This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.
Joseph Gauld is a distinguished educator who founded Hyde School in 1966. He very kindly agreed to answer some questions about Hyde School and his educational philosophy. The Editor.
As of 2026, Hyde School remains a coeducational, college-preparatory boarding school in Bath, Maine, serving grades 9-12. The school continues to center its program on character development and the five words discussed by Gauld: Courage, Integrity, Leadership, Curiosity, and Concern.
1. Tell us a bit about the crisis of conscience that you had back in 1966. This is how the concept of Hyde School was shaped, correct?
As a director of admissions who taught calculus and coached football in 1962, I had a crisis of conscience when I realized I was part of a competitive educational system valuing certain abilities that blocked the full development of the unique potential of students.
On the other side of the spectrum, there was another student in the same class who was the classic “plugger.” Although he had considerable difficulty with the material, he embodied all of the qualities and virtues I hoped that schools would espouse: curiosity, strong work ethic, concern for others, honesty, etc. I praised his effort, yet ultimately, and reluctantly, gave him the lowest grade in the class.
This example represented what was wrong with our educational system, which values achievement, ability, and talent (so much so that it simply rewards and stops challenging students who have it) over attitude, effort, and character. I could not serve either of these students in the system I served in with a traditional grading system, so I founded Hyde School in 1966, where I knew I could guide every student, gifted and challenged, toward his or her individual best potential. Instead of building a curriculum around five subjects, I focused on five principles: Courage, Integrity, Leadership, Curiosity, and Concern, and my team and I began to explore ways to apply these words within a challenging college preparatory curriculum.
Those five words remain central to Hyde's educational approach in the 2025-26 school year. Hyde describes them as the cornerstones of its character curriculum, alongside five principles: Destiny, Humility, Conscience, Truth, and Each Other's Keeper. Private School Review's How Private Schools Evaluate “Soft Skills” Like Leadership and Grit provides additional 2026 context on the role of character, leadership, resilience, and other personal qualities in private education.
(Incidentally, decades later, I checked up on both students. The bright student had struggled through various jobs and, unfortunately, never connected with success or fulfillment. The “plugger” became a noted engineer and had started a family.)
2. Describe your concepts of 'character culture' and the 'five words.'
The founding mission of Hyde School was to honor the quote: “Every individual is gifted with a unique potential that defines a destiny.” The means to do so is through the development of character and principles: “Courage, Integrity, Leadership, Curiosity and Concern.” The present culture in most schools is rooted in achievement, which can and often does indulge a student’s lesser instincts, such as bullying, stealing, and cheating. Conversely, a character culture encourages our best selves, and it creates a positive peer culture where every student is invested in not only the best in himself or herself, but in others’ best, as well.
In 2026, Hyde continues to state its mission as “Develop Character to Discover Unique Potential,” using an integrated approach of education, character, and family. Recent character education research available through the Institute of Education Sciences' ERIC database also continues to examine how school leadership and schoolwide practices can support character development.
3. How do these admirable concepts translate into day-to-day teaching? Are your faculty required to follow these precepts?
Yes, our faculty is an integral part of helping students understand their full potential through the development of their character. We believe that character is taught by example; it is inspired and cannot be imparted. We cannot pour it into our students; Rather, we can help each other draw it out of one another. Teachers play a critical role in that they learn the power of sharing their challenges, strengths, and struggles with students, and they work toward applying the principles in their own lives in the same way that they ask their students to apply them.
Most important to the development of character is the parent, the primary influencer in a child’s life. In character development, parents are the primary teachers, and the home is the primary classroom. Parent participation is the critical element that leads students to discover their potential. We offer parents the opportunity to invest in their children’s character education here at Hyde School. Hyde continues to emphasize family involvement in 2026 and states that families are offered opportunities to engage in its character curriculum alongside their students. Private School Review's Parent Engagement in Private Schools in 2026 examines the continuing role of family-school partnerships in private education.
Some basic tenets parents use as a guide are:
Lead your children by example: What you want for them, you must first uncover for yourself. Your own personal growth as an adult will be your true legacy to your children – and will outshine all of the successes, talents, or material possessions you earn.
Invest in yourself: As Carl Jung said, “Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on children than the unlived lives of their parents.” So, live a little; take some learning risks in front of your child; do something each day for pure joy; and ride your own coattails rather than your child’s.
Tackle the deep attitudes that hold you back from being YOUR best: You know what they are. And, if you don’t, ask someone you trust who loves you and believes in your best. Your child knows you want what’s best for him/her, but the proof of your commitment to your child’s best comes in how you approach reaching it for yourself.
Work on accepting what your own parents gave to you, what they tried to give you, and what they were unable to give you.
Understand your job as a parent: Like any job, you must know the duties and responsibilities that go along with it. If you don’t know what they are, get help from someone who does. Most of the unproductive issues we get into as parents stem from the conflict between the role we want to play in our child's life and the role we need to play.
Take some time to build family traditions: The big picture of raising children is done with the actions, routines, and practices that make up a lifetime of memories and habits. Often, the value of these actions is seen looking back at one’s upbringing.
Know when to ask for help, and then do it.
4. Where does your educational philosophy fit into the progressive movement?
We believe in a family-school bond, with teacher-student-parent working together as a team. There is an ongoing national conversation taking place about how to involve parents in their children’s educations positively and productively. Research tells us that when parents are involved in their children’s educations, great things can happen.
That conversation remains active in 2026. A 2024 report indexed by the Institute of Education Sciences' ERIC database, based on collaborative research involving students, families, educators, and researchers across six continents, examined the role of family, school, and community partnerships in helping students and schools flourish. Families can also explore Private School Review's Volunteering at Your Children's Private School for current examples of parent participation in private school communities.
Hyde Schools comprise both private boarding schools and inner-city, public schools. We’ve had an educational model in place for four decades that involves parents in their children’s educations, one that has successfully turned out generations of graduates prepared for college and life beyond, whose lives and families have been profoundly impacted in a positive way.
Today, Hyde operates its private, coeducational college-preparatory boarding school in Bath, Maine. For 2026, Hyde reports 137 students, an average class size of 12, and students representing 25 countries and 20 states.
5. American educational standards seem to be headed downwards. As a seasoned educator, what do you see as the long-term remedy for recapturing our former leadership position?
To begin our educational system with the family and to build on America’s heritage by helping each child develop his/her unique potential. Too many schools are focused on tests and achievement. At Hyde School, who you are matters more than what you can do. If we can address and embrace the whole child: The successes, failures, challenges, gifts, fears, family - we would be a better country.
That emphasis remains reflected in Hyde's current program. The school continues to describe character development, personalized attention, family involvement, and college-preparatory academics as central elements of its educational approach. Private School Review's How To Enrich Your Child's Education similarly examines the growing emphasis in 2026 on educational experiences that extend beyond traditional academics to support broader student development.
