Our Founder
The Lyman Legacy:
A Story of Resilience, Innovation, and
Lasting Impact
Dr. Donald E. Lyman spent a good portion of his life, 49 years, working with children with learning differences. Dyslexic himself, he dropped out of school at a young age. He taught himself how to read and write using a series of “tricks” he developed himself. These “tricks” enabled him to enroll in Catholic University where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1957. Then, as a participant in the A.E.G.I.S. program at Columbia University, he earned his doctorate in Education.
Throughout his remarkable career, Dr. Lyman taught children, much like himself, in New York City, Buffalo, Philadelphia and Haddonfield, New Jersey public schools. In addition, he founded three private schools in Florida where he served as principal and full-time teacher. He also taught and tutored children privately and trained hundreds of teachers in his method.
Making the Words Stand Still
Dr. Lyman also wrote two books, “A School Worth Walking To”, Ivy Books, 1966 and “Making the Words Stand Still”, Houghton Mifflin, 1987. His teaching methods have been used in various research studies, all showing dramaticallly significant positive results not only with dyslexic learners but also with children suffering from ADHD and other learning differences.
Alliance Academies
of Central Florida
In 2005, Alliance Academies, founded and owned by Dr. Lyman, purchased what was then known as Montessori Children’s Academy. Dr. Lyman had always admired Dr. Montessori’s philosophy and teaching methods as they involved the individualization and hands-on qualities much like those found in his own program. He renamed the school Baldwin Oaks Academy not only to emphasize the natural beauty of the campus but to represent the school’s goal of growing strong minds, bodies, and spirits in the children that were to attend.
Dr. Lyman had always admired Dr. Montessori's philosophy and teaching methods, as they involved the same individualization and hands-on qualities found in his own program.
The Lyman Learning Institute
Dr. Lyman passed away on March 27, 2007, but his vision did not. In 2015, to honor his memory and expand his impact, his wife Nieves and daughter Jennifer Lyman established The Lyman Learning Institute as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. The following year, in 2016, they opened The Lyman School in its current home in Winter Park, Florida. The school exclusively anchors its work in the Lyman Program while thoughtfully integrating other innovative educational approaches, creating a safe, nurturing environment where students who learn differently—and those who simply need a more personalized path—can truly succeed.
A Living Legacy
What began as one man’s determination to transform his own struggles into a gift for others has grown into a thriving community in Central Florida. Under the continued leadership of Nieves and Jennifer Lyman, The Lyman School and The Lyman Learning Institute carry forward a powerful message: when education honors the whole child and adapts to how each student actually learns, remarkable transformation happens.
His legacy lives on not only in the students and families served every day, but in the broader ripple effect—educators trained in these methods, a model of compassionate, individualized learning, and the enduring example of a family that chose to turn personal loss into lasting community impact.
The Lyman Family
Book a Tour
Please plan on spending about an hour on your tour.
If possible, have your child with you so that the director can spend some time getting to know them. If your child can not attend, another appointment will be required.
Please bring any relevant information regarding your child, i.e.,
school records, IEP's and evaluations.