ENGLEWOOD, Ohio — Lori Porter, an Aspire instructor at the Miami Valley Career Technology Center, has been named the 2026 Statewide Outstanding Adult Educator of the Year by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
The award was presented October 22 at the state conference in Columbus. It recognizes Porter’s distinguished instructional practices, her dedication to adult learners, and four decades of classroom service — 17 of those years spent serving students through MVCTC’s Aspire program, which helps adults earn their high school equivalency.
Her impact adds up in a way few careers can match. True to her calling as a math instructor, Porter has kept detailed records of her work, documenting that she has helped more than 2,000 adult learners pass their high school equivalency exams and earn their diplomas.
“Mrs. Porter has spent the last 40 years proving that adult learners are worth fighting for,” said MVCTC Aspire Supervisor Beth Manor. “Teaching high school equivalency is not just about passing tests; it is about rebuilding confidence in adults who felt left behind by the traditional system.”
During the award recognition, Aspire State Office Assistant Administrator T.J. Armstrong highlighted Porter’s development of state-recognized virtual orientations, her ability to adapt to changing curriculum standards, and her mentorship of new educators across Ohio.
Porter’s commitment extends well past her own classroom. At the conference, she and Manor co-presented two sessions on using Universal Design for Learning strategies in adult education classrooms, and Porter separately presented to a packed room of 32 educators, sharing the curated study guides she developed as the foundation of her GED test preparation instruction.
By sharing those resources with colleagues, she is helping strengthen adult education classrooms throughout Ohio — the same persistence and belief in second chances that carried 2,000 of her own students to a diploma.
Photo: KJHerzog, CC BY-SA 4.0