Fornits

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An open discussion about the troubled parent industry

I plan on writing an article about Hyde. Anyone who would like to be interviewed, with a pseudonym if necessary, can e-mail me.
The account of my experience at Hyde, THE JEKYLL SIDE OF HYDE, is also available through the ISAC site.

Gary Eskow
www.garyeskow.com

PS- looking for families who had positive experiences at Hyde as well as those who encountered problems.

Gary, I am willing to tell the story of our family at Hyde as long as our names are not mentioned. I have spoken to you about this and feel confident you will respect my privacy.

How about the rest of you posters stepping up to the plate. As long as names are not mentioned there shouldnt be a problem. You are sharing your stories on this website which is public, so there is very little difference putting it in another form of print. One person mentioned a liability issue. There is no liability issue unless you would make up a bunch of lies. I have already checked this out with an attorney.

I enjoyed speaking to Gary and you will too. He is a professional and is respectful of my request for anonymity

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thank you for this... of course I will respect the privacy of any who choose to remain anonymous.  If there are folks tracking this link who are unabashed fans of Hyde... please contact me!!  We need a balanced overview of the school... the article I plan on writing will frankly address the concerns that many who have passed through Hyde have.  But those who look in the rear view mirror and feel that the time they spent there was all, or overwhelmingly, positive, need to be heard from as well.

GE

Gary, I will have to think about my story appearing in print. For those who knew me there are to many hints to my identity. I would'nt want the life I have now jeopardized for any reason

Of course, I understand.  You have to balance your desire for privacy against the value that others in a vulnerable position might gain from learning from your experience. Let me know if you decide you'd like to be interviewed.

Confidentiality will be respected at all times.

gary
[email protected]

Quote from: ""gary eskow""

So, I ask again... which of you- those who had great experiences at Hyde and those who did not- are interested in being interviewed?

  Hey this is great.  IT would be like Joe's book except Joe would not get to pick the stories.  They could be stories that would challenge Hyde to reach deep, to find it's unique potential.

That's actually a big part of the story.  One thought I have is to let people hold onto their anonymity by telling their stories through the use of pseudonyms.

I didn't wrestle, but I'm sure if I did, I wouldn't be struggling!

Sheesh

Sheesh-- you're far more effective when you're not trying to be clever.  Be yourself, and don't try to eviscerate other posters.  Not only is it in bad taste, but- if you don't mind me saying- you tend to get confused.  For example, anyone who has ever wrestled- even the best in the world- knows that struggle is part of the endeavour.
Suggesting that you wouldn't have to struggle if you had ever stepped on the mat only- excuse me if this sounds harsh- makes you sound dumb.

My point is that what has happened at Hyde, especially in Woodstock, has a lot to do with the "Tri-State" elitist attitude.
These parents, a lot like Gary, expected service with a smile and when they didn't get it, would either blow out of the program or push the envelope so far that they disrupted the flow of daily activities.
It isn't happening anymore...Laura Gauld dumped the trash...faculty, staff, families that didn't understand what was going on there and has created the old community that made Hyde famous.  Famous enough to be featured on National Television and in national publications.

Hyde is not perfect and never will be,  there will always be disgruntled customers, just like in any business.  The basic philosophy of character development and unique potential is a proven winner.  And if Gary and Jerri weren't hucked out by McCrann on that fateful day, he'd be an active alumni parent helping out his NJ region....Isn't that right GE?

So I guess you guys can use this place to complain and try to gain momentum to put Hyde out of business...But I truly believe that there's a place for Hyde School.  It really does help more than it hurts.

Sheesh

First of all, Sheesh deserves credit for taking a reasonable tone and presenting his/her arguments in a more thoughtful manner.  I respect that.

As my paper reveals, I, like Sheesh, find much to admire in the dedication to developing healthy kids that so many of the staff evince on a daily basis.  Without a doubt, my experience there helped me more than it hurt, and I never said otherwise.

This was, however, in part due to the fact that I never allowed myself to be railroaded. Nor did I take my feelings and stuff them in order to fly under the radar, as so my parents- and students- do to get by.

The reason I think a balanced article should be written and widely disseminated is not to destroy the Hyde School, Sheesh.  The question is this: do you believe that holding people accountable for bad behaviors helps their character development?  Do you believe it takes courage to speak truth- especially to people in power- and that those who do so should be commended and not belittled?  If so, why did you take such a sarcastic and rhetorically charged tone in your initial posting?  

Many people go through Hyde who have low esteem issues, who are confused, who are uncertain about the paths they are on.  From what I have seen personally at the school, and from the numerous posts on this site and elsewhere, scores of them emerge from Hyde more damaged than they were upon entry.  Their story- along with those from people like you who are grateful for the time they spent at Hyde- must be told, both to hold the staff's feet to the fire, that they may grow- and to ensure that incoming families have an accurate understanding of Hyde.

Again, I respect your changed tone- it makes true dialogue possible.

G

Couldn't have said it better myself, Gary (although I wouldn't have been so nice!).  

Thank you... it's one thing for people who fear reprisals to take the cloak of anonymity, but guys like Sheesh are simply cowards.
Anyone with the most basic rhetorical skills could slice and dice this chump without yawning.

Gary,

Don't you have anything better to d?. Why don't you build a house in New Orleans or go serve food in a soup kitchen. I think this is so self serving; you've finally found a small group of people who "kinda" beleive what you're saying and you milking it for all it's worth. Maybe if everyone chipped in $100, you could use it to do some real good.

Sheesh

Sheesh;

  Could you please tell us a bit about yourself?  Are you a current or former student? Somehow, you don't strike me as a parent.
Did you enjoy a positive experience at Hyde?  Great!  What's the best thing about the school?  How has the education you received impacted your life?  Did you internalize the values that Hyde espouses, and have they become an integral part of your pattern of behavior?  Do you believe that people have an obligation to point out the weaknesses they see in the Hyde process?  Or do you feel that doing so is just an attack on the school?

   In short- who are you?

GE