Joe Louis Clark

Joe Louis Clark (May 8, 1938 – December 29, 2020) was an American educator and administrator, who was best known for his tenure as principal of Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey from 1982 to 1989. He gained national attention for his unconventional and controversial disciplinary measures while leading the school, and was the subject of the 1989 film Lean on Me, starring Morgan Freeman.

Early life Clark was born in Rochelle, Georgia, on May 8, 1938. At the age of 6, Clark moved with his family to Newark, New Jersey, where he would graduate from Central High School. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from William Paterson College, and master's degree from Seton Hall University. Clark received a honorary doctorate from the U.S. Sports Academy.

Clark was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, where he was assigned as a drill sergeant. He was selected for honoris causa membership in Omicron Delta Kappa in 1997 at SUNY Plattsburgh.

Career Clark began his career at the elementary school level, and later ran the camps and playgrounds system for Essex County, New Jersey.

Eastside High School In 1982, he was appointed principal of Eastside High.

During his time as principal, Clark expelled over 300 students who were frequently tardy or absent from school, sold or used drugs in school, or caused trouble in school. Though some argue that his tough practices made the school far safer, its academic accomplishments remained woefully inadequate. "While math scores are up 6% during Clark's reign, reading scores have barely budged: they remain in the bottom third of the nation's high school seniors. While a few more students are going to college -- 211, up from 182 in 1982 -- Clark has lost considerable ground in the battle against dropouts: when he arrived, Eastside's rate was 13%; now [in 1988] it is 21%."

Separate criticism focused on the social impact of expelling delinquent students to improve test scores, claiming that "tossing out the troublesome low achievers" simply moved the problems from the school onto the street. Clark defended the practice, saying teachers should not have to waste their time on students who do not want to learn; Time noted that the national dropout rate for such students remained high across the country and, with few alternatives available, each inner city school that had been able to reverse the trend had done so through "a bold, enduring principal" such as Clark. Further, he was "able to maintain or restore order without abandoning the students who are in trouble." The state's Juvenile Justice Commission also cited him for allowing the facility to be filmed for a television program. He died at home on December 29, 2020, at the age of 82.