How Strong is Burgundy Farm Country Day Academically?

[Anonymous]

If parents have issues with anything going on at a school, I would expect them to meet with the school officials and discuss things openly and constructively with them. And if not satisfied with the school's response, particularly over a several year period, I would expect them to find a school that is a better match with their expectations and requirements. To come on an anonymous board and whine and complain is beyond unprofessional. Just my two cents. Carry on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nancy, Joel, Travis, Anna, Tom, Sylvia....should I keep going?

I am concerned about the turnover (i'm a Burgundy parent), but in contrast to PP, I have found the school administrators VERY responsive. i don't expect them to answer emails instantly -- they're legitimately busy. But every time I have asked to speak to one of them, they have cheerfully agreed and made an appointment to talk. I don't feel like Burgundy is perfect, but I do feel like the administrative team is responsive and hard-working. Even good schools can't completely control everything-- especially a small school like Burgundy. In a big school, other teachers can pick up some extra students or classes if one teacher leaves unexpectedly for illness or family reasons. In a school as small as Burgundy, it's often a lot harder. That said, burgundy has been around for almost 70 years, and I suspect it has weathered many, many personnel changes and mini-crises over the years.

[Anonymous]

If parents have issues with anything going on at a school, I would expect them to meet with the school officials and discuss things openly and constructively with them. And if not satisfied with the school's response, particularly over a several year period, I would expect them to find a school that is a better match with their expectations and requirements. To come on an anonymous board and whine and complain is beyond unprofessional. Just my two cents. Carry on.

Sorry to say this, but when you "meet" with the administration, they sugar coat the answers. The middle school head is a disaster to say the least. And yes, it will be better to go find another school in the middle of the semester, especially when you have invested half the tuition costs....oh well...my two cents...we'll carry on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If parents have issues with anything going on at a school, I would expect them to meet with the school officials and discuss things openly and constructively with them. And if not satisfied with the school's response, particularly over a several year period, I would expect them to find a school that is a better match with their expectations and requirements. To come on an anonymous board and whine and complain is beyond unprofessional. Just my two cents. Carry on.

Sorry to say this, but when you "meet" with the administration, they sugar coat the answers. The middle school head is a disaster to say the least. And yes, it will be better to go find another school in the middle of the semester, especially when you have invested half the tuition costs....oh well...my two cents...we'll carry on.

PP, what is your actual objection, aside from not liking Jason? Is it that you think things are disorganized, or do you actually have a concrete concern about the quality of the teachers? I'm just not hearing anything here other than some not-very-grammatical sulking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If parents have issues with anything going on at a school, I would expect them to meet with the school officials and discuss things openly and constructively with them. And if not satisfied with the school's response, particularly over a several year period, I would expect them to find a school that is a better match with their expectations and requirements. To come on an anonymous board and whine and complain is beyond unprofessional. Just my two cents. Carry on.

Sorry to say this, but when you "meet" with the administration, they sugar coat the answers. The middle school head is a disaster to say the least. And yes, it will be better to go find another school in the middle of the semester, especially when you have invested half the tuition costs....oh well...my two cents...we'll carry on.

PP, what is your actual objection, aside from not liking Jason? Is it that you think things are disorganized, or do you actually have a concrete concern about the quality of the teachers? I'm just not hearing anything here other than some not-very-grammatical sulking.

That's an interesting way to ask the question and to refer to the MS head. Is this posting ("PP, what is your actual objection ... ") by a Burgundy Farm administrator?

[Anonymous]

I am poster 13:37 ... I am not a school administrator, but rather a current parent who knows Burgundy is both a great school but also not completely perfect. I'm not sure why, but the current discussion really troubles me. It is not that there aren't issues that could be discussed and agreed or disagreed about. The middle school has definitely made a lot of changes over the past few years ... change is unnerving to a lot of folks. Some changes will work out well and some may not and may need to be adjusted. That's life.

