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The 5 AM Scholar: How Texas Adults Are Redefining Where and When Learning Happens

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This is a guest post by Vaschni Savain of Brainchild Unlimited, a 2025 Annual Conference sponsor.


It’s 5:47 AM in Houston.

While the city sleeps, Jasmine sits in her parked car outside the elementary school where she works as a custodian, earbuds in, reviewing fractions on her handheld device. In two hours, she’ll clock out, drive across town to her second job at a retail store, then pick up her three kids from aftercare. But right now, in these stolen 20 minutes before her shift starts, she’s mastering algebra.

Sound impossible? If you’re an adult literacy educator, you know it’s just another Tuesday.

The Myth of the “Traditional” Adult Learner

We talk about adult education like it happens in neat, scheduled blocks. Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6 – 8 PM. But here’s the reality: your most determined students are often the ones who can least afford traditional schedules.

Take Jasmine. She’s been working toward her HSE for three years—not because she lacks motivation, but because life keeps happening. When her youngest got sick, she missed two weeks of classes. When her car broke down, she couldn’t make it to campus for a month. When her hours got cut at one job, she picked up shifts at another.

Traditional education says Jasmine is “inconsistent.” We say she’s incredibly resourceful.

Education in the Margins: Where Real Learning Happens

The most transformative education often happens in the spaces between life’s demands:

The Break Room Scholar: Marcus, a line cook in San Antonio, uses his 15-minute breaks to work through science lessons. Three breaks a day, five days a week. In six months, he’s completed two full units while his co-workers scroll social media.

The Commuter Student: Patricia takes public transit 90 minutes each way to her job as a hotel housekeeper in Dallas. That’s three hours daily of uninterrupted study time—if she has curriculum that works offline and doesn’t drain her phone battery.

The Night Shift Parent: After her kids are asleep, Carmen settles into her kitchen with a cup of coffee and her Study Buddy device. No internet required, no glowing screen to wake the baby, just quiet progress toward her goals.

Learning That Bends—Without Breaking

Here’s what traditional education gets wrong: it assumes adult learners should rearrange their lives around their education. But Carmen can’t abandon her kids for evening classes. Marcus can’t leave his kitchen during dinner rush. Patricia can’t afford to cut her work hours.

What they need is education that respects their reality while honoring their ambition.

Flexible doesn’t mean compromised. Just because Carmen studies at midnight doesn’t mean her education should be less rigorous than someone in a classroom.

Self-paced doesn’t mean solitary. When Marcus completes a challenging unit during his break, he’s not just learning science—he’s proving to himself that he can master anything he sets his mind to.

Mobile doesn’t mean minimal. Patricia’s commute curriculum is comprehensive, covering everything she needs for her HSE while fitting into the time she actually has available.

The Ripple Effect: Why This Transforms Families

When Jasmine finally passes her HSE exam, something magical happens. Her 10-year-old son stops saying “I’m just bad at math” and starts asking “How did you figure that out, Mom?” Her teenage daughter, who’s been struggling in high school, suddenly has proof that it’s never too late to turn things around.

But the transformation starts long before graduation day. It starts at 5:47 AM when her kids see mom studying in the car. It starts when Marcus explains photosynthesis to his nephew using concepts he learned during his break. It starts when Patricia helps her daughter with homework using skills she’s developing on the bus.

Honoring the Hustle: What Educators Can Do

If you’re serving adult learners in Texas, you already know your students are incredibly capable. They’re managing complex lives with grace, working multiple jobs with dignity, and pursuing education despite—not because of—their circumstances.

What they need from us isn’t sympathy or lower standards. They need:

Respect for their time: Every minute of study time is precious when stolen from sleep or family time.

Honor for their intelligence: They’re not “behind.” They’re moving forward—at the pace life allows.

Tools that work anywhere: In break rooms, on buses, in cars, in quiet kitchens after midnight.

Content that builds on their experience: They’ve been problem-solving, budgeting, negotiating, and leading all their lives. Education should acknowledge that wisdom.

