You've asked a reasonable question. Here's my answer: This is the third year of our family's involvement with Hyde. We've participated in the mandatory events associated with Summer Challenge, opening assemblies, FLCs, family weekends, regional seminars, and graduation. My spouse and I have had "many, many" conversations with other parents during these events (for example, FLC roommates, informal chats after seminars and at graduation receptions) during which other parents have expressed their profound and intense anger, resentment, and hostility toward Hyde. The issues they've raised are along the lines of points quite a few people have posted on this website. The themes and issues are remarkably consistent: Hyde's arrogance, hypocrisy, mishandling of students' and parents emotional issues, the poor quality of much of Hyde's teaching, the inferior qualifications of some of Hyde's faculty, Hyde's lack of professional mental health staff, the unusually high admission AND attrition rate at Hyde, the number of kids who violate Hyde's ethics and run away from Hyde, Hyde's admission of many students who have serious mental health problems, Joe Gauld's patronizing and demeaning style, Hyde's failure to live up to its own professed "values," Hyde's poor reputation among many educational consultants . . . and on and on. We have heard every single one of these complaints, multiple times, and from "many, many" other parents. Most parents seem to feel compelled to remain anonymous for one major reason: They don't trust Hyde and fear retaliation and undue pressure.
Does everyone at Hyde express these concerns? No. Does Hyde have its defenders? Yes. Are there "many, many" parents out there who are enraged with Hyde and communicate that? Yes -- absolutely.
