Jaime Escalante, The 'Stand and Deliver' Teacher, Has Died... Plus Updates, Including Memorial Services and Tributes

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/garfield-high-pays-tribute-to-jaim...

Garfield High pays tribute to Jaime Escalante
April 1, 2010 | 9:34 am

Garfield High School students and staff joined other guests Thursday to pay tribute to legendary former calculus teacher Jaime Escalante.

The memorial service honoring Escalante, who died of bladder cancer Tuesday at age 79, was held at the high school in East Los Angeles where he taught from 1974 to 1991. About 200 attended, said Principal Jose Huerta.

“The event was just amazing,” said Huerta, describing the music and eulogies. “It was a great honor to hold such an event. It was beautiful.”

Sandra Poindexter, Ben Welsh Los Angeles Times

Escalante was renowned for instilling confidence in his students and believing that each of them had the potential to succeed. His efforts were remembered in the 1988 film “Stand and Deliver.”

The Los Angeles Unified School District announced Wednesday that a new auditorium under construction at Garfield High would be named in honor the beloved educator.

“Jaime Escalante was more than a great teacher,” school board member Yolie Flores said in a statement. "He was a great visionary who saw in his students their potential for greatness and used his gift as an educator to help them realize they could soar academically.”

Escalante had high expectations for students in his Advanced Placement calculus class, most whom came from low-income, inner-city families.

When the high AP calculus exam scores of 14 of his students were challenged in 1982 by authorities, Escalante encouraged the students to retake the test; and 12 of them passed the second time around.

“The students whose lives he changed remain the true testament to his life’s work,” President Obama said in a statement Wednesday. “Throughout his career Jaime opened the doors of success and higher education for his students one by one and proved that where a person came from did not have to determine how far they could go.”

Huerta said the educator will never be forgotten.

“The memory of Mr. Escalante will never fade from Garfield High,” Huerta said. “We continue his belief system of making our students the very best.”

-- Ann M. Simmons

Photos: Students at Garfield High School observe a moment of silence on the front steps of the East L.A. campus Thursday to honor former calculus teacher Jaime Escalante, who died Tuesday of bladder cancer Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Photo gallery: Garfield High pays tribute to Jaime Escalante

Mar 30, 2010 7:31 pm US/Pacific
Governor and Senator React To Jaime Escalante's Death
SACRAMENTO (CBS) ―

David McNew/Getty Images

* Teacher Who Inspired 'Stand and Deliver' Dies
(3/31/2010)

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement regarding the death of Jaime Escalante:

"Jaime Escalante shared in my belief that anything is possible in California. He put everything he had into becoming an inspirational teacher whose passion, commitment and belief that all students can achieve excellence set an example for us all.

His talent, hard work and dedication in the classroom changed the lives of countless students and I am fortunate to have known him. On behalf of all Californians, Maria and I send our thoughts and prayers to Jaime's family and friends as they reflect back on his extraordinary life."

Senator Gloria Romero (D-East L.A.) also issued a statement regarding Escalante's passing.

"Jaime Escalante had an incredible vision for what our community could achieve. So much of his message can be summed up in one word – ganas. He taught his students, and all of us, so much more than math. He taught us to believe in ourselves, believe in our communities and that it is possible to realize our dreams. He stood and delivered on that belief and we are all the better for it. Jaime Escalante didn't only instill the importance of an education – he taught us to fight for the American dream with everything we have."

http://cbs2.com/local/governor.schwarzenegger.jaime.2.1601073.html

http://cbs2.com/local/Jaime.Escalante.Teacher.2.1604639.html

Apr 1, 2010 9:15 am US/Pacific

Students Honor Beloved Teacher Jaime Escalante

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―

Jaime Escalante, who inspired the film "Stand and Deliver," died Tuesday at age 79 after a long battle with cancer.

Garfield High School students, teachers and alumni are remembering inspirational teacher Jaime Escalante.

