BAGGETT NAMED BERRIEN COUNTY DEPUTY OF THE YEAR

News came last week on a number of fronts. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department has named its 2016 Deputy of the Year, while the Benton Harbor school district reached an agreement with the state of Michigan in order to continue to operate.
Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey announced last week that Deputy Angela Baggett was selected as the 2016 Deputy of the Year by her colleagues in the department. Bailey cited her “constant dedication” to the department and area residents as one of the main reasons she was nominated.
“Deputy Baggett goes above and beyond her regular patrol duties with the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office,” he noted. “She is always observed starting her work day prior to the start of her shift. She has been one ofthe lead complaint takers within the entire department.”
“Deputy Baggett’s work ethic doesn’t stop at handling calls for service,” he added. “She enjoys being a team player and is one of the lead instructors for the Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) program. This program provides knowledge, confidence and ability for women who have participated in this self-defense training.”
“She is a great example of community policing,” he said. “The way she interacts with the public has positively impact those she has in contact with.”
Sheriff Bailey gave an example of Baggett’s dedication, reporting that Baggett along with Deputy Jared Phillips recently helped a subject who was contemplating suicide. Baggett comforted, supported and assisted him as she and Phillips were able to prevent him from jumping off a bridge.
Benton Harbor school district and state officials announced last week that a partnership agreement had been reached. The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education approved the new agreement last week as did the Michigan Department of Education and the School Reform Office.
Other partners who signed the agreement included Berrien RESA, Whirlpool Corporation, Andrews University, Lakeland Hospital, Riverwood, Second Baptist Church, Lake Michigan College, First Tees and Benton Harbor Boys & Girls Club.
Benton Harbor Superintendent Shelly Walker said she was confident the partners and the three schools named in the partnership agreement could meet the benchmark goals set down by the state. Participating schools were the International Academy at Hull, the DREAM Academy and the STEAM Academy at MLK.
The agreement contains detailed intervention plans and support services for students to foster academic growth and student well-being. While the three schools mentioned above will be the focus of state level oversight, the agreement covers all schools in the district.
The Benton Harbor partnership agreement with the Michigan Department of Education is one of several signed over the last few weeks with low performing school districts around the state. Talks began in March with 10 school districts around the state with 38 low performing schools and had been identified for possible closure this June.
Besides Benton Harbor, districts that have signed partnership agreements with the state include Kalamazoo, Muskegon Heights and Bridgeport/Spaulding.
In the agreements, districts have agreed to partner with their local intermediate school district, the MDE, state and local social services, education experts and others in the community in order to provide each school with the needed resources to push improvements.
Partnership school districts will have their progress monitored over the coming months and years, with assistance given as needed. Timeframes are set in the agreements as to when the different schools need to show measurable improvement.
“I commend these districts for making the important decision to develop a partnership agreement that sets some ambitious and realistic goals to improve the academic achievement of their schools,” Michigan State Superintendent Brian Whiston said. “A lot of hard work still lies ahead for all of us.”
“These are positive directions the leaders of these districts are taking to get their lowest performing schools back on track,” he added. “We want to provide as many local and state-level partners to help students in these schools be successful.”