A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Mike Berta

A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Mike Berta

Education has such an important role in modern society, and the children we teach and cultivate will become the leaders of our future. For a renowned individual like Mike Berta, working to provide the youth with the tools to succeed is a priority.

Now the Interim Superintendent for the Valparaiso Community Schools, Berta began his career as a teacher and eventually moved into a superintendent position. He eventually retired with 45 years of experience. Until a long-term candidate is found for his current position, his responsibility is overseeing operations of the school system and seeing to it that the institutions are offering the best quality education experience to the students of Valparaiso.

“When working, I always think about what is best for the children,” Berta said. “At the end of every day, I ask myself if the work I accomplished that day was in service to their need. Their well-being is always on my mind.”

Berta attended Indiana University Bloomington and after taking a few education courses, he felt entering this field was his true calling. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, he began teaching in Portage. Throughout his career, he would later obtain a master’s degree in education at Valparaiso University, a principal’s license at Purdue University, and an educational specialist degree at Indiana State University.

“People in my line of work strive to serve the best interests of the students and their families,” Berta said. “After all my years of work, the best piece of advice I can give is to those in my field is to remember why we are in the positions we are in, which is to help the children and families of our community and to support our faculty and staff.”

Berta states that the most influential people over the course of his career have been those who worked in service of the students, who have worked incredibly hard to set a positive example for others.

“I’ve been blessed to have met so many people who carry such a high standard of ethics and morals,” he said. “Their words and actions helped provide me with the mindset to be the best person I can be.”

His appreciation for Valparaiso Community Schools extends beyond the impact on the students, but also the rewarding experience it has provided him, too.

“I feel fortunate to have been a vital part of public education and to have worked with all sorts of amazing people throughout my life, so I am blessed to have been on this journey,” he said. “I’ve always believed that public schools are the lifeblood of this country, so my career has been incredibly rewarding. For the future, I hope those working in education continue to keep the needs of the students close to their hearts and get the job done.”