Lean on Me Page #7

Be on time

school bell ring

at a quarter to 9:00

that's it, sams!

Stay with it, boy!

...be on time

"how do you learn

the alphabet?" be on time

how do you spell eastside

, eastside high?

How do you spell joe clark?

He's on time

j-o-e c-l...

holy cow!

I'm out of here.

Clark can't even get them

past that test.

I thought we'd

settled this.

With the doors chained,

that school's a firetrap.

He's laughing at us.

The man has

a legitimate problem.

How does he keep drug pushers

out of his school

if their buddies

can let them walk on in?

He's got a point.

This doesn't

concern you.

Don, we can both

go to jail.

By statute, we are

legally responsible.

If a fire broke out

and a kid got hurt,

they're going to

get trampled.

A bunch

of savages anyway.

Savages?

Don, can't you

control your men?

Ladies and gentlemen,

please leave me alone

with mrs. Barrett.

Don, i want to

talk to you.

I'll call you later

at your office.

Thank you, frank.

Close the door, eh?

I want to apologize for

the chief's use of language.

I don't like

none of you people.

Then let's cut through

the formalities.

What do you want?

Clark!

Just like that.

Head on a platter.

You think

i got an attitude.

Let me tell you

what i think.

You like clark

because he's a guard dog,

does your dirty work,

keeps the black folk in line.

That's fine, but you got

to get re-elected.

I got enough folks

lined up with me

to give you a damn hard time,

and i'll get more.

Unless i do what?

Appoint me

to the school board

so we can

vote clark out.

Otherwise we'll have to

vote you out.

It's always a pleasure

to see citizens

avail themselves of

the democratic process.

My job will be easy.

You're not too popular

these days, are you?

I'll sic the fire chief

on clark.

Will that satisfy you?

Yes. And then i'll get

the school board to dismiss him.

Then you'll come out

publicly for me.

It'll be my pleasure,

mr. Mayor.

That barrett

is a b*tch on wheels.

Smart. She's smart.

Yeah. She got

your number.

When am i supposed

to do this?

Now we'd just

disrupt things.

Give him another week

to prepare for that test.

Then we'll catch him

with chains on the doors.

We nail him,

and we make her

happy.

Politics.

What a business.

It's just like yours,

putting out fires.

The mayor's going to

nail me, huh?

What do i

always say?

He's got the hammer

and nails himself.

These are some

of my white students.

Frankie, bernard,

steve.

Boys, this is mr. Rosenberg,

school attorney.

Let him hear

the school song.

Fair eastside

by thy side

by thy side?

We'll stand

we'll stand?

And always

praise thy name-

all right!

I can't stand this.

Needs work, fellas.

Some things

you can't teach.

Bad singing

isn't genetic.

How's your mother?

She got that job.

She's feeling good.

Girls,

what are you doing?

The phone's broken.

My baby's sick.

Make your call

from the office.

When will you girls

learn?

I ain't ashamed

about my baby.

Nobody's saying

you should be ashamed.

And she ain't

ashamed of me.

Whenever

she look at me,

she don't see

no wrong.

Ok. Go on and make

your call.

Mr. Vanzetti,

let these girls make a call.

Hey, mr. Clark.

We can't let them know

who told you.

Why not?

Mr. Clark,

we got a problem.

How come

you leave us out?

Everything's

for the black kids.

The gospel chorus,

football, basketball

is for the blacks.

I'm short. I can't

play basketball.

The point is,

you're ignoring us.

We're getting

really ticked off.

With a mouth

like yours,

you ought to

study law.

Really?

You kids wait for me

in my office.

If you all talk

at once,

i can't do anything.

I'll be with you ladies

in a minute.

Boss, you and mr. Rosenberg

better wait out here.

Miss lynn,

give markus a pass.

Ms. Levias,

is everyone here?

Yes, sir.

Let me have

your attention.

With the help of my ubiquitous,

clandestine informants

i have learned that the mayor

has told the fire chief

to catch me

with chains on the doors.

They want to prosecute me

and get me out of here.

The security guards are

our first line of defense.

If you see the fire chief,

stop him at the gates.

Call in code 10

on your walkie-talkies.

We will repeat code 10

on the p.a. System.

All teachers and guards

have keys to the exit doors.

When you hear code 10,

proceed to your assigned door

and remove the chains.

Guards, resume your posts.

Ms. Levias, take over.

Tell those kids in my office

to meet me here 7th period.

How did it go?

It's under control.

I have

the progress report

on the reading

program.

I thought you'd

like to hear it.

I would like to hear it.

I'd also like to hear

the kids in my office,

and mr. Rosenberg,

and dr. Napier.

I can't be 10 different

places at the same time.

Maybe my vice principal can do

something without me for once.

Mr. Clark.

I'll help you

7th period.

Excuse me.

Good night,

mr. Clark.

Good night.

Mr. Clark.

Yes, ms. Levias.

May i talk to you

for a minute, please?

What do you want?

I want you

to transfer me.

To where?

Out of here.

This doesn't

surprise me.

I've sensed resistance in you

since our very first meeting.

You're an egomaniacal

windbag.

Who you talking to?

You!

You like to whip people

who can't fight back.

I thought i could take it

because i had a father

in the same kind of pain

that makes you

such a bastard,

but i was wrong.

Life is much too short.

I will not endure you

any longer.

The only reason

i haven't walked out

and half the staff

with me

is because

those children need us.

You're so busy

talking discipline,

you forget to educate.

What the hell do you think

i've been doing here?

You cleaned it up.

That was easy.

Those children

want to be helped.

They've done everything

we've asked,

but i feel

sorry for them.

They're not ready

to take that test.

What the hell

are you talking about?

I have done everything-

i. It is always i.

There are 300

teachers here.

You don't

do it alone.

I don't have to listen

to these accusations.

Youwilllisten!

All right, ms. Levias,

go ahead and talk.

You've been flapping

your mouth,

and you haven't

heard a thing.

You haven't seen what's

painfully obvious.

I'll tell you what-

no, let me finish!

Everybody here

may not like you,

but we all applaud

your effort.

What you don't

understand

is the same people

who support you

are the ones

you're beating up!

You don't even

say thank you.

You just constantly

abuse them,

criticize them.

What the hell

do you want from me?

I want you

to get this straight.

Most of the teachers are

here because they care

about those children,

this school, this fight.

They're in it with you.

They take it home

the same as you.

They are part of those

children's lives.

You are thoughtless

and cruel,

and it hurts.

And none of them

deserve it.

They are sick of it,

and so am i.

Ms. Levias.

What's this?

The transfer

you asked for.

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