The school held a flag-raising ceremony at 7 a.m., which involved the school's junior ROTC contingent, band and drill team.

The "Stand and Deliver" teacher helped transformed the tough East Los Angeles high school by motivating struggling inner-city students to master advanced math.

Escalante died Tuesday at age 79 after battling cancer for several years, family friend Keith Miller said.

Elsa Bolado, 45, one of his former pupils, says Escalante used his outsized personality to goad his working-class Mexican-American students to succeed.

Bolado, now an elementary school teacher and trainer, remembers the way he built her confidence with long hours of solving problems and how he inspired her career choice with his unorthodox approach to learning.

"Teaching is an art form. There's a lot of practitioners and very few artists. He was a master artist," she said.

An immigrant from Bolivia, he overhauled Garfield High School's math curriculum and pushed his students to do their best until the school had more advanced placement calculus students than all but four other public high schools in the country.

Edward James Olmos played Escalante in the 1988 film based on his story.

"Jaime exposed one of the most dangerous myths of our time -- that inner city students can't be expected to perform at the highest levels," Olmos said. "Because of him, that destructive idea has been shattered forever."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Escalante "shared in my belief that anything is possible in California."

"He put everything he had into becoming an inspirational teacher whose passion, commitment and belief that all students can achieve excellence set an example for us all," Schwarzenegger said. "His talent, hard work and dedication in the classroom changed the lives of countless students."

Escalante was a teacher in La Paz before he emigrated to the United States. He had to study English at night for years to get his California teaching credentials and return to the classroom.

At first he was discouraged by Garfield's "culture of low expectations, gang activity and administrative apathy," Miller said. Gradually, his long hours in the classroom paid off and dozens of his students passed the test year after year.

Bolado took the AP calculus test in 1982, the year that testing officials made some Garfield students retake it because they were suspicious that so many of Escalante's students had passed.

She said 14 students were asked to take the test again months later and all 12 who did passed.

"To this day, I still think of the example he set -- the study skills, how not to give up," said Bolado, 45. "I revert back to that every time things get rough."

Escalante left Garfield in 1991, taught at schools in Sacramento and retired to Bolivia in 2001.

The cast of "Stand and Deliver" recently appealed for donations to help Escalante pay for his alternative cancer treatments.

He is survived by his wife, two sons and six grandchildren.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/LA-Teacher-Jaime-Escalante-Stand-an...

Teacher Lives in Students' "Hearts and Memories"
Escalante had been in Nevada for bladder cancer treatment
By JONATHAN LLOYD and OLSEN EBRIGHT - NBC L.A.
Updated 11:53 AM PDT, Wed, Mar 31, 2010

He was the math teacher who taught students about humanity. Jaime Escalante, the former Garfield High School math teacher who inspired the film "Stand and Deliver," died Tuesday at age 79.

Escalante had been in Reno, Nev., for the past month being treated for bladder cancer. Actor Edward James Olmos, who portrayed Escalante in "Stand and Deliver," told the Los Angeles Times that Escalante died at 2:27 p.m. in Roseville, Calif., at the home of his son, Jaime Jr.

"He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren," Olmos told The Times.

He said he drove Escalante from the Reno hospital to Roseville Monday night.

A posting on the Garfield High School Facebook page read, "Our condolences to his family. He will forever live in our hearts and memories. The entire Garfield community and East L.A. extends our gratitude to God for allowing Mr. Escalante to grace us with his love and kindness."

Escalante used his outsized personality to goad his working-class Mexican-American students to succeed, said Elsa Bolado, 45, one of his former pupils. Bolado, now an elementary school teacher and trainer, remembers Escalante's charisma, the way he built her confidence with long hours of solving problems and how he inspired her career choice with his unorthodox approach to learning.

"Teaching is an art form. There's a lot of practicioners and very few artists. He was a master artist," she said.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Escalante "shared in my belief that anything is possible in California."

