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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP, there are a couple of hard core Burgundy badgers who always pop up here. Yes, do a search; as you'll see, there are numerous strong opinions. That said I would not describe burgundy as "controversial"-- it is just a school that is not for everyone (well, no school is). The people who love it seem to really love it, and the people who hate it seem to really hate it.

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So, what do I like and dislike? Pros (to me -- these might be cons to someone else): relaxed and nurturing atmosphere, warm teachers and staff, kids get a ton of outdoor time and independence, not rigid or driven by standardized testing, teachers are mostly dedicated and fantastic (though there are a handful I disliked), small classes, teachers are free to be flexible and creative and are not tied to a rigid schedule or curriculum, kids are nice to each other, school really works hard to nip cliquishness and bullying in the bud; good arts and drama programs, lovely campus, nice parents, friendly atmosphere and, as I said, the kids do well in exmissions.

Cons: a little on the disorganized side. Staff a bit uneven. Teacher and staff responsiveness varies. Language instruction is lame in the lower school. Instrumental program a bust. Extracurrics kind of random and uneven quality. Not actually very "progressive" in curriculum or teaching style (or at any rate, not clearly more so than many more "traditional" schools. They claim to offer differentiated learning but I've never truly seen this. Mixed-age classrooms (2/3 and 4/5) do not, in my view, work very well: even with two teachers they feel too chaotic.

Hope that helps!
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And, OP, there likewise seem to be a few die-hard Burgundy fans who post regularly in response to every inquiry.  From what I've seen, they all say "Burgundy isn't for everyone, it's far from perfect, I myself have the following problems with the place [brief enumeration follows], but [insert subjective characteristic] about Burgundy is really fun!"

I'm not 20:58, but I think what 20:58 says is fair and certainly reflects, in part, our own miserable experiences with Burgundy.  The environment was downright strange, the academics seemed terribly weak, and while many of the kids went on to do extremely well in HS and college, a shocking number seemed to wind up in alternative/remedial programs.  I mean, like 1/4 seemed to wind up in community college, or in therapeutic HS programs, or the like.  The parents generally subscribed to an unquestioning group-orthodoxy about the place that inhibited asking even the most innocent question.  When we pulled, so did roughly 1/3 of our DC's class group.

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