Index Summary of the Movie "Lean On Me"ConclusionWorks Cited Lean on Me is a movie based on a true story, which begins in 1967 in an urban high school called East Side High in Paterson, New York. Sweater. All students behaved well and the school itself was in exceptionally good condition. You were, apparently, a model school. At East Side High there was a teacher named Joe Clark. He was very passionate about his teaching and methods and was very committed to his students. He taught in a unique way that made learning more enjoyable. However, the other teachers at the school were not very fond of his style or curriculum. They all got together and voted on whether Joe Clark should be transferred to another school. He was soon transferred. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay “Lean On Me” Movie Summary The movie jumps forward twenty years to 1987. First you see a picture of the school. It is completely destroyed, graffiti everywhere, broken glass and rubbish in almost every corner. The students were then shown walking the halls dealing drugs, fighting and completely out of control. They refused to follow not only the rules of the school, but also the rules of common courtesy towards other human beings. They also showed no respect, swearing at teachers and talking back to them. They simply refused to do their schoolwork and there was a serious lack of discipline because the teachers had no control over the students. Most of the students seemed to be chronic delinquents. Chronic offenders are young people who begin their delinquent careers at a young age, have serious and repeated run-ins with the law, and build a career in crime; these young people do not age out of crime but continue their criminal behavior into adulthood. (Juvenile Delinquents, 60) The conditions that existed at East Side High were damaging the reputation of the mayor who was running for re-election. He knew that something had to be done to turn this school around. He then decided to bring Joe Clark back because he knew Joe possessed the qualities needed to get the job done. After much pressure, Joe Clark finally agreed to become the principal of East Side High School. Principal Clark's first order of business was to expel the worst of the chronic delinquents. He knew that the school would be much safer and more educationally functional without them. Then he put chains on all the doors to keep them out. All that remained were the good students and perhaps a few status violators. A status crime is conduct that is illegal only because the child is a minor (Juvenile Delinquency, 21). Joe Clark was a disciplinarian. He was a person full of energy, often abrasive, yet compassionate but not soft. He believed in rules and structure and was very committed to his work. His personality, however, did not always mesh well with that of others. Teachers and students too often found him unnecessarily cruel and harsh. A lot of people were just terrified of countering him because he could be so explosive. He began firing teachers who did not meet his demands or whose teaching style he did not agree with. However, as people got used to him, they discovered that he had a softer side and, in fact, he had a big heart. They realized that he was just trying to turn the school around and that he was making progress in doing just that. While Joe Clark was principal, the school made a complete 180-degree turn in its commitment to improvement.