"He put everything he had into becoming an inspirational teacher whose passion, commitment and belief that all students can achieve excellence set an example for us all," Schwarzenegger said. "His talent, hard work and dedication in the classroom changed the lives of countless students."

Sen. Gloria Romero, D-East Los Angeles, whose district includes Garfield High School, said Escalante "had an incredible vision for what our community could achieve."

"So much of his message can be summed up in one word -- ganas," said Romero, a candidate for state superintendent of public instruction in the June election. "He taught his students, and all of us, so much more than math. He taught us to believe in ourselves, believe in our communities and that it is possible to realize our dreams."

Born in La Paz, Bolivia, Escalante was credited with turning the East Los Angeles high school into a breeding ground for successful math and science students.

News of Escalante's illness broke earlier this month, prompting widespread calls for donations to help with his medical care. A March 6 fundraiser was attended by Olmos, some of Escalante's former students and some cast members of the film.

Escalante taught at Garfield for 17 years, but left in 1991, teaching in Sacramento and eventually in his native Bolivia.

"The entire LAUSD family today mourns the loss of Jaime Escalante, one of the finest educators this district has had the privilege to work with," Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Ramon Cortines said.

During his tenure at Garfield High School, many of our students excelled in learning, aspired to a higher education and went on to become very successful in various careers.

"Today, they are living testaments to a teacher who demonstrated how high expectations, coupled with constant support, can overcome obstacles to a quality education. He will be missed."

Click on link for: In Memoriam: "Stand and Deliver" Teacher Jaime Escalante Dead

http://www.thefutureschannel.com/img/jaime_escalante/jaime_escalante_classroom.j...

Maestro Escalante's classroom at Garfield High School

http://www.garfieldhs.org/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=133748&id=0&rn=...

FROM GARFIELD HIGH SCHOOL...

News and Announcements

Jaime Escalante

One of our finest has passed away. The Bulldog Community remembers "Kimo", a great educator!

“The entire LAUSD family today mourns the loss of Jaime Escalante, one of the finest educators this District has had the privilege to work with. During his tenure at Garfield High School many of our students excelled in learning, aspired to a higher education and went on to become very successful in various careers. Today, they are living testaments to a teacher who demonstrated how high expectations, coupled with constant support, can overcome obstacles to a quality education. He will be missed.” - LAUSD

Tomorrow at 7:00 am, April 1st, we will have a a tribute to Mr. Jaime Escalante with the ROTC, Leadership students, Band and Drill and alumni in front of the school. Everyone is invited to attend to commemorate his legacy. Our condolences to his family and friends.

A college scholarship fund will be created on his behalf for Garfield Students. If you would like to donate you may send donations to our school and labeled Garfield High School Scholarship Fund-Jaime Escalante.

GHS Administration.

http://www.thefutureschannel.com/jaime_escalante.php

Jaime Escalante passed away on Tuesday, March 30, 2010. He will be deeply missed.

In addition to being profiled in the film “Stand and Deliver”, Jaime Escalante had his own television program on PBS in the 1990s.

Scientists, astronauts, engineers and celebrities visited his classroom and talked with his students about how math is used every day in a wide variety of careers.

The series was one of the most popular PBS programs and was watched in thousands of classrooms every week.

Thank you Jaime for your legacy.
Watch highlights from Jaime's TV series
Jaime Escalante and James Cameron
Escalante and Director James Cameron (video)

Shortly after the release of The Abyss, director James Cameron visited Jaime Escalante’s math classroom for an episode of the popular PBS series: Futures with Jaime Escalante.

What’s remarkable is that though STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) was not a buzzword 20 years ago, James’ message to students could be repeated word for word today and be just as accurate and topical.

Jaime Escalante Bio

In 1974, Mr. Escalante was hired as a basic mathematics teacher at Garfield High School, a troubled inner-city school in East Los Angeles. He attracted national attention with his spectacular success teaching advanced mathematics to gang members and other students who had been considered "unteachable."

