma: Addressing Mental Health & Substance Use Within Health Literacy

by

Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

My dad and I had a complicated relationship. I loved him, and I know he loved me, but his mental health and substance use issues kept him from being the parent I needed and kept our family in a constant state of instability and stress. He refused to get help, and he lost his career, his family, and his health in the process.

By 2018, he was homeless.  

My dad later told me about how he began having terrible headaches with pain so intense that he would pass out. His appearance reflected his lifestyle, so health care providers were understandably suspicious when he walked into a local health clinic complaining of headaches and asking for medicine to help with the pain. He was sent away multiple times with acetaminophen.

As my dad’s visits to the clinic became more frequent, one doctor decided – out of frustration with his persistent request for pain medicine – to order an MRI to prove to my dad there was nothing wrong.  

The MRI revealed that a large brain tumor was causing his headaches, and subsequent tests found that his cancer was aggressive and had spread throughout his entire body. Without his mental health and substance use issues, he might have found the disease earlier and had a chance to fight it. Instead, he died a few months later.  

Our family’s story is not as uncommon as one might think. According to research from the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, there are 1.6 million Texans struggling with substance use disorder, and a vast majority are receiving no intervention. It is common for them to also have mental health concerns.  

When I began my work in adult literacy, I realized that many of my students struggled with these issues. They reminded me of my dad, and I realized that I owed it to these adult learners – and the children in their homes – to use my experience to ensure our health literacy program included education about mental health and substance use. My hope was to turn our personal tragedy into something very positive. 

As part of our program, we connected with mental health providers in our community to find free or low-cost services, and we invited social work interns from the local university to join our team. We also partnered with a local chapter of Narcotics Anonymous to host weekly meetings in one of our classrooms. I did not sit in on the meetings, but the highlight of my week was knowing that room would become a safe space for a community of men and women learning how to create a healthier life.  

As organizations are looking to begin or expand health literacy at their learning centers, I encourage leaders to remember mental health and substance use as important components to a well-rounded program. I cannot help but think about how those supports might have made a difference for my dad and for our family.  

October is Health Literacy Month, and we’re focusing on health-related topics throughout the month. Find general resources here, and plan to join us at Best of Texas: Health Literacy on October 31.

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Just a teacher?

by

Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

When I stopped working directly with students and transitioned into my first administrative position, I was surprised to find myself grieving my role as an educator. I spent much of my professional life as a nerdy English teacher who loved her content area, lesson plans, and those little “aha” moments when a student grasped a new concept. 

Being a teacher was woven into my identity, and for a while, I considered returning to the classroom. However, one day something wonderful happened; the board of directors for our small literacy CBO challenged me to do outreach and advocacy work.

I needed local community leaders to provide financial support and to partner with our organization on future projects. Maybe it was a bit of imposter syndrome, but I really doubted my ability to be effective. I had never done anything like this before, and the leaders who were attending were mostly powerful men who easily made three times my salary. My stream-of-consciousness thoughts going into that event were overwhelmed with insecurity:

“Did my board know that I personally bought every single chocolate bar I was ever supposed to sell for my kids because I hated asking people for their support? Do they know my stomach is in knots? Do they know that I am not qualified to do this? After all, I’m really just a teacher.”

I learned quickly that being “just a teacher” turned out to be my greatest superpower. As I prepared for the event, I poured my passion for adult learning into my presentation (complete with handouts and take-home assignments). I anticipated the questions they would ask and prepared my responses. During the presentation, I read the room and gauged when to be funny and when to be serious. As I talked about data and shared stories about our adult learners, I saw those familiar “aha” moments on the faces of the suited men in the group of community leaders. They understood the assignment.

That’s when I realized that good outreach and advocacy – at the core – shared the exact components of good teaching. The community had become my classroom. Leaders were my students, and adult literacy was my content. That day, my mindset shifted about outreach and advocacy, and I felt like I had hit the career jackpot. I was not good at marketing, but I was quite good at teaching.

Over the next few years, my passion for outreach and advocacy grew, and although I still have a lot to learn, I have found success. Earlier this year, I was selected to represent Texas on COABE’s State Advocates for Adult Education Fellowship (SAAEF). Through this fellowship, leaders from all over the country work together to help people in positions of power better understand programs like ours. In fact, this month, I will be in Washington D.C. with my SAAEF friends attending an event called Flood the Hill to bring awareness to issues facing adult education.

While I am engaging in outreach and advocacy work, I might wear a pantsuit and sit at fancy tables with fancy people. However, in my mind, I’m back in room 24 sipping coffee from my favorite mug and wearing a cozy cardigan. I’m leading a discussion about a subject I deeply love and doing what I do best: being just a teacher.

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