Education: The Great Separator Should you be rewarded with a better education just because you were lucky enough to be born into the right family? Is it fair to be punished with a poor education for something you have no control over? Shouldn't all Americans receive the same education in public schools? Most Americans would agree that all public schools should provide equal opportunities to all students, regardless of neighborhood or race. A major problem in many schools today is that it is not the students who fail, but the teachers who fail. Even though the film Lean on Me highlights the negatives in our school system, the lack of funding making teachers' jobs more difficult, the lack of motivation for Lean on Me could highlight many negatives in our school system flawed, but there is a positive message behind the story of Mr. Clark and the students of Eastside High. Mr. Clark succeeded despite many difficulties, including uneven funding, unmotivated students and teachers, and a lack of teacher-student relationships. In a neighborhood where drugs are king and gangs control the streets, it takes something as small as one man caring about the future of students to make a difference. The film provides a positive view of why low-income neighborhoods deserve the same educational opportunity as their higher-income counterparts. The only way to solve this problem is to fund each public school based on its expenses. Although Mr. Clark improved test scores and provided a positive influence to students, his solutions fell far short of making Eastside High School equal to others. The film conveys a positive message that no matter where the school is located, students can succeed if teachers care about them and if students are given the tools they need to