Section (A)Where Principles Come First
The Hyde School operates on the principle that if you teach students the merit of such values astruth, courage, integrity, leadership, curiosity and concern, then academic achievement naturallyfollows. Hyde School founder Joseph Gauld claims success with the program at the $18,000-a-yearhigh school in Bath, Maine, which has received considerable publicity for its work with troubledyoungsters.
"We don't see ourselves as a school for a type of kid," says Malcolm Gauld, Joseph's son, whograduated from Hyde and is now headmaster. "We see ourselves as preparing kids for a way of life —by cultivating a comprehensive set of principles that can affect all kids."Now, Joe Gauld is trying to spread his controversial Character First idea to public, inner-city schoolswilling to use the tax dollars spent on the traditional program for the new approach. The first Hydepublic school program opened in September 1992. Within months the program was suspended.
Teachers protested the program's demands and the strain associated with more intense work.
This fall, the Hyde Foundation is scheduled to begin a preliminary public school program inBaltimore. Teachers will be trained to later work throughout the entire Baltimore system. Other USschool managers are eyeing the program, too. Last fall, the Hyde Foundation opened a magnet programwithin a public high school in the suburbs of New Haven, Connecticut, over parents' protests. Thecommunity feared the school would attract inner-city minority and troubled students.
As in Maine the quest for truth is also widespread at the school in Connecticut. In one English class,the 11 students spend the last five minutes in an energetic exchange evaluating their class performancefor the day on a 1-10 scale.
"I get a 10.""I challenge that. You didn't do either your grammar or your spelling homework.""OK, a seven.""You ought to get a six.""Wait, I put my best effort forth here.""Yeah, but you didn't ask questions today."Explaining his approach to education, Joe Gauld says the conventional education system cannot bereformed. He notes "no amount of change" with the horse and carriage "will produce an automobile".
The Hyde School assumes "every human being has a unique potential" that is based on character, notintelligence or wealth. Conscience and hard work are valued. Success is measured by growth, notacademic achievement. Students are required to take responsibility for each other. To avoid thecontroversy of other character programs used in US schools, Gauld says the concept of doing your besthas nothing to do with forcing the students to accept a particular set of morals or religious values.
The Hyde curriculum is similar to conventional schools that provide preparation for college, completewith English, history, math and science. But all students are required to take performing arts andsports, and provide a community service. For each course, students get a grade for academicachievement and for "best effort". At Bath, 97% of the graduates attend four-year colleges.
Commitment among parents is a key ingredient in the Hyde mixture. For the student to gainadmission, parents also must agree to accept and demonstrate the school's philosophies and outlook.
The parents agree in writing to meet monthly in one of 20 regional groups, go to a yearly three-dayregional retreat, and spend at least three times a year in workshops, discussion groups and seminars atBath. Parents of Maine students have an attendance rate of 95% in the many sessions. Joe and MalcolmGauld both say children tend to do their utmost when they see their parents making similar efforts.
The biggest obstacle for many parents, they say, is to realize their own weaknesses.
The process for public school parents is still being worked out, with a lot more difficulty because it isdifficult to convince parents that it is worthwhile for them to participate. Of the 100 students enrolledin New Haven, about 30% of the parents attend special meetings. The low attendance is in spite ofcommitments they made at the outset of the program when Hyde officials interviewed 300 families.
Once the problems are worked out, Hyde should work well in public schools, says a teacher at Bathwho taught for 14 years in public schools. He is optimistic that once parents make a commitment to theprogram, they will be daily role models for their children, unlike parents whose children are in boardingschools.
One former inner-city high school teacher who now works in the New Haven program, says teachersalso benefit. "Here we really begin to focus on having a fruitful relationship with each student. Our focusis really about teacher to student and then we together deal with the…academics. In the traditionalhigh school setting, it's teacher to the material and then to the student." The teacher-studentrelationship is taken even further at Hyde. Faculty evaluations are conducted by the students.
Jimmy DiBattista, 19, is amazed he will graduate this May from the Bath campus and plans to attenda university. Years ago, he had seen his future as "jail, not college".
DiBattista remembers his first days at Hyde.
"When I came here, I insulted and cursed everybody. Every other school was, 'Get out, we don'twant to deal with you. 'I came here and they said, 'We kind of like that spirit. We don't like it with thenegative attitudes. We want to turn that spirit positive.'"
New Words
publicity n. 1.公众的注意；名声 2.（商业）广告，宣传，宣扬
cultivate vt. 1.培养，陶冶，发展 2.耕种，耕作
comprehensive a. 综合的，全面的，广泛的
controversial a. 有争议的，引起争议的
suspend vt. 1.暂停，中止 2.悬挂
strain n. 1.（对精力、体力、能力的）苛求，压力 2.拉紧，绷紧
vt. 1.扭伤，损伤 2.拉紧，绷紧 3.尽力使用，使紧张
vi. 竭力，尽全力
preliminary a. 预备的，初步的
n. 初步做法，准备工作
magnet n. 1.有强大吸引力的人或物 2.磁铁，磁体
minority n. 1.少数民族 2.少数，少数派
▲quest n. 探寻，寻求，研究
▲energetic a. 精力充沛的，充满活力的
grammar n. 语法，语法规则
conventional a. 常规的，惯例的，传统的
reform v. 改革，改进，改良
n. 改革，改造
controversy n. 争议，争论
moral n. 1.行为标准，道德规范；品行 2.寓意
a. 道德的
▲curriculum n. 课程
preparation n. 1.准备，预备 2.准备工作，准备措施
mixture n. 1.混合物 2.混合
admission n. 1.允许进入，准许加入 2.承认，供认
outlook n. 1.观点，看法 2.前景
monthly ad. 每月地；每月一次地
a. 每月的；每月一次的
n. 月刊
workshop n. 1.研讨会，讲习班 2.车间，工场，作坊
▲seminar n. 研讨会
▲attendance n. 1.出席人数 2.到场，出席，参加 3.护理，照料
session n. 1.(从事某项活动的) 一段时间 2.学年；学期；上课时间
utmost n. 极限，最大限度
a. 最大的，极度的
worthwhile a. 值得（做）的
outset n. 开端，开始
optimistic a. 乐观的，有信心的
fruitful n. 有成果的，成功的
faculty n. 1.全体教员 2.能力，才能，资质
campus n. 校区，校园
jail n. 监狱；监禁
vt. 监禁，拘留
insult vt. 侮辱，辱骂
n. 侮辱，辱骂
curse v. 诅咒，咒骂
n. 诅咒，咒骂
Phrases and Expressions
see sb./sth. as 认为某人或某物是……
prepare sb. for sth. 使做好准备
spread (sth.) to （使）传播
be willing to do 愿意做某事，不反对做某事
spend sth. on sth. / (in) doing sth. 在……上花费时间或金钱
be scheduled to do 被安排，定于
over protest 在有异议的情况下
take responsibility for 对... ...负责任
complete with 包括，备有
do one's utmost 竭尽全力
work out 计划，设计，想出 解决难题，找到... ...的方法
focus (sth.) on （使）集中于
kind of 有点，有几分
Proper Names
Hyde School 海德中学
Joseph Gauld 约瑟夫·高尔德
Bath, Maine 缅因州巴思市
Malcolm Gauld 马尔科姆·高尔德
Joe 乔 (Joseph的昵称)
Hyde Foundation 海德基金会
Baltimore 巴尔的摩（美国马里兰州中北部港市）
New Haven,Connecticut 康涅狄格州纽黑文市
Jimmy DiBattista 吉米·迪巴蒂斯塔 |