Practical Tools: Meeting Students Where They Actually Are

Ready to support your 5 AM scholars? Here are concrete strategies that work for students with complex lives:

Flexible Learning Solutions

“Study Anywhere” Kits: Provide offline-capable devices or printed materials that don’t rely on WiFi. Students like Patricia can study during long commutes, and Marcus can make the most of his breaks—without worrying about data limits or dropped connections. Devices like Brainchild’s Study Buddy III handheld make this possible, delivering a full curriculum anytime, anywhere—without the frustration of low bandwidth, drained batteries, or inaccessible content.

Micro-Learning Modules: Break content into 10-15 minute chunks. A complete lesson that fits into a work break is more valuable than a 2-hour session they can’t attend.

Multiple Access Points: Offer the same content through different delivery methods—online for when they have WiFi, offline for when they don’t, and print backup for emergency situations.

Schedule-Smart Strategies

Rolling Enrollment: Let students start anytime rather than waiting for traditional semester starts. When Carmen finally gets childcare figured out, she shouldn’t have to wait three months to begin.

Competency-Based Progression: Focus on what students know, not how long they’ve been studying. Some students master concepts quickly during intense study bursts; others need longer, steadier approaches.

“Life Happens” Policies: Build in formal accommodations for the realities of adult life—sick kids, car troubles, work schedule changes. Make re-entry seamless, not shameful.

Communication That Works

Text-Based Check-ins: Quick encouragement via text fits better into busy lives than lengthy phone calls. “Great progress on Unit 3! You’ve got this.”

Peer Connection Networks: Connect students with similar schedules or life circumstances. The single mom working nights can support the single dad working days.

Progress Celebrations: Acknowledge small wins immediately. When Marcus completes a unit during his break, that achievement deserves recognition right away, not at the next class meeting.

Family-Centered Approaches

Take-Home Learning: Provide materials that students can share with family members. When Jasmine reviews math concepts, her kids can learn alongside her.

Flexible Testing: Offer multiple testing times and formats. Some students test better at 7 AM before work; others prefer Saturday mornings when childcare is available.

Success Documentation: Help students track and share their progress. A certificate for completing a challenging unit means more when the whole family can celebrate.

Resource Maximization

Community Partnerships: Connect with local businesses that employ your students. Maybe Marcus’s restaurant would support a 15-minute learning break policy if they understood the long-term benefits.

Technology Lending: Provide devices that students can take home. Learning shouldn’t stop because someone can’t afford the latest technology.

Bilingual Support Systems: For Spanish-speaking learners, provide content that switches seamlessly between languages—building on linguistic strengths rather than treating them as barriers.

The key insight: Your most successful interventions will be the ones that honor your students’ intelligence while adapting to their reality. They’re not failing to fit your system—your system needs to evolve to serve them.

The Quiet Power of 5 AM

There’s something profound about studying at 5 AM. The world is quiet. The day’s demands haven’t started yet. It’s just you, your goals, and the belief that this moment—this lesson, this practice problem, this small step forward—matters.

Jasmine knows this truth. So does Marcus. So does Patricia. They’re not studying at unconventional hours because they have to—they’re studying because they want to, because they’ve found a way to make education fit into lives that don’t stop for traditional schedules.

As educators, our job isn’t to change their lives to fit our systems. It’s to build bridges between their dreams and their reality.

Because transformation doesn’t keep office hours. It happens at 5 AM in a parking lot, during 15-minute breaks, on evening commutes, and after kids are tucked into bed. It happens whenever someone decides that today is the day to take one more step toward who they’re becoming.

How are you supporting the 5 AM scholars in your program? Share your stories—because every unconventional learning journey deserves recognition, and every creative solution might inspire another educator.

Contact Brainchild Unlimited | 800-811-2722 | www.brainchild.com

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A Letter to the Literacy Texas Community

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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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Adult Literacy and the Workforce: Building Skills for a Better Future

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This is a guest post by BurlingtonEnglish, a 2025 Annual Conference sponsor.

In today’s job market, literacy extends far beyond the ability to read and write. It includes understanding, communicating, and applying knowledge in practical ways that enable individuals to function effectively at work and in daily life. Yet over 43 million adults in the U.S. possess low literacy skills, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That’s nearly one in five adults who may struggle with filling out a job application, understanding workplace safety protocols, or even reading a paycheck.

