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Character First: The Hyde School Way and Why It Works

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Anonymous:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076150 ... 55&s=books

Character First: The Hyde School Way and Why It Works (Paperback)
by Joseph Gauld


From Kirkus Reviews
Louisa May Alcott would applaud the Hyde School experiment as outlined in this history by its founder and former headmaster. In Jo's Boys, a sequel to Little Women, Alcott sent Jo and her Professor Baer off to the woods to start a school for incorrigible boys. Gauld did much the same, turning a historic estate in remote Bath, Maine, into a private boarding school for boys and girls who struggle unsuccessfully with traditional academic programs. Like Alcott, Gauld emphasized character. Not all of his youngsters had behavior problems--some were simply unable to get into the college of their choice and looked to Hyde to maximize their SATs. But Gauld holds no brief for SAT scores and high grade-point averages: The goal at the Hyde School is to instill values and to cultivate each student's ``unique potential.'' Diplomas are awarded on the basis of maximum personal growth, and academics do not count (although Hyde will certify to admissions offices that students are academically prepared for college). Mottos (``Courage, Integrity, Concern, Curiosity, Leadership''); principles (``Humility, Conscience, Truth''); an honor code; and quotations from Kahlil Gibran help map the way for Hyde students. Most important is the involvement of the parents, who are required to attend retreats and workshops, and to participate in the school's Parent Learning Center programs, where they explore their own behavior, values, goals, and relationships. Although the Hyde program smacks of elitism--a foreword by Cher, whose son attended the school, strengthens that impression--Gauld's philosophy of education parallels that of inner-city school leader Madeline Cartwright (Lessons from a Visionary Principal, reviewed above). Hyde's program is worthy--but a plethora of patting-our-own- back anecdotes, as well as accolades from parents and former students, make this more testimonial than guidebook.

Anonymous:

--- Quote from: ""Guest"" ---http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761501606/ref=dp_return_2/102-3672424-4399316?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Character First: The Hyde School Way and Why It Works (Paperback)
by Joseph Gauld


From Kirkus Reviews
Louisa May Alcott would applaud the Hyde School experiment as outlined in this history by its founder and former headmaster. In Jo's Boys, a sequel to Little Women, Alcott sent Jo and her Professor Baer off to the woods to start a school for incorrigible boys. Gauld did much the same, turning a historic estate in remote Bath, Maine, into a private boarding school for boys and girls who struggle unsuccessfully with traditional academic programs. Like Alcott, Gauld emphasized character. Not all of his youngsters had behavior problems--some were simply unable to get into the college of their choice and looked to Hyde to maximize their SATs. But Gauld holds no brief for SAT scores and high grade-point averages: The goal at the Hyde School is to instill values and to cultivate each student's ``unique potential.'' Diplomas are awarded on the basis of maximum personal growth, and academics do not count (although Hyde will certify to admissions offices that students are academically prepared for college). Mottos (``Courage, Integrity, Concern, Curiosity, Leadership''); principles (``Humility, Conscience, Truth''); an honor code; and quotations from Kahlil Gibran help map the way for Hyde students. Most important is the involvement of the parents, who are required to attend retreats and workshops, and to participate in the school's Parent Learning Center programs, where they explore their own behavior, values, goals, and relationships. Although the Hyde program smacks of elitism--a foreword by Cher, whose son attended the school, strengthens that impression--Gauld's philosophy of education parallels that of inner-city school leader Madeline Cartwright (Lessons from a Visionary Principal, reviewed above). Hyde's program is worthy--but a plethora of patting-our-own- back anecdotes, as well as accolades from parents and former students, make this more testimonial than guidebook.
--- End quote ---


I've read this book.  I think some of the ideals are noteworthy, but I think the book is sorely lacking in conceptual depth, intellectual rigor, and any empirical evidence of Hyde's effectiveness.  The author paints with a very broad brush and doesn't acknowledge Hyde's well known shortcomings.  Also, Hyde's student body seems to have changed; it now includes many kids with serious psychiatric diagnoses and substance abuse issues, the kinds of kids that one used to find mostly at therapeutic boarding schools.  The model described in this book seems to assume a different kind of student body than the one Hyde used to have when it accepted mostly kids who are defiant.  Hyde is trying to superimpose its old model on a population for which it wasn't designed and often doesn't work.  

Joe Gauld, as usual, is full of hubris and self-congratulation.  This book is mostly an encomium for Gauld himself.  As the reviewer said, the "plethora of patting-our-own- back anecdotes, as well as accolades from parents and former students, make this more testimonial than guidebook."  Much of what Gauld says sounds great in theory; sadly, the devil is in the details.  Gauld and company implement this model so badly and unskillfully that many educational consultants absolutely refuse to refer kids to Hyde.

Anne Bonney:
The more I read and hear about this guy, the more he seems like Miller Newton.


Here's another review:

Reviewer: F. Reamer and D. Siegel "former Hyde parents" - See all my reviews
We were introduced to this book last spring when our daughter was enrolled at the Hyde School (Woodstock campus). We do not question the author's sincerity or enthusiasm. In principle, many of the values and concepts broached in this book are laudable. However, the Hyde School that our family experienced and the one portrayed in this book are radically different. In our family's experience, much too often the school does not live up to the ideals of truth, honesty, integrity, courage, and accountability espoused by the author in this book. We witnessed many instances of what we consider to be egregious emotional abuse, manipulation, and mishandling of students' mental health issues -- practices that contradict the author's confident assertions about the Hyde model. As the renowned author, James Traub, says in his recent assessment of the Hyde model, "The school sometimes feels to the kids like prison on the honor code . . . . About 40 percent of each class drops out. One senior told me that she was one of 9 kids remaining from her freshman class of 25 or 30. . . . Hyde feels almost like a cult, or at least a caste." (James Traub, "The Moral Imperative," Education Next, 2005). Traub's insightful, astute observations seem much closer to the truth, as we know it, than Gauld's chracterization in this book.

tommyfromhyde1:

--- Quote from: ""Anne Bonney"" ---The more I read and hear about this guy, the more he seems like Miller Newton.


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--- End quote ---

Ditto that. The more I read about Mr. Newton and his personality, the more I think about Joe Gauld. The main difference between Hyde and Straight, Inc. is that Hyde doesn't try to prevent anyone from escaping. Instead, they urge your parents to throw you out on the street if you don't buy into the Hyde cult. Sort of like what the WWASP people call an "exit plan".

MisfitParent:

--- Quote from: ""tommyfromhyde1"" ---
--- Quote from: ""Anne Bonney"" ---The more I read and hear about this guy, the more he seems like Miller Newton.


[/i]
--- End quote ---
Ditto that. The more I read about Mr. Newton and his personality, the more I think about Joe Gauld. The main difference between Hyde and Straight, Inc. is that Hyde doesn't try to prevent anyone from escaping. Instead, they urge your parents to throw you out on the street if you don't buy into the Hyde cult. Sort of like what the WWASP people call an "exit plan".
--- End quote ---


Parents are often enablers and usually the root cause of a childs problems. If a parent takes a child back home with open arms, then often both fall back into the patterns that caused the problems in the first place. We're creatures of habit. Sometimes you need to break the patterns to move forward and facilitate true change. A choice between the discomfort of Hyde and the feared unknown of "the street" often makes the choice easier for a kid... Neither is a pleasant choice, but one can provide you with an environment to change problem behavior.

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