Michael Beach as Mr. Larry Darnell Ethan Phillips as Mr. Rosenberg Sandra Reaves-Phillips as Mrs. Powers Sloane Shelton as Mrs. Hamilton Jermaine 'Huggy' Hopkins as Thomas Sams Karen Malina White as Kaneesha Carter Karina Arroyave as Maria Ivonne Coll as Mrs. Santos Regina Taylor as Mrs. Carter Michael P. Moran as Mr. Ed O'Malley John Ring as Fire Chief Gaines Tyrone Jackson as Clarence Alex Romaguera as "Kid" Ray Tony Todd as William Wright, Dean of Security Mike Starr as Mr. Zirella Riff (Michael Best, Steven Capers Jr., Anthony Fuller, Dwayne Jones, and Kenneth Kelly) as the Eastside Songbirds Yvette Hawkins as Mrs. Arthur Nicole Quinn as Lillian Elsie Hilario as Louisa Michael A. Joseph as Brian Banes (drug dealer who threatens Clark with switchblade) Richard Grusin as Mr. Danley Jim Moody as Mr. Lott (prologue) Veniece Ross as Sally Raul Gonzales as Ramon Johanna "Luz" Tolentino as Conchita Andre Howell as Reggie Nancy Gathers as Tanya Corey Ginn as Charles Yale Marina Durell as Miss Ruiz Nathalee Fairmon as Herself Reverend Herschell Slappy as Himself Todd Alexander as Derrick Anthony Figueroa as Hoodlum at Microphone Delilah Cotto as Chita Frances Sousa as Francesca Robert Kamlot as Photographer Linda M. Salgado as Herself Markus Toure Boddie as Himself Ashon Curvy as Himself Michael Imperioli as George (student who gets "expurgated") Marcella Lowery as Mrs. Richards Jennifer McComb as Ellen (Clark's student in prologue) Knowl Johnson as Tom (Clark's student in prologue) Anthony G. Avildsen (the director's real-life son) as Clark's student in prologue Heather Rose Dominic as Stacey (Clark's student in prologue) Bruce Malmuth as the Burger Joint Manager Mushond "Steven" Lee as Richard Armand Jose R. Severino as John Jones Cole Dragone as Boss David Nelson as Real Student Music Songs included in the film include: "Eastside High School Alma Mater", written by Catherine Peragallo Miller "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses "I Ain't Makin' It" by Daddy-O and DBC "Lean on Me" by Thelma Houston "Lean on Me" by Club Nouveau "Rap Summary (Lean on Me)" by Big Daddy Kane "You are the one" by TKA "Skeezer" by Roxanne Shante "After 12" by Force M.D.'s "All the way to love" by Siedah Garrett "Everybody is somebody" by RIFF, Teen Dream, and Taja Sevelle "Hit the road Jack" by Percy Mayfield Reception On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 68%, based on