This skills gap has a ripple effect not just on individual careers, but on families, communities, and the economy. To meet the demands of today’s workforce, adult education must take a holistic approach, integrating job preparation, soft skills, digital literacy, and financial literacy into literacy instruction.

One powerful tool addressing this need is Burlington Ready to Work, a comprehensive course designed to help adult learners build the essential skills they need to find and keep employment in today’s competitive job market.

Why Adult Literacy Matters More Than Ever

Workforce success begins with literacy. Adults with strong literacy and communication skills are more likely to obtain steady jobs, earn higher wages, and pursue career advancement. On the flip side, low literacy often correlates with low wages, job insecurity, and limited upward mobility.

But employers also feel the impact. From errors in communication to safety concerns and limited productivity, businesses lose time and money when their workforce lacks basic skills. That’s why investing in adult literacy and equipping learners with relevant, work-focused education is critical for long-term economic stability.

Job Preparation: More Than Resumes

Today’s job seekers need more than a polished resume, they need to understand how to interpret job postings, complete online applications, and prepare for interviews. Burlington Ready to Work directly supports this need by providing workforce readiness vocabulary, functional language practice, and real-world job scenarios.

Its curriculum offers career-focused lessons that simulate real workplace tasks. Whether it’s communicating with customers, interacting with a supervisor, or preparing for a job interview, learners get practical experience that translates directly to the workplace.

This kind of job preparation gives adult learners confidence and competence, not only to get a job, but to succeed in it.

Soft Skills: The Hidden Currency of Employment

In addition to hard skills, employers consistently prioritize soft skills—communication, teamwork, adaptability, and time management. These are the skills that help people work effectively with others and handle the day-to-day challenges of professional life.

Burlington Ready to Work incorporates explicit soft skills training into its lessons. Learners read and talk about teamwork, resolving workplace conflicts, and managing time and tasks efficiently. This focus ensures learners aren’t just trained for the technical aspects of a job but are equipped to thrive in diverse work environments.

Digital Literacy: The New Baseline

In today’s economy, digital skills are no longer optional. Job applications, communication with employers, online scheduling systems, and even time clocks are increasingly digitized. Yet, many adults with low literacy also lack digital access and confidence.

BurlingtonEnglish bridges this gap by integrating technology-based instruction into its platform. Learners not only gain valuable literacy skills and workplace vocabulary but also learn how to navigate digital tools safely and effectively, whether writing emails or using job search platforms. The online platform is intuitive and learner-friendly, making it accessible to adults with limited digital experience.

This dual focus on language and digital literacy prepares learners for the realities of modern workplaces—where being digitally prepared is essential.

Financial Literacy: Empowering Life Beyond the Job

Financial stress is one of the leading causes of workplace absenteeism and distraction. Many adult learners struggle with budgeting, credit management, or understanding their pay stubs, issues that can lead to financial instability.

Recognizing this, Burlington Ready to Work includes financial literacy content that helps learners understand personal finance concepts like budgeting, banking, and credit. These lessons are designed with clear language, real-life examples, and practical tools to empower adults to take control of their financial futures.

Financial literacy strengthens not only the worker, but their household and community, promoting long-term economic stability.

Why this Matters

Adult literacy is a foundation for opportunity, and workforce readiness is the bridge to a better future. With the right tools, training, and support, every adult has the potential to succeed in today’s workforce. BurlingtonEnglish offers a pathway forward, helping adult learners gain the skills, confidence, and readiness they need to succeed at work and beyond.

To learn more, watch our Burlington Ready to Work video!

Click here to reach your BurlingtonEnglish representative.

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Grammar, Reading, and English

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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

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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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From Reading to Reality: Turning Literacy Into Livelihood

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This is a guest post by Southern Careers Institute, a 2025 Annual Conference sponsor.

For millions of Texans, mastering basic reading, writing, and numeracy is the first hard-won victory on the road to a better life. Roughly 4.8 million adults in the state still need some form of literacy education.

However, once adults build literacy skills, what comes next? How do newly literate Texans convert foundational skills into specialized expertise that puts food on the table?

Southern Careers Institute, a Texas-born career college with campuses from Brownsville to Austin and a growing roster of online options, exists to answer the question. Literacy opens the door to modern work, but employers hire for competence with specific tools, technologies, and regulations. SCI designs every program with that reality in mind.

