With choices ranging from traditional parochial and private schools to the new public charters and pilots, parents with school-age children are behaving more like consumers. And schools are becoming more responsive to families. If you're made to feel as if you're disrupting their precious time, they've got an attitude problem. These days, even the busiest principals find time to send home a weekly news bulletin. They themselves have to initiate the effort, so it's a good way to evaluate commitment and enthusiasm.
Test scores can tell only so much about children's abilities.
Fancy facilities don't always guarantee a good physical ed program.