I understand that this is an anonymous board where one can discuss these types of things with abandon. But it really troubles me when someone comes on here and starts making what I view as personal attacks about specific, recognizable, known teachers and administrators while hiding behind an anonymous tag. At Burgundy, children are taught that calling someone names while hiding your identity on a public internet site is BULLYING. Why is it okay for a parent to behave in this way? Would you go to Jeff or Jason or any other adult on Burgundy campus and behave this way????

Perhaps it is just me, but this one particular poster is childish and behaving inappropriately ... it makes it much more difficult for me to listen to his/her ideas with an open mind and have a genuine discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am poster 13:37 ... I am not a school administrator, but rather a current parent who knows Burgundy is both a great school but also not completely perfect. I'm not sure why, but the current discussion really troubles me. It is not that there aren't issues that could be discussed and agreed or disagreed about. The middle school has definitely made a lot of changes over the past few years ... change is unnerving to a lot of folks. Some changes will work out well and some may not and may need to be adjusted. That's life.

I understand that this is an anonymous board where one can discuss these types of things with abandon. But it really troubles me when someone comes on here and starts making what I view as personal attacks about specific, recognizable, known teachers and administrators while hiding behind an anonymous tag. At Burgundy, children are taught that calling someone names while hiding your identity on a public internet site is BULLYING. Why is it okay for a parent to behave in this way? Would you go to Jeff or Jason or any other adult on Burgundy campus and behave this way????

Perhaps it is just me, but this one particular poster is childish and behaving inappropriately ... it makes it much more difficult for me to listen to his/her ideas with an open mind and have a genuine discussion.

Well, I'm a PP, and I asked a question, but I did not know the name of the person listed in your post until it was placed by someone in text a few posts ago -- in a question that challenged someone raising a complaint. Is it possible that a current Burgundy parent does not feel comfortable expressing concerns to the Burgundy administration?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's true! the middle school has changed completely and the middle school head is a joke! It is so disappointing! The guy sent us an email asking us, parents, who pay almost 27K tuition not to email him because he "too busy".....hello?????
Not to mention the fact that all good teachers are leaving. Something's going on and we are angry! My DD is devastated because three very dear and good teachers have left in the middle of the school year and when you email the head of school and the middle school guy you don't even get an answer. That school is not what it used to be. Very sad

13:37 again. This is the specific poster to whom I refer. And by the way "we pay 27k tuition and therefore expect people to respond instantly" is an obnoxious attitude. I suppose the parents who receive financial aid should just step quietly to the back of the line while this person gets first attention on all matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am poster 13:37 ... I am not a school administrator, but rather a current parent who knows Burgundy is both a great school but also not completely perfect. I'm not sure why, but the current discussion really troubles me. It is not that there aren't issues that could be discussed and agreed or disagreed about. The middle school has definitely made a lot of changes over the past few years ... change is unnerving to a lot of folks. Some changes will work out well and some may not and may need to be adjusted. That's life.

I understand that this is an anonymous board where one can discuss these types of things with abandon. But it really troubles me when someone comes on here and starts making what I view as personal attacks about specific, recognizable, known teachers and administrators while hiding behind an anonymous tag. At Burgundy, children are taught that calling someone names while hiding your identity on a public internet site is BULLYING. Why is it okay for a parent to behave in this way? Would you go to Jeff or Jason or any other adult on Burgundy campus and behave this way????

Perhaps it is just me, but this one particular poster is childish and behaving inappropriately ... it makes it much more difficult for me to listen to his/her ideas with an open mind and have a genuine discussion.

Well, I'm a PP, and I asked a question, but I did not know the name of the person listed in your post until it was placed by someone in text a few posts ago -- in a question that challenged someone raising a complaint. Is it possible that a current Burgundy parent does not feel comfortable expressing concerns to the Burgundy administration?

It's possible. I am a previous parent and I can say that sometimes I felt that it wasn't acceptable to criticism certain teachers or admins. And if you did, it would peg you as a problem parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well, I'm a PP, and I asked a question, but I did not know the name of the person listed in your post until it was placed by someone in text a few posts ago -- in a question that challenged someone raising a complaint. Is it possible that a current Burgundy parent does not feel comfortable expressing concerns to the Burgundy administration?