Garfield High School
Jaime Escalante Math Program

In this personal account, Jaime Escalante lays out the fundamental principles that are the foundation of his teaching methods and provides a detailed overview of the famous Escalante Math Program at Garfield High in East Los Angeles. This article was first published in the Journal of Negro Education in 1990.

Jaime Escalante Video
Jaime Escalante On Being A Teacher (Video)

Watch a video interview in which Jaime Escalante talks about what it takes to succeed at one of the most important jobs.

CLICK ON THE LINK TO LEARNS LOTS MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT HUMAN BEING.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125398451

Jaime Escalante's Legacy: Teaching Hope

by Claudio Sanchez - NPR

Click on article link to listen to the story on "All Things Considered."

March 31, 2010

For 20 years, Jaime Escalante taught calculus and advanced math at Garfield High School in one of East Los Angeles' most notorious barrios, a place where poor, hardened street kids were not supposed to master mathematics, and certainly not algebra, trigonometry, calculus.

But Escalante believed that a teacher should never, ever let a student give up.

"You have to love the subject you teach and you have to love the kids and make them see that they have a chance, opportunity in this country to become whatever they want to," he told NPR several years ago.

The Bolivian-born teacher, who inspired the 1988 movie Stand and Deliver, died Tuesday at 79 after a long battle with cancer. Escalante may not have become a household name after Hollywood captured his remarkable story, but he possessed an enduring gift: He could inspire, cajole, even taunt young, troubled kids to see themselves not as they were but as they could be.

To make it, Escalante often said, you need ganas, Spanish for desire and drive. Ganas was Escalante's battle cry, not just in motivating his students, but every time he chided apathetic administrators and jaded teachers. Stand and Deliver captures the tension perfectly in a scene when Escalante, played by Edward James Olmos, announces he wants to teach calculus and his colleagues think it's a joke.

Escalante would later say that Stand and Deliver was 90 percent truth, 10 percent drama. His biggest complaint was that the movie left the impression that his students, most of whom were struggling with multiplication tables, mastered calculus overnight.

Fact is, Escalante's kids ate, slept and lived mathematics. They arrived an hour before school and stayed two, three hours after school. Escalante drilled them on Saturdays and made summer school mandatory. Some parents hated it, and they let Escalante know it.

Escalante's remarkable success at Garfield High got lots of attention, not all of it good. In 1982, all 18 of his advanced math students passed the calculus AP (advanced placement) test, a college-level exam. The test maker accused the students of cheating, though, and Escalante accused the test maker of racism. The students retook the test and passed again with pretty high scores.

By 1991, 600 Garfield students were taking advanced placement exams, not just in math, but in other subjects, which was unheard of at the time. That year, though, Escalante resigned, in part because he was tired of the run-ins with fellow teachers who viewed him as a prima donna.

Years later, it pained Escalante to hear parents complain that Garfield's math curriculum had been dumbed down. Still, he had fond memories of Garfield High and said he wanted to be "remembered as a teacher, picturing that potential everywhere."

You can't be a good teacher unless you see the potential in every student, he said. He believed this to his core. That's what made Jaime Escalante such a great teacher.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n-njTteDnPw/R2CryWVfcfI/AAAAAAAAB04/lNv5dyUbmZQ/s320/J...

http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/kabc/cms_exf_2007/news/local/los_angeles/10033...

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa presents Jaime Escalante with an award. (KABC Photo)

http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/kabc/cms_exf_2007/news/local/los_angeles/00040...

In this April 6, 2000 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. George W. Bush, left, smiles as he is introduced by Jaime Escalante, right, during a leadership forum at Charles E. Mack School in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo / Rich Pedroncelli, File)

http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/kabc/cms_exf_2007/news/local/los_angeles/88050...

