With Elijah and Matthew, however, the Shermans won't have such an alternative. If Proposal One doesn't pass, they will have to come up with private school tuition, they said. If Bud had not been able to move to Macomb County, he'd probably be at the Miller Middle School, where the national debate over vouchers, charters, and accountability looks mighty different than it does to the Shermans. Principal Pierre Hendrix is proud of the school he has headed for 10 years, and he runs a tight ship. When he enters a classroom, his questions draw immediate, loud answers from students.
Teachers come quickly when called.
In 2000, Miller's seventh-grade reading and math test results showed the most dramatic improvement in the state, matching the best Michigan schools, because much class time is now devoted solely to exam preparation. Miller's eighth-graders haven't fared as well. Only 25 percent performed at the proficient level in the last writing exam, and 75 percent fell into the ''not yet novice'' category. Unlike private schools, Miller cannot choose its students. Sixty percent of them come from poor families, Hendrix said.