Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Hyde Schools
Hyde School, The Most Truthful Informative Post I have Seen
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---On 2006-06-16 22:09:00, Anonymous wrote:
"
--- Quote ---
On 2006-06-15 05:06:00, Anonymous wrote:
"
--- Quote ---
On 2006-06-14 21:12:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Speaking of Masters Degrees, how many teachers or staff at Hyde have one?
Interesting the way you assume this is a female posting. Aren't you the same guy who pretended to be a woman? I am more honest than you, boyfriend. I am the same gender as you!!"
--- End quote ---
Nearly 100% of all staff whose academic work includes post bachalauriate endevours have attained another degree beyond a BS or BA. Those who have not are a percentage less then 100% but by no means the totality of the staff. Please understand I am not employeed by any of the Hyde entities and the opinions expressed are my own and may not reflect those of Hyde either officially or ex officio. So simply put, summa quo summa.
Teri Klouthhotpants"
--- End quote ---
ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE! I don't know where this poster is getting his information, but to say almost 100% of the teachers at Hyde have another degree beyond a BA or BS is a big fat lie!"
--- End quote ---
That is clearly not what teri said. Read the post again ... carefully.
fletch699:
As a former Hyde student (and one who asked not to return to campus after a single year), I have first-hand experience with the Hyde education system. (In the interests of full disclosure, I was there in 1986, so things may have been different before and after my attendance.)
I have found this topic extremely interesting for a variety of reasons and I felt like responding to many of the accolades AND criticisms I've seen here.
First, I think it should be stated loudly and clearly that boarding schools, no matter where they are or what they profess to do, are NOT substitutes for attentive, "proper" parenting! Any parent who believes that they can simply drop off their student and pick up the "corrected" version on the way out, needs to wake up and realize that a school is NOT the place to make this transformation.
Second, if your student has problems that require any kind of formal counseling or medical attention, those also need to be dealt with in another venue. It is true that many of the students at Hyde have SIGNIFICANT substance abuse and/or psychological problems that have led to their attendance. Hyde (wrongly, IMHO) makes claims that they can fix these students with a series of attitude adjustments. But again, at the end of the day, I still believe that the parents do need to take responsibility and should look beyond a boarding school to do this type of treatment.
Third, boarding schools, wherever they are (and I've attended two plus many summer camps across the country) will always cast a wide net and bring in a variety of students. This means that as a parent, I want you to realize that your child is going to be exposed to MANY things that you might not expect. For example, I walked in on someone rolling a joint on my first night at Hyde. Granted, Hyde should do their part to control any kind of drug use on campus - but again, you have to remember that if there are kids there who have substance abuse problems, and unless it's a locked facility (which it isn't), then kids will get their hands on these substances.
Fourth, Hyde never promises world-class academics and they do not disappoint. Their teach staff is primarily recent college grads - many of whom were at Hyde during their HS career. Instead, Hyde promises the "Hyde Education" - character-based education... rightly or wrongly, this is what's provided. Again, parents need to understand this prior to sending their child to Hyde. Children are going to be punished while at Hyde. 2/4 has been there as long as I can remember... and I was on enough work crews scraping ice in the winter to vouch for the effectiveness of working in the cold rather than being in class in the warmth.
Fifth, Hyde DOES need to cycle out the "family". This, however, is not going to change in the near/long term future. Joe is still alive, Malcolm/Laura are still there, Laurie/Paul are still there... and their progeny are starting to get old enough to return as teachers. Yes, the Hyde inbreeding program is alive and well... and is a detriment to their overall success.
Sixth, and I can't stress this one strongly enough either, Hyde (nor any other program) can't EVER "fix" a student. The student has to want to fix themselves (excluding #2's issues as discussed above). Personally, I was an underachiever. I knew it, my parents knew it, my home town school guidance counselor knew it... as it every one of my friends. My downfall is that I test well (too damn competitive, I guess :smile: ). So my folks looked for a place that would not put up with my laziness. They found Hyde. Back then (as I think they still do now), they REQUIRE parent participation in the process to turn the student around - believing (rightly so this time, IMHO) that it's nature+nurture and that the nurture part is more responsible. My parents, on the other hand, didn't want to participate... so when I said I wasn't happy there... they didn't fight me to let me come home. But this was a failure on the part of my parents... and I did miss out, perhaps on learning lessons that I eventually had to learn elsewhere.
