Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Hyde Schools
Warning about Hyde School from an educational consultant
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---On 2005-10-18 17:59:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Several people posting on this site have made reference to other schools that offer what Hyde claims (mainly, providing structure to underachieveing teens) but have not identified those schools.
I'd love to hear positive recommendations for other schools to consider. We have a 16-year-old son who is failing in school, hanging around with a "stoner" crowd and using drugs, but who is fairly bright, generally interested in learning and who has so far avoided any serious legal or other problems. He has gotten thrown out of Catholic school and is just getting by in a public school he hates. We don't think he has either the social or academic skills to do well in a traditional prep school and were looking seriously at Hyde until we came across this site and other negative reviews of Hyde. (Even before that, some of the Hyde materials looked suspiciously "cult-like" to us.)
Any suggestions?"
--- End quote ---
A couple of different educational consultants have encouraged us to look at three schools that seem to have very good reputations (these educational consultants warned us to avoid Hyde completely because of the kinds of concerns expressed by various people on this website -- they are VERY critical of Hyde and its cult-like quality). Our understanding is that these 3 schools are for kids who have struggled, have done some hard work, and are progressing in the right direction (with some bumps in the road) -- we've heard that a couple of these schools enroll students whose parents couldn't wait to get them out of Hyde:
White Mountain School (New Hampshire): http://www.whitemountain.org/ (major emphasis on using the environment and ecology to work with students)
Carlbrook School (Virginia): http://www.carlbrook.org/ (a fairly large school with lots of professional staff)
Rock Point School (Vermont): http://www.rockpoint.org/ (very small and intimate -- major emphasis on nurturing relationships between staff and students accompanied by high standards)
Good luck with your search. There ARE some very good schools out there, especially compared to Hyde.
Troll Control:
--- Quote ---On 2005-10-18 18:34:00, Anonymous wrote:
"
--- Quote ---
On 2005-10-18 17:59:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Several people posting on this site have made reference to other schools that offer what Hyde claims (mainly, providing structure to underachieveing teens) but have not identified those schools.
I'd love to hear positive recommendations for other schools to consider. We have a 16-year-old son who is failing in school, hanging around with a "stoner" crowd and using drugs, but who is fairly bright, generally interested in learning and who has so far avoided any serious legal or other problems. He has gotten thrown out of Catholic school and is just getting by in a public school he hates. We don't think he has either the social or academic skills to do well in a traditional prep school and were looking seriously at Hyde until we came across this site and other negative reviews of Hyde. (Even before that, some of the Hyde materials looked suspiciously "cult-like" to us.)
Any suggestions?"
--- End quote ---
A couple of different educational consultants have encouraged us to look at three schools that seem to have very good reputations (these educational consultants warned us to avoid Hyde completely because of the kinds of concerns expressed by various people on this website -- they are VERY critical of Hyde and its cult-like quality). Our understanding is that these 3 schools are for kids who have struggled, have done some hard work, and are progressing in the right direction (with some bumps in the road) -- we've heard that a couple of these schools enroll students whose parents couldn't wait to get them out of Hyde:
White Mountain School (New Hampshire): http://www.whitemountain.org/ (major emphasis on using the environment and ecology to work with students)
Carlbrook School (Virginia): http://www.carlbrook.org/ (a fairly large school with lots of professional staff)
Rock Point School (Vermont): http://www.rockpoint.org/ (very small and intimate -- major emphasis on nurturing relationships between staff and students accompanied by high standards)
Good luck with your search. There ARE some very good schools out there, especially compared to Hyde."
--- End quote ---
I would be extremely cautious of Carlbrook. It is run by Tim Brace, a former director at CEDU, a confirmedly abusive program that was literally sued and prosecuted out of existence.
Any institution run by folks indoctrinated into the CEDU philosophy should be carefully avoided.
Good luck with your son.
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---On 2005-10-19 05:07:00, Dysfunction Junction wrote:
"
--- Quote ---
On 2005-10-18 18:34:00, Anonymous wrote:
"
--- Quote ---
On 2005-10-18 17:59:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Several people posting on this site have made reference to other schools that offer what Hyde claims (mainly, providing structure to underachieveing teens) but have not identified those schools.
