Character First: The Hyde School Way and Why It Works

[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]

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.

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]

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


[/i]

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]

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


[/i]

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".

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.

[Anne Bonney]

What that does is remove the opportunity to learn. You force them to adopt a behavior they don't want nor do they believe in, that's behavior modification, that's screwing around with someone's very core.  You can't force someone to believe something without breaking them down first.  If they do change the destructive behavior it's not because they've learned anything.  It's because they've been scared into it.  

I'm very curious about this "Brother's Keeper" philosophy and the levels used.  Can anyone explain them to me?

[Antigen]

Aw hell!


The Culture War Continues
A controversial character-training program was pulled from a state bill, yes. But now Broward County has to deal with it.
By Bob Norman
Article Published Apr 15, 1999

http://www.newtimesbpb.com/issues/1999-04-15/news2.html

Google character first jeb bush gothard

What we have here is the culmination and fruition of all those manic, Twilight Zone "take over the world" raps.

[Antigen]

More

Bush Admin Disavows Own Study Showing Charter Schools Score Worse than Public Schools. Who Needs Facts When You Have an Agenda? -- A BuzzFlash Alerts
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/alerts/098

[Anonymous]

What that does is remove the opportunity to learn. You force them to adopt a behavior they don't want nor do they believe in, that's behavior modification, that's screwing around with someone's very core.  You can't force someone to believe something without breaking them down first.  If they do change the destructive behavior it's not because they've learned anything.  It's because they've been scared into it.  

I'm very curious about this "Brother's Keeper" philosophy and the levels used.  Can anyone explain them to me?

"Brother's Jailor" is more like it. Basically, it means that Hyde kids are expected to spy and rat on each other. For instance, if someone gets caught with a cigarette not only is that kid on two-four but all of his roommates are put on two-four as well, whether they knew about it or not (unless, of course, you were the one who ratted). As for levels and phases, Hyde dosen't have that kind of system as Straight,Inc. did or WWASP does, although Seniors have power over underclassmen. Also, people in their senior year who weren't good enough Quislings to be worthy of the exalted title of Senior were called "senior preps" and weren't allowed to graduate.

[tommyfromhyde1]

Sorry, that last post was me. forgot to log in.

[tommyfromhyde1]

Aw hell!


The Culture War Continues
A controversial character-training program was pulled from a state bill, yes. But now Broward County has to deal with it.
By Bob Norman
Article Published Apr 15, 1999

http://www.newtimesbpb.com/issues/1999-04-15/news2.html

Google character first jeb bush gothard

What we have here is the culmination and fruition of all those manic, Twilight Zone "take over the world" raps.

Eudora, you're confusing Bill Gotherd's Character First! program with the title of Joe Gauld's book. Joe DOES want to export his program to the public schools (and he has a few inner-city charter schools) but he WISHES he had the influence of Bill Gotherd or for that matter Mel and Betty Sembler!

[Anonymous]

"Tough Love: Abuse of a type particularly gratifying to the abuser, in that it combines the pleasures of sadism with those of self-righteousness. Commonly employed and widely admired in 12-Step groups and treatment."
-- Charles Bufe

Does this sound like anyone you know? For those of you who have not gone to Hyde, this is a description of Joe Gauld which is what makes Hyde very scary. He learned these tactics while going through AA and introduced them as part of the culture at Hyde School.

[Dr. Miller Newton]

Tough Love is proven to be the most effective form of treatment for drug addiction that there is! I suppose you'd prefer druggies to be molly-coddled through 30-day programs so they can go right back out on the streets and continue on their downward spiral to jail, insanity and death!  :roll:

[Anonymous]

"Tough Love: Abuse of a type particularly gratifying to the abuser, in that it combines the pleasures of sadism with those of self-righteousness. Commonly employed and widely admired in 12-Step groups and treatment."
-- Charles Bufe

Does this sound like anyone you know? For those of you who have not gone to Hyde, this is a description of Joe Gauld which is what makes Hyde very scary. He learned these tactics while going through AA and introduced them as part of the culture at Hyde School.

