WGU Ohio Chancellor visits with Portsmouth Schools

In recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week, Western Governors University Ohio (WGU Ohio) paid a visit to Portsmouth City Schools on May 8 to meet with local teachers and deliver Teacher Appreciation Packages.

Western Governors University Ohio Chancellor Dr. K.L. Allen met with building principals to discuss the challenges and opportunities they face within the Portsmouth City School District. Some of the programs shared by Portsmouth teachers included Threetown at Portsmouth Elementary, the renovated indoor athletic training facility, and the agriculture grow towers inside classrooms throughout the district. 

“Teacher Appreciation Week is a time to recognize and thank teachers for the work they do every day,” Allen said. “It is also an opportunity to raise awareness of the unique challenges this crucial profession faces. Perhaps the best ‘thank you’ we can give teachers is to take a close look at the barriers they face and come together to begin doing something about them. Teachers aren’t the only ones who will benefit—we all will.”

After the meeting, WGU treated Portsmouth teachers to an appreciation lunch at the Scioto Ribber.

“One of the things that I heard from teachers today is how they love their kids, and there is some trauma but if you come to Portsmouth it’s because you really want to be here,” Allen said. “Coming from a rural area of North Carolina myself, I think too often we forget about rural areas and what the kids are going through. Kids have to go through so much and then they have to go to school tomorrow, and the teachers are very supportive. We have to not forget about these rural areas. We have to show up; not just when tragedy happens, but when things are going normal to help build them up.”

More information about WGU Ohio is available at www.wgu.edu/wgulovesteachers. For more information about Portsmouth City Schools, visit them online at www.portsmouthtrojans.net, or follow the school’s page on Facebook.