Jaime Escalante, whose math classes were portrayed in the movie "Stand and Deliver," listens as Vice President George Bush answers questions from students during a visit to Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, Calif., on May 5, 1988. Bush is wearing a jacket presented to him by Escalante. (AP Photo / Douglas C. Pizac)

http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/kabc/cms_exf_2007/news/local/los_angeles/88030...

This March 9, 1988 file provided by Warner Bros., shows actor Edward James Olmos, left, comparing notes with high school teacher Jaime Escalante during the filming of the Warner Bros. film "Stand And Deliver," in Los Angeles. (AP Photo / Warner Bros., File)

http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/kabc/cms_exf_2007/news/local/los_angeles/02041...

This April 17, 2002 file photo shows U.S. Secretary of Education, Rod Paige, left, introducing educator Jaime Escalante, the Los Angeles math teacher who was the subject of the film "Stand and Deliver," in Las Vegas.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/wire/sns-ap-us-obit-jaime-escalante,0,...

East LA math teacher who inspired 'Stand and Deliver,' transformed school with calculus, dies

RAQUEL MARIA DILLON Associated Press Writer

March 31, 2010 | 3:37 a.m
. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jaime Escalante transformed a tough East Los Angeles high school by motivating struggling inner-city students to master advanced math, became one of America's most famous teachers and inspired the movie "Stand and Deliver."

He died Tuesday at age 79 after battling cancer for several years, family friend Keith Miller said.

Escalante used his outsized personality to goad his working-class Mexican-American students to succeed, said Elsa Bolado, 45, one of his former pupils.

Bolado, now an elementary school teacher and trainer, remembers Escalante's charisma, the way he built her confidence with long hours of solving problems and how he inspired her career choice with his unorthodox approach to learning.

"Teaching is an art form. There's a lot of practicioners and very few artists. He was a master artist," she said.

An immigrant from Bolivia, he overhauled Garfield High School's math curriculum and pushed his students to do their best until the school had more advanced placement calculus students than all but four other public high schools in the country.

Edward James Olmos played Escalante in the 1988 film based on his story.

"Jaime exposed one of the most dangerous myths of our time — that inner city students can't be expected to perform at the highest levels," Olmos said. "Because of him, that destructive idea has been shattered forever."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Escalante "shared in my belief that anything is possible in California."

"He put everything he had into becoming an inspirational teacher whose passion, commitment and belief that all students can achieve excellence set an example for us all," Schwarzenegger said. "His talent, hard work and dedication in the classroom changed the lives of countless students."

Escalante was a teacher in La Paz before he emigrated to the U.S. He had to study English at night for years to get his California teaching credentials and return to the classroom.

At first he was discouraged by Garfield's "culture of low expectations, gang activity and administrative apathy," Miller said. Gradually his long hours in the classroom paid off and dozens of his students passed the test year after year.

Bolado took the AP calculus test in 1982, the year that testing officials made some Garfield students retake it because they were suspicious that so many of Escalante's students had passed. She said 14 students were asked to take the test again months later and all 12 who did passed.

"To this day, I still think of the example he set — the study skills, how not to give up," said Bolado, 45. "I revert back to that every time things get rough."

Escalante left Garfield in 1991, taught at schools in Sacramento and retired to Bolivia in 2001.

The cast of "Stand and Deliver" recently appealed for donations to help Escalante pay for his alternative cancer treatments.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, and six grandchildren.

http://www.thefutureschannel.com/img/jaime_escalante/jaime_escalante_class.jpg

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/03/president-obama-pays-tribute-to-ja...

President Obama pays tribute to Jaime Escalante
March 31, 2010 | 1:39 pm

A day after Jaime Escalante’s death, President Obama issued a statement praising the maverick math teacher.

“Throughout his career Jaime opened the doors of success and higher education for his students one by one, and proved that where a person came from did not have to determine how far they could go,” Obama said.

Escalante, a Bolivian immigrant whose tough standards and charismatic teaching style inspired the film “Stand and Deliver,” died Tuesday at age 79.

