Lean on Me

Principal Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman) takes over decaying Eastside High School, determined to turn it around, expelling suspected drug dealers, padlocking doors, and demanding effort from students, staff, and parents. He encounters Thomas Sams, a freshman who convinces Clark to give him another chance, and reunites an old student with her estranged mother. Clark's radical measures bring him into conflict with staff members, but ultimately, the students' improved test scores save the school's administration.