Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Hyde Schools
Looking for alternative to Hyde School
Anonymous:
I just noticed that several people on this website are trying to find alternatives to Hyde. I completely understand, given our dreadful experience with Hyde thus far.
Coincidentally, our family decided to leave Hyde and just returned from our visit to another school. For a long time we've had serious misgivings about Hyde, and they've gotten more and more severe. Like so many others on this website, we have become so concerned about Hyde's cult-like qualities, the inferior education, the staff's simplistic views of students' struggles, and the school's refusal to build serious mental health services into the program. So many Hyde kids are being poorly served. We're so relieved to find so many other people who feel the same way we do about Hyde. It's good that the word is spreading.
Anyway, we now feel even more strongly having just visited another school this weekend. We can't believe the difference -- staff were incredibly kind, supportive, well informed, and reasonable. We felt like we encountered fresh air the minute we set foot on the campus. In contrast to Hyde -- where everyone seems to talk from the same set of cliches and pat phrases -- at this other school we felt like we were talking with well meaning, decent, candid human beings. We felt relaxed for the first time in years. At Hyde we feel judged every minute of every conversation. At this other school we could let down our guard. AND, the staff at this other school clearly understand that sometimes students struggle because of their mental health issues. They have a thoughtful, well coordinated, sensible way to address these issues -- and they too pay close attention to students' character and attitudes, but not in the destructive, confrontational way that Hyde does. We had the opportunity to talk with other parents, some of whom have been at Hyde. They confirmed what we experienced about the differences.
We simply didn't know that other schools approach students so much more intelligently than Hyde does. We went to Hyde in a panic, and now we're really sorry we didn't take the time to check in with a well informed educational consultant. Now we know there are some really good alternatives to Hyde.
(I'm not comfortable at this point saying too much about our plans or the other schools we've looked at. The word around Hyde is that if they find out you're thinking about leaving they'll put on the full court press and confront you aggressively about your "attitude" problem. I don't want the grief at this point.)
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---On 2005-10-23 15:53:00, Anonymous wrote:
"I just noticed that several people on this website are trying to find alternatives to Hyde. I completely understand, given our dreadful experience with Hyde thus far.
Coincidentally, our family decided to leave Hyde and just returned from our visit to another school. For a long time we've had serious misgivings about Hyde, and they've gotten more and more severe. Like so many others on this website, we have become so concerned about Hyde's cult-like qualities, the inferior education, the staff's simplistic views of students' struggles, and the school's refusal to build serious mental health services into the program. So many Hyde kids are being poorly served. We're so relieved to find so many other people who feel the same way we do about Hyde. It's good that the word is spreading.
Anyway, we now feel even more strongly having just visited another school this weekend. We can't believe the difference -- staff were incredibly kind, supportive, well informed, and reasonable. We felt like we encountered fresh air the minute we set foot on the campus. In contrast to Hyde -- where everyone seems to talk from the same set of cliches and pat phrases -- at this other school we felt like we were talking with well meaning, decent, candid human beings. We felt relaxed for the first time in years. At Hyde we feel judged every minute of every conversation. At this other school we could let down our guard. AND, the staff at this other school clearly understand that sometimes students struggle because of their mental health issues. They have a thoughtful, well coordinated, sensible way to address these issues -- and they too pay close attention to students' character and attitudes, but not in the destructive, confrontational way that Hyde does. We had the opportunity to talk with other parents, some of whom have been at Hyde. They confirmed what we experienced about the differences.
We simply didn't know that other schools approach students so much more intelligently than Hyde does. We went to Hyde in a panic, and now we're really sorry we didn't take the time to check in with a well informed educational consultant. Now we know there are some really good alternatives to Hyde.
(I'm not comfortable at this point saying too much about our plans or the other schools we've looked at. The word around Hyde is that if they find out you're thinking about leaving they'll put on the full court press and confront you aggressively about your "attitude" problem. I don't want the grief at this point.)"
