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Joseph Gauld is a distinguished educator who founded Hyde Schools in 1966. He very kindly agreed to answer some questions about Hyde Schools and his educational philosophy. The Editor.

1. Tell us a bit about the crisis of conscience that you had back in 1966. This is how the concept of Hyde Schools 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 鈥減lugger.鈥� 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鈥攁nd reluctantly鈥攇ave 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 with a traditional grading system, so I founded Hyde School in 1966, where I knew I could guide

If you are thinking of applying to an American private school and English is not your first language, you will be required to take a test known as The Test of English as a Foreign Language. Known more commonly as TOEFL which is pronounced TOE-full, this is an important part of the private school admissions process.

TOEFL used to be a paper-based test which is known as TOEFL PBT. This older method of taking the TOEFL test is being phased out. The newer form of TOEFL is TOEFL iBT. This is the test that is administered online in test centers worldwide.

This video gives you an overview of what TOEFL is.

TOEFL is administered in most countries. You take the computer-based test at an examination center under supervised testing conditions. Watch this short video to see how the test is administered.

So let us examine what is involved and how to prepare for the test.

What is TOEFL?

TOEFL is a standardized test administered by the world-famous Educational Testing Service. ETS is based in Princeton, New Jersey, and has been around since 1947. It is an old, very established, highly regarded testing service. ETS is a not-for-profit organization. ETS administers all kinds of tests which are given at over 9,000 locations in 180 countries. The tests with which we are probably most familiar are the SAT and AP tests which high school students typically take

Most of us parents are fairly adept at tackling the various projects which life seems to put in front of us. Whether finding an apartment or purchasing a home or dealing with medical issues or writing a will, we all do our research, sift through the various options and make our choice. That's a pretty standard modus operandi, right? Well, obviously I have simplified things a bit because I left out the consultation we all had with experts in just about every case. The doctors explained the choices we had for the medical issues and prescribed a course of treatment. Our trusted attorney reviewed the lease agreements and purchase agreements for our real estate transactions so that we didn't run into problems in the months and years ahead. We just used those experts as a matter of course.

This video is a bit dramatic but it makes my point: you need expert help choosing a private school just as you need expert help for other major decisions.

But we don't need any experts to help us choose the right private school for our child, do we? We can do all this ourselves, right? Wrong! I know because we thought we could choose the right school for our very talented eldest daughter who had the perfect academic transcripts, sports, and extracurricular activities. This would be a cakewalk. Just visit a couple of schools, apply and that

Is your grandchild going away to private school? Perhaps you are wondering how you can fit into his new life away from home. You have always enjoyed watching him grow up. You've gone on trips and vacations together. Just because he's away at school doesn't mean you can't be close. After all, this is the 21st century, and in 2026 it's easier than ever to stay connected.

Let's look at some of the special things a grandparent can do to stay connected with a beloved grandchild who's away at school.

Email

It's kind of old-fashioned these days, but email is still a pleasant way of keeping in touch. If you are in the least bit literary, it will be good for him to receive nicely crafted emails with news and gossip from back home. He needs to hear and reflect on your opinions about issues and events. Email handles that kind of communication extremely well.

Just read your missives carefully before you hit the send button. Remember: you are not there to explain what you mean. So don't be cryptic. He's got plenty to do without wondering what's going on back home. It's also simply bad form to give him bad news in an email. Do that over the phone, on a video call, or in person.

Phone Calls

It's always a treat to hear a loved one's voice. He'll have his smartphone with him, of course, although many private schools have policies about when students can use