I’ve always admired innovative educators, especially when portrayed in films like “Goodbye, Mr. Chips,” “Lean on Me,” “Music of My Heart,” “Stand and Deliver,” “Dangerous Minds,” and “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” These characters, often based on real-life teachers, make a significant impact by bringing joy and a fresh perspective to learning, while emphasizing that discipline and hard work are essential in life.
Ron Clark, co-founder of The Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, is one such real-life educator, and the subject of this week’s Feel-Good Friday.
Ron Clark began his career as a teacher in North Carolina, driven by a desire to educate students, particularly those deemed underperformers. He left a secure job at a middle school to teach in New York’s inner city. His unconventional teaching techniques captivated his students and achieved results that embarrassed the Department of Education—not that it’s a difficult feat. In 2000, Clark, along with fellow educational innovator Kim Bearden, received the Teacher of the Year award.
Clark and Bearden shared a bigger vision, leading them to collaborate on creating an educational center for grades 4-8. This center aimed not just to benefit kids, but also teachers eager to transform their teaching approaches. The dream of the Ron Clark Academy began in 2004, with a building purchased in 2005, and the Academy welcoming its inaugural class in 2007.
Oh, and Clark has also had his life and teaching dramatized on film: Clark was portrayed by the late Matthew Perry (“Chandler Bing” from “Friends”) in 2006’s “The Ron Clark Story.”
But this 2025 graduation season, a moment between Clark and one of the Academy’s graduating students has gone viral:
In the video, posted to Clark’s Instagram account, Zyon Malcolm, a graduating 8th grader, made her way across the stage dancing to a popular song. She was met by Clark who immediately fell in step with Malcolm. Clark broke out into his own energetic dance before handing Malcolm her diploma.
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The Clark Academy’s model includes eccentricity, energy, and probably lots of standout musical moments. However, just because the school’s structure is unorthodox does not mean that it is undisciplined. Clark sets high expectations for himself, and this translates to high expectations for the entire school community. Clark’s system of rules is known as “The Essential 55,” and these were published as a book.
Clark further explained to TODAY:
“My grandmother raised me very strictly, so I am strict,” he says. “A lot of people see me dance with students … but I am not playing when it comes to academia.”
Clark is also intent on his students learning social skills, something that is sorely lacking in our society today. When visitors come to the school, they are asked to have lunch with the students in order to assist them in this process.
But another hallmark, and the reason why parents of all stripes clamor to have their children accepted at Clark Academy, is how each student is loved and seen. This was apparent in the 2025 graduates.
And with alums from Clark Academy, who are now graduating high school in the Class of 2025.
Here’s another fun social media moment: In 2018, a Clark Academy student’s spontaneous, joyful dance was captured when it was announced they would be seeing “Black Panther” in the theater. That young man has graduated from Therrell High School as part of the class of 2025.
Jaycob Linsey, the student who went viral for his dance after his class was told they were going to see ‘Black Panther,’ has graduated from high school. pic.twitter.com/W3mdB61OAR
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) May 23, 2024
Engaging and passionate instructors are worth their weight in gold. Our public educational system has been obsessed with indoctrination and activism rather than infusing the power of achievement, accomplishment, and the pure joy of simply learning. Thank God for schools like The Ron Clark Academy, but more importantly, thank God that Ron Clark wants to replicate his methods and pass them down to other educators so that they can revolutionize, innovate, and change a young person’s outcomes, and in turn, change their life.
Here’s the school’s viral story. Eleven minutes and well worth your time.
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