So... overall, Hyde isn't a perfect place... and it is NOT the right place for all students. Hyde, however, like any other boarding school, has financial issues to worry about, and they end up taking students that they shouldn't. When they can't serve those students, it's a tragedy for the student, the parents and Hyde. Both the parents and Hyde should've stopped it - but they don't - each for different reasons.
Parents who do not like Hyde usually do not like it because of the holistic environment - the responsibility of the entire family for the "treatment" of the student. Others do not like it because of the feeling of cultishness - which DOES exist - especially when you try to remove yourself (again, this is a sad feature of the place - and should probably be more reflective on the Gaulds' than on Hyde itself). And finally, a few others dislike it because of the stories they hear from their students (many of which are TRUE! ... but not all).
Students are almost the same. They dislike Hyde because Hyde administration doesn't have many of the restrictions as a state school (such as corporal-type punishment like 2/4). They also dislike Hyde because of the "Brother's Keeper" concept (which is basically the idea that if you see someone doing something wrong and don't report it, you're just as guilty as the wrongdoer). They feel that "narc'ing" on their friends is wrong and do not understand how this affects the community. Students also do not like the cultish feeling - as if they're being watched/monitored all of the time. And I personally didn't like it because I didn't have substance/psychological issues, yet everyone kept looking for me to have them.
All in all, Hyde is perfect and probably never can/will be. For the right student, at the right time, it might be a beneficial place. There are times when I think that Hyde would be better served if they simply taught family education courses on how to deal with children - and closed the schools themselves. I also hope that Hyde will one day realize the duality of their student population (those with purely "attitude" issues... vs those with medical/substance issues) and address those differences.
Until that time, I probably would not recommend anyone send a student there. Which is sad, because I do actually believe in the character education program... and I still try to live up to the five guiding principles of curiosity, courage, concern, leadership and integrity. One day, hopefully soon, Hyde will, too.
Lars:
I'm not asking you to out yourself, but were you there for the summer program in '86?
fletch699:
No, I wasn't. I started a little before Thanksgiving and left at the end of that year (1986), so I guess I should've said that I was there from 11/1985 through 05/1986.
Oh, and btw, there are a few typos in my long post above... the only one that really matters at all is near the end, where it says that "Hyde is perfect..."
I meant, obviously, to say that "Hyde is NOT perfect..."
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---On 2006-06-17 13:11:00, fletch699 wrote:
"As a former Hyde student (and one who asked not to return to campus after a single year), I have first-hand experience with the Hyde education system. (In the interests of full disclosure, I was there in 1986, so things may have been different before and after my attendance.)
I have found this topic extremely interesting for a variety of reasons and I felt like responding to many of the accolades AND criticisms I've seen here.
First, I think it should be stated loudly and clearly that boarding schools, no matter where they are or what they profess to do, are NOT substitutes for attentive, "proper" parenting! Any parent who believes that they can simply drop off their student and pick up the "corrected" version on the way out, needs to wake up and realize that a school is NOT the place to make this transformation.
Second, if your student has problems that require any kind of formal counseling or medical attention, those also need to be dealt with in another venue. It is true that many of the students at Hyde have SIGNIFICANT substance abuse and/or psychological problems that have led to their attendance. Hyde (wrongly, IMHO) makes claims that they can fix these students with a series of attitude adjustments. But again, at the end of the day, I still believe that the parents do need to take responsibility and should look beyond a boarding school to do this type of treatment.
Third, boarding schools, wherever they are (and I've attended two plus many summer camps across the country) will always cast a wide net and bring in a variety of students. This means that as a parent, I want you to realize that your child is going to be exposed to MANY things that you might not expect. For example, I walked in on someone rolling a joint on my first night at Hyde. Granted, Hyde should do their part to control any kind of drug use on campus - but again, you have to remember that if there are kids there who have substance abuse problems, and unless it's a locked facility (which it isn't), then kids will get their hands on these substances.
Fourth, Hyde never promises world-class academics and they do not disappoint. Their teach staff is primarily recent college grads - many of whom were at Hyde during their HS career. Instead, Hyde promises the "Hyde Education" - character-based education... rightly or wrongly, this is what's provided. Again, parents need to understand this prior to sending their child to Hyde. Children are going to be punished while at Hyde. 2/4 has been there as long as I can remember... and I was on enough work crews scraping ice in the winter to vouch for the effectiveness of working in the cold rather than being in class in the warmth.
