The Ron Clark Story
2006 television film directed by Randa Haines
The Ron Clark Story (also known as The Triumph) is a 2006 American television film starring Matthew Perry. The film is based on the educator Ron Clark. It follows the tale of an idealistic teacher who leaves his small hometown to teach in a New York City public school, where he faces trouble with the students.
The film was directed by Randa Haines, and was released directly on television, premiering on TNT on August 13, 2006 and was later released on DVD in the 10 Movie Kid's Pack Volume 3 by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment in 2011.
Plot
In 1998, Ron Clark – known for his innovative teaching methods that leads his students in raising test scores – leaves North Carolina to look for a new job in New York City. After some time working as a restaurant waiter, he eventually settles on an elementary school in inner Harlem – where students are sorted according to their potential. His first days as a sixth-grade teacher are stressful, as he faces resistance from some of the disruptive students of the sixth grade – listed with the lowest of their scores – who disregard or outright ignore Clark. At one point, he violently slams down the table of 12-year-old Shameika Wallace in frustration when she and many other students continually disrespect him.
Distraught at his actions, Clark initially considers resigning but eventually returns to teaching after Marissa Vega, one of his colleagues from his restaurant job, convinces him to stay. He spends several months teaching basic curriculum all while improving his relationship with his students by making deals and engaging in their hobbies.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “The Ron Clark Story” as 2006 television film directed by Randa Haines. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as 2006 television film directed by Randa Haines. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1765262. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2006, 2011 and 1998.
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This entry incorporates text from “The Ron Clark Story” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.