The original Hyde School was founded in 1966 in Bath, Maine by math teacher Joseph Gauld, who had what he calls a “crisis of conscience” and became dedicated to providing education that included character development alongside academic achievement. In the early ’60s, one of his brightest students, who had little curiosity and relied primarily on his innate abilities, received the highest grade in the class. Another student, the classic “plugger,” who struggled with the course material but who embodied curiosity and a strong work ethic, received a low grade in the class. Distraught that neither student was served by the traditional grading system, Gauld started Hyde School, which operated under a different set of priorities than other schools. The school began with a focus on Five Words: Courage, Integrity, Leadership,Curiosity, and Concern, and the cardinal principle that every individual has a unique potential that defines a destiny. Soon after the school was established, it was discovered that parents and family play the most vital role in the overall education process. Since character is developed primarily by example, Hyde established a revolutionary Family Program involving parents, teachers, and students working together. Today, Hyde Schools are known as leaders in family-based character education.