Fifth, Hyde DOES need to cycle out the "family". This, however, is not going to change in the near/long term future. Joe is still alive, Malcolm/Laura are still there, Laurie/Paul are still there... and their progeny are starting to get old enough to return as teachers. Yes, the Hyde inbreeding program is alive and well... and is a detriment to their overall success.
Sixth, and I can't stress this one strongly enough either, Hyde (nor any other program) can't EVER "fix" a student. The student has to want to fix themselves (excluding #2's issues as discussed above). Personally, I was an underachiever. I knew it, my parents knew it, my home town school guidance counselor knew it... as it every one of my friends. My downfall is that I test well (too damn competitive, I guess :smile: ). So my folks looked for a place that would not put up with my laziness. They found Hyde. Back then (as I think they still do now), they REQUIRE parent participation in the process to turn the student around - believing (rightly so this time, IMHO) that it's nature+nurture and that the nurture part is more responsible. My parents, on the other hand, didn't want to participate... so when I said I wasn't happy there... they didn't fight me to let me come home. But this was a failure on the part of my parents... and I did miss out, perhaps on learning lessons that I eventually had to learn elsewhere.
So... overall, Hyde isn't a perfect place... and it is NOT the right place for all students. Hyde, however, like any other boarding school, has financial issues to worry about, and they end up taking students that they shouldn't. When they can't serve those students, it's a tragedy for the student, the parents and Hyde. Both the parents and Hyde should've stopped it - but they don't - each for different reasons.
Parents who do not like Hyde usually do not like it because of the holistic environment - the responsibility of the entire family for the "treatment" of the student. Others do not like it because of the feeling of cultishness - which DOES exist - especially when you try to remove yourself (again, this is a sad feature of the place - and should probably be more reflective on the Gaulds' than on Hyde itself). And finally, a few others dislike it because of the stories they hear from their students (many of which are TRUE! ... but not all).
Students are almost the same. They dislike Hyde because Hyde administration doesn't have many of the restrictions as a state school (such as corporal-type punishment like 2/4). They also dislike Hyde because of the "Brother's Keeper" concept (which is basically the idea that if you see someone doing something wrong and don't report it, you're just as guilty as the wrongdoer). They feel that "narc'ing" on their friends is wrong and do not understand how this affects the community. Students also do not like the cultish feeling - as if they're being watched/monitored all of the time. And I personally didn't like it because I didn't have substance/psychological issues, yet everyone kept looking for me to have them.
All in all, Hyde is perfect and probably never can/will be. For the right student, at the right time, it might be a beneficial place. There are times when I think that Hyde would be better served if they simply taught family education courses on how to deal with children - and closed the schools themselves. I also hope that Hyde will one day realize the duality of their student population (those with purely "attitude" issues... vs those with medical/substance issues) and address those differences.
Until that time, I probably would not recommend anyone send a student there. Which is sad, because I do actually believe in the character education program... and I still try to live up to the five guiding principles of curiosity, courage, concern, leadership and integrity. One day, hopefully soon, Hyde will, too."
--- End quote ---
I really appreciate all these insights about Hyde. Although our experiences at Hyde are nearly 20 years apart, your words very accurately describe my experience at Hyde 2 decades after years. Apparently little has changed. I think you've described Hyde perfectly. Although I saw Hyde help a small percentage of the students (mostly those who were simply not compliant at home), for most Hyde students it seemed to be the absolute wrong place. So many of the other students I got to know went to Hyde struggling with drug, alcohol, and other mental illness/health problems. It pained me to see how these kids limped through Hyde without getting the help they clearly needed.
You're so very right about how inferior Hyde's academic quality is. So many of the teachers were young and inexperienced, and many leave.
Also, your comments about the influence of "the family" (all the Gaulds and their relatives) is right on target. I now see how Hyde operates in its own little bubble and shuts out the rest of the world. I think that's why so many people there are unhappy and why so many students drop out before graduation. Somehow Joe Gauld's influence has lasted all this time and prevented Hyde from really living up to its potential. As you said, it would be nice to see Hyde really live up to the guiding principles of curiosity, courage, concern, leadership and integrity. The words sound great and look good on the walls at Hyde, but most of the time the school's staff didn't live up to them.
Thank you so much for contributing your thoughts. I only wish my family had seen words like yours before we made the mistake of going to Hyde.
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