my son will be starting school, and the decision about where to send him is stressing me out. We've already ruled out the nearest school—it looks more like a modern prison than a place for children. The building is completely gray, with bare concrete walls inside, huge windows everywhere, and the classroom setup seems geared towards old-fashioned, frontal teaching. Even though the neighbors seem happy with it, I just can’t imagine my son spending his days there for years.

Feel you. I'm in Texas and with the way the local system has been deliberately degraded, I'm genuinely torn about what to do with my kid when he's school age.

Other than throwing my checkbook at the problem, there doesn't seem like a lot of good options.

On the other hand, there's a newer school about a 15-minute walk away that opened three years ago. It looks much greener and more inviting. They also offer mixed-age classes, which I attended when I was younger and loved—no endless hours of boring, traditional teaching.

Sounds fantastic. Hope it holds up.