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Thanks so very much for this wonderfully insightful set of comments. I can't tell you how gratifying and reassuring it is to read another parent's perceptions of Hyde that are nearly identical to my own. It sounds as if we've had very similar experiences, and they're not good ones (overall). We too met some lovely parents who, off campus, were very critical of Hyde. Only then (off campus) did they feel comfortable letting their hair down. It's clear that a number of parents fake their way through Hyde and simply fly below radar to avoid the hassle. The mood around Hyde is so hyper-critical and judgmental. It's very hard to feel safe and trust anyone there.
And you're so very right about the 180 degree hypocrisy at Hyde. Every parent considering Hyde should be fully aware that many people at Hyde preach one thing and act just the opposite.
We too paid for LEAD and got virtually no professional assistance. We feel terribly misled. Also, we're appalled that so many kids at Hyde struggle with psychiatric issues and adoption issues and, yet, the school tunes this stuff right out (I love your line about the apple falling from the tree in a different orchard, and I'm not surprised to hear that some arrogant Hyde staff person laid in to you for saying that - ugh).
Everything at Hyde is seen through that tiny, narrow "character" lens. Character is great, character is important - no argument there. But at Hyde there's nothing else, and Hyde's interpretation of character is unbelievably distorted and hypocritical. And then there are the Hyde teachers whose professional qualifications to be in the classroom and mentor adolescents are about as thin as wax paper (with holes). I can't believe Hyde gets away with this incompetence. I have met a few qualified teachers there, but they don't seem to hang on long. My guess is they were duped too and got out of Hyde as soon as they could. As you say, shame on Joe Gauld and his "family" of followers."
As with the poster you're responding to, I'm gratified to see that at least some and possibly many of the parents are perceptive enough to really understand what's really going on there. And though I've long since moved on from Hyde, it's discouraging to see that little if anything has changed since I graduated from there in 1990.
I appreciate your comments, and like I mentioned previously, I wish my parents had figured this out..or if they did, they hadn't been so hard-headed about making me stay in that miserable place. Have you pulled your kid out? Different kids have different needs, and I don't know what led you to get involved there. But I know that I only found success and happiness when I left Hyde and went to college. Even after I got my first college report card and made the dean's list (at a big state university with no "structure" and every temptation under the sun available), I'm not sure if it dawned on my parents that they'd made a big mistake keeping me at Hyde. I could never get good grades at Hyde because of their ridiculous grading system, a system designed to help kids who didn't have the intellect to really suceed in school, but which hurt a smart kid like me who didn't fit their outspoken mold.
And to reiterate what the originator of this thread said, if any pro-Hyde folks want to join in this discussion, please be civil and refrain from insulting people. Happy holidays to everyone!
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