MOORPARK : Berger Takes Reins at Chaparral School

When students at Chaparral Middle School in Moorpark return to school today, they will be under the supervision of the school’s fifth principal in five years.

But the newest principal, 48-year-old Mike Berger, said he plans to stay at Chaparral for at least a few years.

The high turnover began after longtime Chaparral principal Charles Smith was promoted to assistant superintendent in 1989.

Berger moved to the middle school from Moorpark High School, where he was assistant principal for three years.

The new principal said he believes that having the same person in the top job for several years is particularly important for a school’s teachers.

“It provides a line that teachers can see,” he said. “They know what to expect” from year to year, allowing them to plan and implement long-range projects.

One long-range project that the school is working on is enhancing the program for gifted students.

Berger also plans to increase communication between the middle school and the district’s elementary schools and high school so they can better coordinate their curricula.

Berger’s experience has been at both the middle and high school level.

Before his stint as assistant principal at Moorpark High, he taught science for four years at Thousand Oaks High School. Before that, he had spent 15 years teaching at junior high schools.

Berger is also interested in politics and ran unsuccessfully this spring for the Republican nomination for the state 37th Assembly District. He said he plans to try again at some point in the future.

During his time at Chaparral, Berger said he hopes to spread his enthusiasm for the new job to his teachers and students.

“We’re not going to settle down,” he said. “We’re going to take off.”