Behind the Walls: A Parent's Guide to Boarding Schools [Paperback]

Timothy D. Hillman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2003

A detailed and clear guide to the world of boarding schools- the good, the bad, and the troubling aspects of this unique world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Timothy D. Hillman is one of the most respected voices in independent education. His books on boarding schools, Second Home: Life in a Boarding School, and Far and Wide: Cultural Diversity in the American Boarding School have reached a substantial audience. In addition, Hillman is a recognized face on the lecture circuit, having spoken on cultural diversity and internet safety at a number of schools across the country. In 1998, Hillman was the keynote speaker at the Small Boarding Schools Association's national convention, and subsequently a faculty member at workshops for faculty working at boarding schools. He has spoken at the Fall Forum of the Coalition of Essential Schools, the California Association of Independent Schools, and the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools. Hillman also delivered addresses at St. Paul's School, St. Mark's School, Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge. Hillman's writing is not restrained to education- he was a columnist for MacCentral, MacWorld's industry leading web site, has contributed to a variety of journals, and wrote an award winning play performed at the Tennessee State Drama Festival. He has also produced buyer's guides for Small Dog electronics alongside industry luminaries like Adam Engst and contributed to book projects from John C. Dvorak- the PC industry's leading columnist. In addition to his educational accomplishments, Hillman is also a professional actor and acting teacher who has worked on stages across the country. His improvisational theatre company, Unexpected Company, has been a breeding ground for some of today's most accomplished actors, and is alive and well today based in Warwick, Rhode Island. Hillman himself performed comedy at the Whiskey A-Go-Go and L.A. Connection in Los Angeles. His passion for boarding school education comes from the substantial time he spent as a student and teacher at some of the country's leading schools. His current projects include a new work preparing teachers for working in independent and boarding schools.

Product Details

• Paperback: 138 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (March 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591097185
• ISBN-13: 978-1591097181
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #354,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Headmaster's Perspective, August 24, 2008

By 

C. Robin "Teacher First" (Mid-Atlantic, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behind the Walls: A Parent's Guide to Boarding Schools (Paperback)

In the interest of full disclosure, I know Tim Hillman personally and have written an article for one of his previous books regarding boarding school. I have also talked to Tim over the years -- as Assistant Head of School for Enrollment at Mercersburg Academy and as Headmaster of Perkiomen School -- about this concept and know that, editing errors and all, the book is sound in its observations, cautionary tales, and advice.

It is true that Behind the Walls is not a rating book -- thank, God, since ratings are useless in a field that has about one half of one percent of the students in the USA and represents only a little over 200 schools, each with its own unique mission, history, and ethos. Behind the Walls is exceptional, especially for the parent who is seeking the "right fit" for her/his child, rather than the "right name." Understanding the nuances of the admission process, how to wade through the marketing, and what to look for to find a healthy residential and academic environment are all essential to a successful matriculation.

As one mentor told me when I was a younger teacher, bricks and mortar do not a school make! Look beyond not only the walls, but beyond the facades -- look at the faces of the students, look at how the desks are arranged in classrooms, listen to the teachers and coaches -- It is the human factor that makes a boarding school great -- not the date on the school seal, not the number of AP courses, average SAT scores, or college lists (which are sometimes padded with acceptances from one student at the top of the class!). As a product of a public school, I can honestly say that I would never trade my years in independent college preparatory schools for anything. Reading Behind the Walls only reaffirmed my decision to work in the boarding school world and it will surely be a help to anyone considering these wonderful communities for themselves or for their children.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Valuable insight marred by amateur publishing, November 7, 2010

By 

Jason Kirkfield "The Pride and Sorrow of chil... (Purple Mountains Majesty) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Behind the Walls: A Parent's Guide to Boarding Schools

I have the first self-published effort (Old School Press, 2003). The problems start with the cover: a book about boarding schools titled "Behind the Walls" should probably have a school on the cover. Or at least a wall. Nope, this one has some trees. In shades of gray, it has the appearance of a horror novel, à la Tales from the Darkside: The First Season. The Table of Contents is fantastically ugly, with chapter titles in boldface, italic, *and* all caps, plus everything underlined full-justification. However these are just cosmetic issues. This book's real problem is the nonexistent editing. It is chock-a-block full of typos of almost every sort: missing words, misspelled words, wrong words, and lots of punctuation problems as well. The typos start in as early as the Introduction, and they never, ever stop. There's too much to enumerate here, unless someone were paying me. Overall, the book has the appearance of a compilation of essays--which would be fine if they were organized well--and it could have used an editor to tighten everything up. As it is, your expectations will be best managed if you approach this as an unfinalized, but useful, manuscript.

On the plus side, Tim Hillman has insightful things to say about education in general and the boarding school experience specifically. By way of anchoring my own perspective, I attended prep school for four years, also in New England. Times change but the culture of (and at) a prep school does not. Many of the concerns raised by Mr. Hillman are surely as valid now as they were when he wrote the book in 2003 or when I was in prep school in the 1980s or even when he was there in the 1970s. Behind the Walls offers honest and valuable advice for parents considering a boarding school education for their children. It tells you things no standard guidebook (i.e., Peterson's) will. But, you have to accept the loose organization and sloppy spelling. For a book from the product of a prep school education, not to mention a former faculty member himself, that is doubly disappointing.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Useful information but ...., November 22, 2007

By 

Jane Hughes "reading mom" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Behind the Walls: A Parent's Guide to Boarding Schools (Paperback)

Hillman presents a lot of useful information in a well-organized, straightforward and admirably evenhanded way. The book is short enough to be read in a single setting, and I found it genuinely helpful as the parent of a private school child who is vaguely considering boarding school as a future option. However, I find it disturbing that someone who is not only an alumnus but also a faculty member of presumably more than one elite boarding school could write a book with so many typographical, grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. Both Hillman and his editor(s) should be embarrassed.