Holly McCoy of Literacy Services of Wisconsin Her Mission: Helping Adults Learn to Read

If you were casting a film about Literacy Services of Wisconsin, the obvious pick for the lead would be Holly McCoy. No need to audition. She’s already living the role.

McCoy’s story is archetypal American: a childhood marked by instability, a young adulthood shaped by perseverance. Raised in difficult circumstances and familiar with the struggles of economic hardship, she charted a path from instability to leadership.

She rose from those margins to become the driving force behind a vital Milwaukee organization, Literacy Services of Wisconsin. At just 40, mother of five children, she discovered her purpose in the often-overlooked mission of helping adults learn to read. If you think about it, literacy isn’t just a skill. It’s the key to everything else.

I met McCoy at the newly dedicated Literacy Services of Wisconsin headquarters on North Palmer Street in Milwaukee’s Brewer’s Hill neighborhood. Outside, century-old homes and timeworn churches illustrate the city’s past. Inside, in a small room off the hallway, we sat at a conference table. Instantly likable, McCoy exhibited abundant enthusiasm, her smile rarely taking a break. She spoke with conviction and made it clear that this work is personal. Not just to her, but to the thousands of adults still waiting for their chance to learn.

Tell me about your background, parents, schools, neighborhoods and educational background. I believe you came from difficult circumstances as a youth.

I grew up in a trailer park in North Fond du Lac. My family moved to Milwaukee when I was in sixth grade. We lived with some church friends for quite some time. My dad struggled with drug addiction throughout most of my life and also with chronic homelessness. My mom was a seamstress. When I was halfway through high school, my parents got divorced. We moved around a lot. I went to three different high schools. I had a baby at 16, and my mom helped me, but I did graduate from Pulaski High School. I moved out of her house at 18. By the age of 22, I had three daughters.

Were you married at that time?

Back then, I was with the same man whom I will marry in a few weeks after 21 years of being together. I now have a total of five children. But I did manage to go onto college. After some time, I was able to graduate from Alverno College. Wonderful experience. Alverno profoundly changed my life for the better. I have one daughter who is enrolled there now.

You have really done well.

Thank you. When I was attending Alverno College, I wanted to be a teacher because I had so many great high school teachers. They were so kind to me at a rough time in my life. But when I graduated from Alverno in 2010, teaching jobs were scarce. Yet I truly believe that God set this career path for me because I got a job at Milwaukee Achiever Services, and I managed their Adult Learning Center. I discovered the need for adult education services there. Later, I got my master’s degree. I’ve been in this same organization for 14 years, although there have been several mergers and name changes.  

Give me the history of the Literacy Services of Wisconsin.  It was started in 1965?

Yes, in one form or another, LSW had been around for 60 years, and I’ve met some of the original people who started there. The literacy group kind of took off after people from a North Shore Congregational Church decided that adults needed literacy help. Adult literacy, nationally and internationally, was led by Dr. Frank Laubach, later Laubach Literacy. He visited Milwaukee and helped locals to coordinate the first volunteer effort. In 2010, after expansions, we moved to downtown, and then we moved here in this new building not that long ago. In 2017 and 2020, we merged with two other organizations. We have a long line of volunteers.

On the LSW website, the mission is stated: “Literacy Services of Wisconsin partners with motivated adults to provide access to quality basic education and skills training so they can improve their lives, enrich their families, and strengthen our community.” How do you try to accomplish that mission?

With adult education, we meet students where they are at, not only through education, but also geographically. We have nine locations throughout southeastern Wisconsin. For example, we work with students at the Racine Correctional Institution. At the Racine Youthful Offenders Center, we offer a high school equivalency program along with a building trades program. We are also in the Milwaukee County Jail where we provide a GED program, a high school equivalency credential. We partner with MPS schools to provide parents with education at North and South Division. We have a location at the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, and also in downtown Waukesha. 

What impact has the internet, computers, and smartphones had on how we communicate and share information in the 21st century? And also, in terms of your LSW services?

Technology has transformed the way we look at education. About 35% of our adults are learning remotely through virtual classes. That way some of those adult students don’t have to worry about childcare and transportation. This new building where we are here right now is designed to integrate technology. We want our students to feel comfortable with technology.  

What about AI, artificial intelligence and ChatGBT?

I see AI as a resource, a tool. As time moves on, we want to make sure we support our students to employ these new techniques that add value to their learning experiences.

Can Artificial Intelligence teach a person to read?

AI can support reading in different ways. By the time you are an adult, your brain is more limited in learning. If you already learned how to read as a child, you take that for granted. Sometimes, we have to go back to phonics and sounds, the basics of reading, to teach an adult to read. 

Are your clients poorly educated Americans who have trouble reading and/or can they be refugees who have trouble with the English language?

Literacy and graduation rates are not tied to intelligence. Often, it’s about opportunity and access children get during their formative years. There are challenges in their families and communities and schools. For instance, with my own challenging background, I personally know how hard it can be in school attendance when things are not going well at home. Attendance is so important to participate in learning. 

We as a community need to ask: So what happens then, and what can we do about it? As far as refugees, we do support English language learning. We have students that represent 64 different countries.

Are your clients primarily adults?

They are all adults, 18 and over.

Let me read a quote from you, “The heart of our mission has always been to create programming that impacts literacy for generations to come.” Can you expand on this mission for my readers?

When we provide literacy for adults, we are indirectly helping their children. If we want to see K-12 outcomes improve, we need to concern ourselves with adult education impacting their kids. 

How many students do you teach over a year?

Last year, we supported around 1,300 adult students and had 240 GED graduates. We are very proud of those numbers.

I believe you have a partnership with MATC, Milwaukee Area Technical College. How does that work?

MATC is an amazing partner. MATC works with us to meet students where they are at geographically and academically. MATC has community-based instructors that come to the communities they partner with to provide instruction on site. For instance, we have an MATC classroom in this new building.  

An example: let’s say I am about 40, and I want to read better. How do I get in touch with you?

You can call our main phone number or go online to our website and schedule an enrollment appointment at any of our offices. 

What happens when I get here?

Great question. You would start in our welcome center, and we would get to know you and give you an assessment and then figure how we can support you.

Let’s say I have a sixth grade reading level.

For most folks, their actual goal would be sixth grade reading.

How about if I have a third grade reading level?

We would find that out in the assessment, discuss the results, and work with you to improve. For example, if you want to complete a high school diploma, we would suggest you enroll in a class and work with a tutor. We would map out a plan for you. We test our students every four months

You have a new headquarters building in the Brewer’s Hill neighborhood where we are now. Tell me about that, and what will this mean in terms of teaching more students?

There are multiple spaces here that can be used in multiple ways, classrooms, multimedia, technology. Someday, we will have a GED testing center. 

How is LSW funded? Also, do you have a partnership with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation?

We do partner with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and other big nonprofit organizations. We get some federal funding. And we have many individual donors. It’s a diverse funding model.

You have close to 300 volunteers. Who are they? Where do they come from?

Many of them are retired teachers who may have taught elementary school but now want to work one on one with adults. A lot of our evening tutors are working professionals. If you want to volunteer, call our office or contact us through our website. Most volunteers work with one student once a week. It is a commitment but rewarding.