It's possible. I am a previous parent and I can say that sometimes I felt that it wasn't acceptable to criticism certain teachers or admins. And if you did, it would peg you as a problem parent.

Well... maybe, just maybe you WERE a "problem parent." No school is perfect -- there will inevitably be some teachers or staff who aren't as good as the rest, or who rub some parents the wrong way. But ya know.... no group of parents is perfect, either. In every class my children have ever had at Burgundy, there have been one or two kids whose parents are weird, annoying, crazy, or obnoxious. There are always one or two parents who complain all the time about absolutely everything. Eventually, yes, the school administrators-- and their fellow parents-- just start tuning them out. I hate to say it -- this is to the PP who claims a Burgundy administrator said he was "too busy" to respond to her emails-- but maybe your emails were inappropriate and annoying.

As others have said, if the school's a poor fit for you, feel free to take you tuition dollars elsewhere. eave Burgundy to those of us who like it, and can express criticisms constructively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well, I'm a PP, and I asked a question, but I did not know the name of the person listed in your post until it was placed by someone in text a few posts ago -- in a question that challenged someone raising a complaint. Is it possible that a current Burgundy parent does not feel comfortable expressing concerns to the Burgundy administration?

It's possible. I am a previous parent and I can say that sometimes I felt that it wasn't acceptable to criticism certain teachers or admins. And if you did, it would peg you as a problem parent.

Well... maybe, just maybe you WERE a "problem parent." No school is perfect -- there will inevitably be some teachers or staff who aren't as good as the rest, or who rub some parents the wrong way. But ya know.... no group of parents is perfect, either. In every class my children have ever had at Burgundy, there have been one or two kids whose parents are weird, annoying, crazy, or obnoxious. There are always one or two parents who complain all the time about absolutely everything. Eventually, yes, the school administrators-- and their fellow parents-- just start tuning them out. I hate to say it -- this is to the PP who claims a Burgundy administrator said he was "too busy" to respond to her emails-- but maybe your emails were inappropriate and annoying.

As others have said, if the school's a poor fit for you, feel free to take you tuition dollars elsewhere. eave Burgundy to those of us who like it, and can express criticisms constructively.

Yes, you are clearly demonstrating that right now.

[Anonymous]

Oy. This anti-Burgundy person is a childish troll. Ignore her, folks.

[Anonymous]

Yes, please ignore me. (And I am a "he" BTW).We hate this school and we are leaving and yes we are taking our tuition $$$$ somewhere else. Got free speech???

[Anonymous]

17:41 it sounds like it will be good for all parties that your DD and family will be taking your $$$$ elsewhere. I can understand your frustration. But does it feel any better to vent on an anonymous board? Really. In the past it's not been therapy to me but merely fire to play with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:17:41 it sounds like it will be good for all parties that your DD and family will be taking your $$$$ elsewhere. I can understand your frustration. But does it feel any better to vent on an anonymous board? Really. In the past it's not been therapy to me but merely fire to play with.

What I suspect both posts are missing is that, love it or hate it, Burgundy is a highly controversial social environemnt about which many parents develop exceptionally strong views. The anger that 17:41 expressed is by no means unique to 17:41 (and, no, I am not him). Parents who left the same year we did were plenty angry -- angry about academics that they perceived were substantially behind the publics, angry about what they seemed to believe was condescending and invasive treatment by the school, angry about the school being perceived to have impeded transferring out, angry about perceived favoritism, angry about a host of specific issues, and just generally angry at Burgundy. Of course it's all opinion, but what we've seen is that it doesn't go away, and a number of parents view Burgundy as having been an insulting and damaging environment. This isn't about fire to play with, nor is the treatment that some families believe they have received at Burgundy. This is a discussion board, Burgundy is part of that discussion, and the views that the 17:41 express do not seem to be isolated.