Principal's Page

Dear Barker Families, Students, and Community Partners,

Welcome to a brand-new school year! There is an incredible energy in the air, and I could not be more excited to partner with you as we guide our students toward a bright, successful future. My name is Todd Dermody. I am brand new to Barker Middle School, but I previously served the community as a math teacher at Krueger Middle School. 

I am coming from Watervliet Public Schools in Michigan, where I served for the previous three school years as the Dean of Students for Watervliet Middle and High School. I graduated from LaPorte High School and attended IUSB as a student/athlete before finishing my undergraduate degree in the Purdue system. I have a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from American College of Education. I look forward to applying my skillset and using my education to promote learning at Barker Middle School.

Our mission at Barker Middle School is simple: we want our students to graduate from high school, college, or trade schools and be ready to step into high-earning, fulfilling careers. That preparation doesn’t start in eleventh or twelfth grade. It starts right now, in middle school. Every day in the classroom is an investment in their future earning potential. We want our students to dream big, and showing up is the first step to making those dreams a reality.

I look around our community and see a momentum that you won't find very frequently. There are not many other cities in the country that offer what Michigan City does. We have world-class beaches, a thriving tourism industry, robust local manufacturing, and a direct, one-hour train line right into downtown Chicago. The sheer variety of projects and opportunities happening in our backyard is astonishing. Great, high-paying careers are waiting right here for the next generation, and it is our job to make sure our students are ready to claim them.

I believe in this community, and I believe deeply in our students. Because of that, I have incredibly high expectations for what we can achieve. Our goal is to make Michigan City Area Schools, and specifically Barker Middle School, a national leader in academic performance. We aren't aiming for "good enough." We want to be so outstanding, so innovative, and so successful that educators from other school districts across the country travel to Michigan City just to watch how we do things.

To achieve this, we must focus on unlocking the potential within every child. We believe, without exception, that every single student at Barker is capable of learning and achieving at the highest levels. Our team of educators and staff will work tirelessly, day in and day out, to provide the support, resources, and encouragement our students need to reach these lofty goals.

Realizing this vision requires all of us. It takes dedicated students, supportive families, a relentless school staff, and a community that stands behind its schools. Thank you for your continued trust, your partnership, and your shared belief in our kids. Let’s make this a legendary school year!Go Wolves!

Warmly,
Todd Dermody

Principal, Barker Middle School