Programs in healthcare, skilled trades, technology, and more embed industry vocabulary and document-heavy tasks (such as charting vital signs, interpreting wiring schematics, or troubleshooting cloud networks) into daily lab practice so that reading becomes doing.

Contextualized instruction turns comprehension into competence

Research shows that adults learn best when new information is tethered to immediate goals. SCI’s instructors, many of whom bring years of field experience, translate textbook language into job-site readiness the moment a lesson begins. In an HVAC classroom, for example, a vocabulary that includes “thermodynamics” and “refrigerant cycle” is paired with a lab assignment that requires students to read a pressure-temperature chart and adjust gauges on a live system. The reading comprehension built in earlier literacy classes now drives hands-on troubleshooting, and mistakes become teachable moments instead of barriers.

Healthcare programs follow the same pattern. Students study medical terminology one day and transcribe patient-intake notes the next, reinforcing spelling, abbreviations, and privacy regulations in real time. By weaving technical literacy into performance tasks, SCI helps adult learners internalize the specialized language employers expect without forcing them back into abstract theory alone.

Adult-friendly pacing and supports

Time and cost are chief concerns for adult learners who already juggle work and family. Most SCI programs can be completed in as little as five to fifteen months, depending on full- or part-time enrollment, so momentum from an adult-education milestone is not lost to multi-year detours.

Day and evening schedules, online formats, and career-services coaching reduce friction even further. SCI’s CareerHub job-matching tool lets students see Texas-wide openings mapped against the licenses or certifications each role requires, creating a clear line of sight from coursework to paycheck.

Employer alignment closes the skills gap

Texas businesses routinely cite a shortage of workers with soft skills and technical know-how. SCI maintains advisory boards of regional employers who preview curricula and suggest updates so that lessons stay current. Graduates are trained to sit for industry-recognized certifications and when appropriate train on advanced equipment their future supervisors already use, rather than relearning their skills from scratch on the job.

By the time an SCI student unwraps a diploma or certificate, the distance from literacy to livelihood has been reduced to a single step of applying for a new job.

Walking through the open door

Texas still has work to do before every adult reaches basic literacy, but thousands cross that threshold each year. SCI stands ready for the adults who built foundational skills, transforming the ability to read about opportunity into specialized training. For adults who have already proven they can learn, the next lesson is simple: specialized skills are within reach, and the classroom is designed for the lives they already lead.

Adults ready to take their next step towards a new career should visit scitexas.edu

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Second Chances Start With Compassionate Teachers

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Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker

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

One of the most impactful professional development workshops I’ve ever attended was led by brain researcher Dr. Marcia Tate. In her presentation, she said,

“If students love you, they’ll do anything for you.”

With this sentiment, Dr. Tate made a strong case for the power of positive relationships in the classroom. If we, as instructors, can earn the trust and respect of the adult learners we serve, we can use that as leverage to motivate, empower, and equip our students for success.  

In the adult education and literacy field, we’re fortunate to have students with a diverse range of backgrounds, and some of those backgrounds include substance use and incarceration.

It’s not our job to decide if they’re worthy of a second chance.

It’s our job to help them begin again when they’re ready for it.  

Our organizations are stretched thin and are charged with doing an unbelievable amount of work. Even so, it’s important that the people on your team are the right fit for the students you serve. You must have people who can build positive relationships with all students.

This is why it’s infinitely important to be selective about the people you invite to join your team. There are often people with good hearts who want to serve as a tutor or volunteer, but sometimes even people with good hearts bring preconceived ideas about those carrying heavy baggage from their past.

This will impact an instructor’s ability to build positive relationships, and ultimately, it will impact the success of the students in their classroom.

When interviewing potential volunteers or staff members, it’s important to be open and honest about the kind of students they could potentially have in their class. It’s not fair to your adult learners – or to the candidate you’re interviewing – to skip those difficult, yet critical, conversations.

You can always teach instructional strategies. You can’t always teach a person how to have an open mind and an open heart.  

