Ron clark academy biography of barack

It was the way the teacher jumped on his desk refusing to be ignored, pushing a catatonic class beyond the complacency of can’t to a chapter of no excuses that hooked parents.

This Ron Clark. This wiry white guy who turned around test scores in a Harlem hood with shtick, high expectations and whimsically spiked hair.

His passion intrigued them. He was the Johnny Depp of at-risk education. Unorthodox. Funny. Pushy. And famous. A TV movie of his life starred “Chandler” from “Friends.”

Fast-forward a few years, and you have 20 kids in the first graduating class of the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta moving on to schools such as Pace Academy -- with double-digit gains in their test scores.

That success shows the double-edged truth about this new school: It’s possible to help any child to succeed in school, but Ron Clark Academy spends twice as much per student than Georgia’s public schools to make that happen.

“What they do is great; he has a lot of resources that allow them to do wonderful things,” said Cory Buxton, associate professor of middle school education at the University of Georgia. “Not every school is blessed with all of that.”

Excitement about RCA built before there even was a school.

When Clark moved to Georgia, minority parents looking for better educational opportunities traveled across state lines to get their kids in front of him. They wanted in Clark's new private school, which ended up in an old factory near Turner Field, without knowing the cost or curriculum. Some thought getting a seat for their kids would be like hitting the lottery -- a quality education that would open doors to prestigious high schools, colleges and careers.

“I couldn’t download the application fast enough,” said Charlene Avril, a nurse who learned of the school watching the Ron Clark movie. “I believed in the vision he had for the children he was teaching in Harlem. So many schools set the standards too low. I always knew my son could do more.”

Avril, a mother of two

Ron Clark, an internationally recognized educator, will deliver the 2010 Holmes-Hunter Lecture at 2 p.m. Feb. 26 in Hodgson Hall in the Performing Arts Center. The annual lecture honors the first African-American students to enroll at UGA.

Clark, a New York Times best-selling author and regular guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show, first caught national attention when as a teacher he inspired a group of students from low-income households in Harlem, N.Y., to achieve the highest test scores in their school. Clark’s story was developed into a film, which debuted on cable in 2006. Television and movie star Matthew Perry played the role of Ron Clark, and the film and actor earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

In 2003, Clark released The Essential 55, which includes his 55 expectations of students and individuals young and old. His second book, The Excellent 11, was released in 2004 and further captured the attention of parents, educators and students alike.

Clark now heads the Ron Clark Academy in metro Atlanta. The privately-funded school serves students using innovative teaching methods and curriculum based on world travel. Each year students in grades 5 to 8 apply their in-class lessons to international adventures. Each student will have visited six of the seven continents by their graduation date. Oprah Winfrey donated $1.5 million at the end of last year to support the school.

Students from the Ron Clark Academy gained fame during the 2008 election season, when they appeared on CNN, singing “You Can Vote However You Like,” a song they created inspired by rapper T.I.’s hit “Whatever You Like.” They became instant media favorites, appearing on several TV networks and shows, discussing current events, the economy and politics with a sense of composure often attributed to adults.

The students were then ­invited to perform at several inaugural events for President Barack Obama, where they performed another so

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