--- End quote ---
These are very helpful comments. They support our family's decision to leave Hyde. Thank you very much for your insights.
Anonymous:
You talk about what would happen at Hyde should they suspect you are thinking of leaving. The parents don't get nearly as much grief and abuse as the kids. Hyde totally puts undue pressure on the kids if you announce you might be looking for an alternative to Hyde. You are right that they will accuse you of having an attitude problem and make your life a living hell! Not worth it. You are better off keeping your thought hidden! Please tell me this is not the sign of a Cult!!! You can't tell me because Hyde DOES operate like a Cult!
tommyfromhyde1:
The previous poster is right that they'll take it out on your kid.
Sometime around November of '76 I started getting treated worse than usual.
I found out later that that was when they tried the donation pitch on my dad and were rebuffed.
so long as the priest, that professional negator, slanderer and poisoner of life, is regarded as a superior type of human being, there cannot be any answer to the question: What is truth?
--Freidrich Nietzsche, German philosopher
--- End quote ---
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---On 2005-10-29 16:09:00, Anonymous wrote:
"
--- Quote ---
On 2005-10-23 15:53:00, Anonymous wrote:
"I just noticed that several people on this website are trying to find alternatives to Hyde. I completely understand, given our dreadful experience with Hyde thus far.
Coincidentally, our family decided to leave Hyde and just returned from our visit to another school. For a long time we've had serious misgivings about Hyde, and they've gotten more and more severe. Like so many others on this website, we have become so concerned about Hyde's cult-like qualities, the inferior education, the staff's simplistic views of students' struggles, and the school's refusal to build serious mental health services into the program. So many Hyde kids are being poorly served. We're so relieved to find so many other people who feel the same way we do about Hyde. It's good that the word is spreading.
Anyway, we now feel even more strongly having just visited another school this weekend. We can't believe the difference -- staff were incredibly kind, supportive, well informed, and reasonable. We felt like we encountered fresh air the minute we set foot on the campus. In contrast to Hyde -- where everyone seems to talk from the same set of cliches and pat phrases -- at this other school we felt like we were talking with well meaning, decent, candid human beings. We felt relaxed for the first time in years. At Hyde we feel judged every minute of every conversation. At this other school we could let down our guard. AND, the staff at this other school clearly understand that sometimes students struggle because of their mental health issues. They have a thoughtful, well coordinated, sensible way to address these issues -- and they too pay close attention to students' character and attitudes, but not in the destructive, confrontational way that Hyde does. We had the opportunity to talk with other parents, some of whom have been at Hyde. They confirmed what we experienced about the differences.
We simply didn't know that other schools approach students so much more intelligently than Hyde does. We went to Hyde in a panic, and now we're really sorry we didn't take the time to check in with a well informed educational consultant. Now we know there are some really good alternatives to Hyde.
(I'm not comfortable at this point saying too much about our plans or the other schools we've looked at. The word around Hyde is that if they find out you're thinking about leaving they'll put on the full court press and confront you aggressively about your "attitude" problem. I don't want the grief at this point.)"
--- End quote ---
These are very helpful comments. They support our family's decision to leave Hyde. Thank you very much for your insights."
--- End quote ---
I agree. These comments echo our sentiments exactly. Our family was quite naive when we enrolled at Hyde some years ago. We accepted the admissions rhetoric hook, line and sinker. After a couple of months we realized we had made a horrible mistake. We quickly encountered many examples of Hyde's hypocrisy. We saw arrogance when the staff preached humility. We saw cruelty when the staff preached respect. We saw judgmentalism when the staff preached character. I'll never forget the first and second time I heard Joe Gauld speak. There he was standing in front of the room extolling Hyde's virtues while talking down to people, judging them, patronizing parents, and being provocative. The hypocrisy was so obvious -- many people sitting around me commented on it. Why people stay at Hyde is beyond me. My guess is that parents don't know how many other healthier schools exist or they're so desperate and needy that they're seduced by Hyde.
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