On Thursday, June 26, we’ll welcome a special contingent from the Windham School District – which has responsibility for all adult education for incarcerated folks across Texas – to our Best of Texas session. It’s promising to be a fascinating conversation and we’d love to have you there. Find out more and register here.

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Too important to ignore

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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

Striking a Balance: Humanity vs Economics

by

Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker

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

I’m a sucker for a good, gut-wrenching success story.

It’s one of the reasons I love to attend when an adult literacy CBO leader presents for a civic, social, or academic audience in their community. Five minutes after learning about Marisol, the single mom who just earned her GED after 6 years of night classes, I’m fully invested. I’m sitting in my car – ugly crying – and I’ve already texted my best friend about it. I’ve signed up for the organization’s newsletter, and I’m checking my schedule to see when I can volunteer. Those presentations speak to the core of my soul.

As a CBO leader who loves people, this is exactly how I designed every one of my community presentations for years: a great success story with a great action photo of the adult learner. Rinse and repeat. My CBO friends thought my presentations were brilliant. However, my business leader friends struggled to understand why they should care about people like Marisol.

To clarify, my business leader friends are not heartless; they just didn’t find her story relevant to their work or life.

I realized that by leaning into my love of student success stories, I was missing the opportunity to connect a large group of people to my organization’s mission. I knew that I had to be intentional in making sure my messages spoke to everyone in the room. Since money impacts us all, I began shifting my presentations toward the connection between adult literacy and economic development.

In recent years, major companies have expanded operations in Texas or relocated their entire corporation here altogether. In fact, so many businesses moved to Texas, Governor Abbott’s office declared our state to be the official “headquarters of headquarters.” And corporations aren’t the only ones settling in the Lone Star state. According to an article from Texas Public Radio, over half a million new residents moved here last year: more than any other state in the country.

Those companies need employees, and those new residents need jobs. Adult literacy organizations’ unique ability to make those connections through academic and workforce development programs is an interesting story worth sharing. We might not be negotiating big deals and tax incentives to attract corporations into our communities, but we’re doing our part to build up an educated workforce. My business leader friends connect well with that sentiment (and, don’t worry, I still toss in a hearty serving of warm and fuzzy stories too!).

Finding the balance between the human and the economic side of adult literacy can make all the difference in how a message resonates when building relationships with leaders in outreach work – and end up garnering crucial support from a wider range of folks across our communities.

Our theme throughout January is Workforce Literacy, and we’re focusing on related topics throughout the month. Find general resources here, and plan to join us at a special extended Best of Texas online session focused on Workforce Literacy, on January 30.

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The Dignity of Knowing What’s Going On

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When you work in adult and family literacy, there are so many reasons to pay more than passing attention to the language you use. By definition, folks participating in our programs and activities are still learning – to speak English; to read and write fluently; maybe both – and how we present information and ideas to them really matters. 

It can be the difference between –
– understanding classroom instructions – or not.
– getting to attend a great event or activity – or missing out.
– finding the right room or person in our building – or going astray.

So language choices matter first of all for basic comprehension.

But close behind is the concept of dignity. And this can be overlooked at first glance, but it’s also crucially important. Even better, it’s a concept we can make natural and largely effortless with a bit of attention and practice.

Why does dignity matter when it comes to understanding?

Because sadly, for people in adult literacy classes, there are already too many places where their dignity has been challenged. For new Americans, there are long lines and Alien Registration numbers and maybe having to have their kid translate for them on parent-teacher evening. The brow-furrowing concentration of a simple shopping visit or the bewilderment of a doctor’s appointment. For English-speakers with low written literacy, there can be the stress and shame of hiding a reading deficit, and the vulnerability of admitting that you can’t complete the form or read the notice or sign the papers – because you can’t read them.

We want our classrooms and our literacy programs to be places of grace – of safety, and relaxation, and yes, of dignity. So taking extra time and making extra effort to make sure our signs, our instructions, our paperwork, our websites, our new student orientation, even what we say on the phone, is as easy to udnerstand as possible – well, all this is a gift. A gift of dignity.

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The simplest and most straightforward way to make your materials and programs accessible is to make a study of plain language. Literacy Texas has a page on plain language right here on the website, and we’ll be holding an online training session on this topic soon. Stay tuned, and watch our website, newsletter, and socials for more info.

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