I'd love to hear positive recommendations for other schools to consider. We have a 16-year-old son who is failing in school, hanging around with a "stoner" crowd and using drugs, but who is fairly bright, generally interested in learning and who has so far avoided any serious legal or other problems. He has gotten thrown out of Catholic school and is just getting by in a public school he hates. We don't think he has either the social or academic skills to do well in a traditional prep school and were looking seriously at Hyde until we came across this site and other negative reviews of Hyde. (Even before that, some of the Hyde materials looked suspiciously "cult-like" to us.)
Any suggestions?"
--- End quote ---
A couple of different educational consultants have encouraged us to look at three schools that seem to have very good reputations (these educational consultants warned us to avoid Hyde completely because of the kinds of concerns expressed by various people on this website -- they are VERY critical of Hyde and its cult-like quality). Our understanding is that these 3 schools are for kids who have struggled, have done some hard work, and are progressing in the right direction (with some bumps in the road) -- we've heard that a couple of these schools enroll students whose parents couldn't wait to get them out of Hyde:
White Mountain School (New Hampshire): http://www.whitemountain.org/ (major emphasis on using the environment and ecology to work with students)
Carlbrook School (Virginia): http://www.carlbrook.org/ (a fairly large school with lots of professional staff)
Rock Point School (Vermont): http://www.rockpoint.org/ (very small and intimate -- major emphasis on nurturing relationships between staff and students accompanied by high standards)
Good luck with your search. There ARE some very good schools out there, especially compared to Hyde."
--- End quote ---
I would be extremely cautious of Carlbrook. It is run by Tim Brace, a former director at CEDU, a confirmedly abusive program that was literally sued and prosecuted out of existence.
Any institution run by folks indoctrinated into the CEDU philosophy should be carefully avoided.
Good luck with your son.
"
--- End quote ---
I am not very familiar with Carlbrook, although I have heard good things about the other two schools (White Mountain and Rock Point). An educational consultant I recently spoke with said wonderful things about Rock Point School and said, emphatically, to STAY AWAY from Hyde School. This consultant also has many of the same complaints about Hyde: too many staff are arrogant and doctrinaire, students' mental health problems aren't addressed or are ignored, many staff don't have enough training or experience to deal skillfully with the kinds of kids Hyde gets (many kids with mental health issues), and parents are required to talk to strangers about their personal problems.
Good luck.
Lars:
I graduated from Hyde in 1990 and I still carry an intense anger towards my parents for making me spend three of the most miserable years of my life there. I'm a successful attorney and it's no thanks to that cult. Emotionally humiliating, intellectually stifling...I refuse to have anything to do with the place and I routinely tear up any fund raising mailers.
Going to college was like being let out of prison. I never enjoyed school until I left that hell hole. The comments on this board regarding the school's treatment of mental health problems as character issues bring back a lot of rancid memories (I suffered from severe depression and they told me I was lazy, the ignorant bastards).
I'm busy getting ready for a major trial, but I'll return to this board later and share some more details. The advice to prospective parents urging caution is well taken.
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---On 2005-10-22 20:48:00, Lars wrote:
"I graduated from Hyde in 1990 and I still carry an intense anger at my parents for making spend three of the most miserable years of my life there. I'm a successful attorney and it's no thanks to that cult. Emotionally humiliating, intellectually stifling...I refuse to have anything to do with the place and I routinely tear up any fund raising mailers.
Going to college was like being let out of prison. I never enjoyed school until I left that hell hole. The comments on this board regarding the school's treatment of mental health problems as character issues bring back a lot of rancid memories (I suffered from severe depression and they told me I was lazy, the ignorant bastards).
I'm busy getting ready for a major trial, but I'll return to this board later and share some more details. The advice to prospective parents urging caution is well taken. "
--- End quote ---
Lars,
I am sorry you suffered like you did at Hyde! Please don't take your anger out on your parents. I am a parent and believe me I was sucked into it by both an ed specialist as well as the lies the school told me! I feel foolish now to have been so stupid and pray that my son does not hate me for my mistakes! Sometimes parents do what they THINK is in the best interest of the child and it doesn't turn out as we thought it would! Hyde's PR literature is very convincing especially when you are desperate to help your child. Look at how they just fooled the public school system in California and are now working on fooling NY with their "Charter Schools."
I look forward to seeing you back here in the near future to share your stories! Let's get the word out!! Most families have been too embarassed to come forward, but I think we have something going here now!
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