Greetings,
As you might imagine, forty- five years of public education have provided many experiences to me. None of those experiences resulted in preparation for the environment and challenges produced by the current pandemic.
My family, like yours, is continuously adapting to a new way of living each day. Working from home while simultaneously transforming the house into a school has no doubt challenged even the most skilled among us. Add to this new way of life the fear of disease and the resulting isolation and it is clear how adapting is difficult but necessary.
As interim superintendent of the Valparaiso Community Schools one of my priority responsibilities is to prepare for the future of teaching and learning. Essentially, it is preparing for the unknown. It is not known how the pandemic will challenge us in the future so designing options for teaching and learning to deploy in multiple scenarios seems reasonable. Preparing for conducting learning as we knew it must be accompanied by a plan to conduct learning as it has not been known.
I commend each Valparaiso Community Schools person for your work in these challenging times. Special recognition to students, parents, and teachers for continuing the teaching – learning process while balancing other elements of your life. I join you in the hope of a safe return to normalcy.
I am grateful to work with you while the School Board identifies a superintendent for the Valparaiso Community Schools.
Respectfully,
Michael J. Berta, Jr.
Interim Superintendent
Interim Superintendent
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