Lean on Me

Schools and Education

"Lean on Me" was both a song and a movie. The song was written and song by Bill Withers. The movie was about a high school in a disadvantaged neighborhood, and Joe Clark was appointed principal of the school. He was played masterfully by actor Morgan Freeman. The movie from the 1980s speaks volumes about the slums and the kids who grew up in those neighborhoods. Joe Clark, as the principal of the school, was hard-nosed and tough. His efforts, though often controversial, transformed the school and made it possible for the young men and women who attended to learn, and pass the regents examinations, graduate, and lead productive lives.

There was a time long ago when I was a teacher in a slum middle school. Kids often missed school days or were in the school building, but did not attend classes. Instead, they were running around the corners of the school building, pushing the fire alarms, which interrupted classes because the fire department always came, and everyone in the school had to be evacuated. But these kids came not only from poverty-stricken schools, but from poor parents who had become addicted to drugs and very often fathers abandoned in the family, and in other cases, fathers and mothers abandoned the children and the family while grandparents had to take over.

I clearly remember one youngster who was rarely in school and who admitted to me that he slept in the back of an empty truck when no one was around. It was a tragic situation for all of these kids. The tragedy was often buried under the fact that these youngsters were violent and victimized each other and frequently victimized some of the teachers, especially the ones they viewed as weak. Yet it was possible to get close to these kids who were hungry for positive adult attention. When teachers were able to do that, they had successful classes with youngsters who truly learned.

There was a classic book, a true story written about the retired principal who headed a school in poverty-stricken Harlem during the 1950s. He was a big, tall, muscular Jewish man. The name of his book is "Our Children Are Dying."

• "It is the story of Dr. Elliott Shapiro, the tireless and controversial former principal of P.S. 119 in central Harlem, and his crusade in education. The Enrollment of P.S. 119 is 95% Negro, the remainder being Puerto Rican and Chinese. Poverty, Sickness, and dirt are the basic realities of many children."

• "The book delves into the specific issues faced by the children at P.S. 119, emphasizing the impact of poverty, poor health, and the surrounding environment on their lives and education. Shapiro's efforts to create a positive and engaging learning experience for his students are presented alongside the obstacles he encountered."

  Many parents called him the principal of the neighborhood. I came to know him and many other creative and strong teachers from all ethnic backgrounds who were masterful in their abilities to help disadvantaged young people to learn and grow.

Today, schools, students and teachers continue to confront issues that are serious. However, that is for another essay.

This a rooftop classic scene from the movie, “Lean on Me.”