Hartland Principal Under MEAP Cloud Says Test Success Stems From 'a Terrific Family of Educators'

Principal Tracey Sahouri — whose actions are at — said Hartland's success with scores at her school and throughout the district is from hard work and "a terrific family of educators."

"I have an outstanding staff who work diligently to prepare all students for educational success," she said in an email to Hartland Patch. "This starts from kindergarten through fourth grade. Our curriculum ensures that district benchmarks and state standards are covered. MEAP assesses state standards and benchmarks.

"Not just Creekside, but all of Hartland schools have had success on the MEAP because we have a terrific family of educators as well as an incredibly supportive school community who prepare students to be life-long learners."

The Michigan Department of Education found what it believes to be and ordered an alternate test because Sahouri unwrapped the booklets to organize and count them days before the exam was to be given and because the MDE wanted more security than having them locked in her office.

But Hartland School District Superintendent Janet Sifferman has said Sahouri followed established district procedures. Sifferman said the district believes the tests weren't compromised and no cheating occurred but is comfortable with the alternative tests to ensure the exam's integrity.

Sahouri's email was in response to a Hartland Patch email request for comment about the MEAP controversy. After the initial reply, Hartland Patch asked Sahouri several additional follow-up questions about the probe and an unrelated misdemeanor court case in which police say she and her husband in July. The couple have said they didn't break the law because they notified authorities once they discovered the drinking.

In a brief response, Sahouri said what Sifferman has said about how she handled the tests was accurate and praised the superintendent for her high standards.

"She always has the bar raised," Sahouri's email said. "Every decision that she makes is based on what is best for our children in Hartland Consolidated Schools."

She also noted that high-profile Flint-based trial lawyer Michael Manley is now representing her.