Have you read Coy Lundin's book "98.6: Keep Your Ass Alive"? Or Kumerfeldt's book? These are the most practical I have found and focus on the proper priorities. If this guy prioritizes wrong, say food above everything else, he is a flake. Schools like these are great for learning new techniques and practicing them, but they need to teach practical skills in their proper priority. Shelter, signaling, water are your top three in order. These books will help to give you a base of knowledge from which to judge the school.

I have been to several DoD SERE schools, and I do teach it to others for a living. I have found these two books to be the best out there for real survival. There are many others that teach great techniques and skills, but a good survival school will teach you to survive in a real situation, and that means having the right priorities.

The school may still teach some great skills. Many people learn a few skills and how to do them really well. If they are teaching some particular skills that you need, and provide some good practice of those skills, it may still be worth it. Only you know what you need, and the time and resources you have available. If the school fits your needs, it will not be a waste.

Hikermor's advice is very sound. Seek out others that have attended the school and instead of asking them if it was good, have them describe the curriculum, the amount of practice, the environment and instruction. Try to get them to be as empirical as possible instead of offering assessments.

You are right that there are many people out there who profess to be experts in the field, but there are few real ones. There are no standards or any governing body to provide any standards. You will be taking a chance on the school regardless of your research.