Lean On Me : Review

Summary:

Lean On Me is based on a true story of a principal in a New Jersey high school, Eastside High. The Principal, Joe Clark, is hired in 1983 to run one of the worst schools in this state. His mission is to turn this crime, drug, and graffiti infested school around completely in one year’s time. Clark must bring order and peace to this school and must also bring up the learning level of the students so they can pass the state’s minimum basic skills test.

Joe Clark is a former Army drill instructor who uses tough discipline as a means of changing Eastside High School. His methods in doing so were very much controversial. He got the nick name of "Crazy Joe" Clark by using a bullhorn and a baseball bat within his school to terrorize and intimidate the students as well as the faculty. To his supporters this tactic was to be motivation for the students and teachers to do better. According to a Mississippi State University Memo dated back in March of 1996, it stated that within two years Eastside High was declared a model school by New Jersey’s governor and in 1986, Clark was named one of the nation’s 10 "Principals of Leadership".

One of the first things Joe Clark did to reform this school was expelling 300 minority students who he claimed were "educationally hopeless and overage underachievers, parasites, hoodlums, and drug pushers" (Education Digest, 1989). To make sure these now ex-students stayed out and could not return, Clark chained and locked the school doors from the inside. Clark demanded respect from not only his students but also with the faculty. If respect was not given Clark simply removed you from the school.

Another disturbing issue that critics bring up is that in the movie none of the students rebel against this principal who threatens them, locks them inside the school, embarrasses them in front of others, intimidates and bullies them. These same critics believe that in real life things could not have gone this smooth so quickly.

Finally, Joe Clark resigned as principal in 1990. The time he spent at Eastside High has made him quite popular. Since this time Clark has made the cover of Time magazine, been on 60 Minutes, The Phil Donahue Show, and ABC’s Nightline. He is also a nationally recognized speaker who travels across the country to speak on such topics as his life story.

I really like this story. It teaches me new things such as, in order for me to gain respect from others, I myself need to earn the respect from others too. This is what Joe Clark tries to convey in his school management. Treat students as the way they are and not to condemn them for their misbehaviour. Teach them instead of punish them. Console them instead of blaming for the mistake that they did.

Although Joe Clark did something harsh in order to raise the percentage of passing grade in his school and never acknowledge the hardwork that all teachers have to endure in order to make sure the students are well behave and achieve well in their learning, he still take a good care of the students and the school. He makes sure that all the school has become a place where it is safe to study and may lift up the student’s spirit in learning. Not only that, he also punished the teachers who make mistake whether she or he is teacher or not. By doing this, he has created situation where anybody who make mistakes can be punish and therefore, it is to still awareness among the students to fool around and play truant in his school. For me, Joe Clark is a symbol of change that every students need. He did not scare of being criticized, he is doing what he thinks what need to be done and he create an environment where the school is the best place to be at for learning instead of neighbourhoods and unknown street.