Chris Alber has been working in education for 27 years and has recently returned to La Porte High School as the principal. Alber worked as the assistant principal at La Porte High school for six years and then was the principal of Riley Elementary for six years before returning to La Porte High school last year.
“After graduating from Indiana University in 1995, I was first hired in Michigan City at an alternative high school, and I did that job for six years. Then, my wife and I decided we were going to move to San Antonio, so I taught there for five years, and then our son was born,” Alber said. “We decided to move closer to family and went to South Bend where I spent two years teaching special education and getting my administrative license. That brought me to La Porte.”
Although Alber has worked in many different locations, specializing in many different areas, he explains how the children never change. The consistent love of learning no matter the location is one of the reasons he chose this profession.
“I have found that at every stop, students are consistent. They love to laugh, they love to learn, and reaching them has always been the highlight of any teacher's career. That is why we get into this profession. Whether be in San Antonio or Michigan City or La Porte, I've always found that the students are wonderful, and they're a big reason why I joined this profession,” Alber said.
Another reason why Alber chose this profession is his father. His father was his biggest inspiration behind becoming a teacher and then a principal because Alber grew up watching his father work from an early age.
“I think a lot of people look to their parents as role models, and oftentimes you'll follow in their footsteps in regards to a career path and growing up. I remember my dad was an assistant principal at Rogers High School in Michigan City, and I just fell in love with the profession. I knew at an early age I wanted to be a teacher,” Alber said.
This career path allows Alber to interact with the students as well as do all that he can to help them gain the knowledge and resources needed for success in the real world. Another benefit of his profession is being able to work in the same place his son attends school.
“My favorite part of my job is the daily interaction with students, and I'm especially blessed to have my son be at La Porte High School with me. When I get a chance to see Chase, it's even more fulfilling, but I think that's what brings you back to all of your decision-making as a building principal. It always goes back to what's in the best interest of students,” Alber said. “It's difficult to have a personal relationship with all 1800 students, but the reason we do this job is to try and help them as best we can. The best part of it is always to be a part of their future success.”
Due to Alber moving from Riley Elementary School back to La Porte High School, he has some of the same students now at the high school that he had years ago in the elementary school.
“To watch them grow and see them be successful is very rewarding. As far as the transition, students have different needs at different ages and you have to adjust to that,” Alber said. “Elementary schools are full of love and joy and the students really look up to the principal. At the high school level, you have to work at it a lot harder, but you're also helping them get into their selected career and that provides a lot of fulfillment. There are different challenges at different levels, but I've enjoyed both very much.”
Outside of work, he spends his time with his wife of nearly 25 years, Gena, and his son, Chase. They have two labrador retrievers, Star and Rosa, and a cat named Friday.
“I love to read. I love to play tennis and exercise. I love to go to concerts and any sporting event. Those are my favorite activities to do outside of work,” Alber said.
Alber also recently returned to school and earned his Ph.D. in education. He successfully defended his dissertation in the summer of 2021.
“Sometimes you have the interest to go back to school. I went back in January of 2017 and got what was called an EdS, which is an educational specialist and I found that I really enjoyed it and decided to just continue. I ended up getting a Ph.D. in education. I think if you love learning and you love what you're doing, you always want to try and improve yourself as best as possible.”
As well as trying to improve himself, Alber works to help improve the lives of other principles. He is the president of District 2 of the Indiana Association of School Principals.
“The Indiana Association of School Principals is a professional organization designed to provide support for other principals. We offer professional development, podcasts and other resources just to try and help principals be more effective in their positions,” Alber said.
Alongside the hard work of his own, Alber wanted to recognize the hard work of the administrative team and the teachers of La Porte High School. The work of everyone put together is what creates a successful learning environment for the students.
“Obviously the last two years have been challenging through the pandemic, but I'm very proud of our staff and our students for how we have persevered and done our very best despite these challenging circumstances,” Alber said. “I do think that the silver lining with that is it does teach our students how to overcome that adversity. I'm proud to be a part of that growth for our students.”