TTBOMK Joe never went to AA.  His wife, Blanche , was an active alcoholic in the years that I was there.  He was going to alanon an made a trip to hazelton during my tour of Bath Me.  this was in the mid seventies. so the founding of hyde pre dates his involvement with the 12 based programs, which i might add work for about 10% of alcoholics.

[Anne Bonney]

 so the founding of hyde pre dates his involvement with the 12 based programs, which i might add work for about 10% of alcoholics.

Actually, according to their own "study" it's about 5%.  The same as spontaneous remission.  



http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-eff ... l#Vaillant
Professor (and Doctor) George E. Vaillant of Harvard University is an enthusiastic advocate of Twelve-Step treatment, and is currently a Non-alcoholic -- Class A -- member of the Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (AAWS) Board of Trustees. In 1983, he published his book The Natural History of Alcoholism: Causes, Patterns, and Paths to Recovery, where he described the natural healing process associated with individuals addicted to alcohol -- "spontaneous remission" -- where some of the people who are addicted to alcohol will simply quit, and choose to stay abstinent of their own volition, without any Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, or any therapy program, or any other outside intervention at all.

Dr. Vaillant's question was: does the A.A. program improve on the percentage of alcoholics who undergo spontaneous remission?

Following the passage of the Hughes Act, the U.S. government -- the NIAAA to be specific -- funded studies of alcoholism treatment. Dr. Vaillant participated in the Cambridge-Sommerville [Massachusetts] Program for Alcohol Rehabilitation (CASPAR). It featured 24-hour walk-in services with medical treatment for detoxing. It treated 1000 new patients per year, did 2500 detoxifications per year, and had 20,000 outpatient visits per year.

To study the effectiveness of various methods of treating alcoholism ("treatment modalities"), Vaillant compiled forty years of clinical studies. Vaillant and the director William Clark also conducted an eight-year longitudinal study of their own where Vaillant reported having followed 100 patients who had undergone Twelve-Step treatment. (That was an unusually large and long-term study.) Vaillant compared those people to a group of several hundred other untreated alcohol abusers. The treated patients did no better than the untreated alcoholics. Fully 95% of the treated patients relapsed sometime during the eight-year period that Vaillant followed them. Professor Vaillant candidly reported:

    When I joined the staff at Cambridge Hospital, I learned about the disease of alcoholism for the first time. My prior training had been at a famous teaching hospital that from past despair had posted an unwritten sign over the door that read "alcoholic patients need not apply."   ...   At Cambridge Hospital I learned for the first time how to diagnose alcoholism as an illness and to think of abstinence in terms of "one day at a time."   ...   To me, alcoholism became a fascinating disease. It seemed perfectly clear that by meeting the immediate individual needs of the alcoholic, by using multimodality therapy, by disregarding "motivation," by turning to recovering alcoholics [A.A. members] rather than to Ph.D.'s for lessons in breaking self-detrimental and more or less involuntary habits, and by inexorably moving patients from dependence upon the general hospital into the treatment system of A.A., I was working for the most exciting alcohol program in the world.

    But then came the rub. Fueled by our enthusiasm, I and the director, William Clark, tried to prove our efficacy. Our clinic followed up our first 100 detoxification patients, the Clinic sample described in Chapter 3, every year for the next 8 years.   ...

    Table 8.1 shows our treatment results. After initial discharge, only five patients in the Clinic sample never relapsed to alcoholic drinking, and there is compelling evidence that the results of our treatment were no better than the natural history of the disease. In table 8.1, the outcomes for the Clinic sample patients are contrasted with two-year follow-ups of four treatment programs that analyzed their data in a comparable way and admitted patients similar to ours. The Clinic sample results are also contrasted with three studies of equal duration that purported to offer no formal treatment. Although the treatment populations differ, the studies are roughly comparable; in hopes of averaging out major sampling differences, the studies are pooled. Costello (1975), Emrick (1975), and Hill and Blane (1967) have reviewed many more disparate two-year outcome studies and have noted roughly similar proportions of significantly improved and unimproved alcoholics. Not only had we failed to alter the natural history of alcoholism, but our death rate of three percent a year was appalling.