The Battle Creek Public School District and the Michigan Department of Education have now announced and signed a new agreement to help continue improvements.

At a press conference Thursday, the partnership was signed by representatives from the district and MDE, as well by the CEOs of the Battle Creek Community Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. 

Deputy Superintendent of the Michigan Department of Education Dr. Venessa Kessler says that Battle Creek's partnership agreement will see the state of Michigan providing "on-demand technical assistance", and support for issues with staffing; as well, the district is currently applying for state financial resources.

Dr. Kessler says that the partnership model is built on providing the district with what it needs, and that "not everything is spelled out in the agreement, because we're going to work together to make sure that what is necessary for success can be provided." She also says that a large amount of support in the agreement will be coming from community partners, such as the BCCF and WKKF.

TSM/ Battle Creek
TSM/ Battle Creek
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This agreement between the BCPS and the MDE is one of the first of its kind, and WKKF CEO La June Montgomery Tabron says that "this is a very significant moment" not just for Battle Creek but for all of America. She says that this is a "moment when our state government comes together to partner, not to be punitive, but to support the growth and success of this school district, and hopefully all school districts."

Battle Creek Public Schools Superintendent Kim Carter says that this partnership shows that the district, Department of Education, and the Battle Creek community are committed to making sure that every student receives "an education that prepares each one of them to fulfill his or her full potential."

This new agreement between the district and state formally goes into effect in September of 2018, and is set to last for three years. The MDE says that there is also an official 18 month "checkpoint".

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