Several tributes are planned. A memorial service for Escalante will be held at 7 a.m. Thursday outside Garfield High School, where he taught.

Here is Obama's statement:

"I was saddened to hear about the passing of Jaime Escalante today. While most of us got to know him through the movie that depicted his work teaching inner-city students calculus, the students whose lives he changed remain the true testament to his life’s work. Throughout his career Jaime opened the doors of success and higher education for his students one by one, and proved that where a person came from did not have to determine how far they could go. He instilled knowledge in his students, but more importantly he helped them find the passion and the will to fulfill their potential. Jaime’s story became famous. But he represented countless, valiant teachers throughout our country whose great works are known only to the young people whose lives they change. Michelle and I offer our condolences to Jaime’s family, and to all those who knew him and whose lives he touched."

-- Kate Linthicum

http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/kabc/cms_exf_2007/news/local/los_angeles/88031...

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7360973&cmp=emc-kabc-Eyewitness_News,_Southern_Californias_News_Leader-033110-top2-7360973

Escalante inspired inner-city students, U.S.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010

EAST LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- He inspired countless students and was the subject of the 1988 film "Stand and Deliver." Former Garfield High School math teacher Jaime Escalante is being remembered on Wednesday following his death from cancer at the age of 79.

Escalante died on Tuesday at his son's home near Sacramento surrounded by his children and grandchildren.

Outside James A. Garfield High School, the flag flew at half-staff to mark Escalante's death. He is widely considered one of America's most successful teachers.

'Stand and Deliver' teacher dies at 79

He taught at Garfield High for 17 years, and by the time he left in 1991, he had elevated the school's math program to one of the best in the country.

"Whenever I meet people across the nation, they always, 'Did you know Mr. Escalante? What was it like?'" said Garfield High School Vice Principal Ramiro Robalcaba. "He just inspired students, parents and teachers across the nation."

Robalcaba graduated from Garfield High School a few years after Escalante left.

Escalante was originally a teacher in Bolivia who immigrated to the U.S. He had to study English at night for years before he could get his California teaching credentials, but when he did, he put them to good use.

"He really put the school on the map. The entire nation knows Garfield High School, and we owe that to him," Robalcaba said.

Despite a low-income inner-city student body, Escalante produced some of the best math and science students in the country. He was the inspiration for the "Stand and Deliver," starring Edward James Olmos.

Nearly 20 years after he left Garfield, Escalante's achievements seemed lost on many students.

"He was a teacher here?" asked one student

"I heard that he was a teacher here, and that they made a movie, and mostly, that's all I know," said student Evelyn Martinez.

"He was a good teacher. He got all his students to pass that test. Yeah, he was a good teacher here," said student Cesar Jauregy.

But parent Tony Perez said he still remembered Escalante's greatness. His son was one of Escalante's students who now works as a computer engineer for Hewlett-Packard.

"I called him last night, I told him, and he got really sad because it really changed his whole life," he said.

Garfield administrators said they have grief counselors on hand to meet with faculty members who worked with Escalante.

Administrators are planning a memorial service for Thursday at 7 a.m. Students, teachers and community members are all invited.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FFMz8JRg8Y8/0.jpg

Jaime Escalante

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/30/entertainment/main6348394.shtml

Another news item

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7359386

Garfield High teacher Jamie Escalante dies
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
ABC7 Eyewitness News (KABC Photo)

Legendary Garfield High teacher Jaime Escalante, subject of the 1988 film "Stand and Deliver," has died. He was 79.

Vanessa Marquez, an actress and friend of Escalante's who held a fundraiser for Escalante, said he died at about 2:30 p.m. at his home in Sacramento with his family at his side.

Escalante had moved to Sacramento to be closer to Reno, Nevada, where he was undergoing treatment for bladder cancer.

James A. Garfield Senior High School posted a statement on its Web site and on its Facebook page:

"Jaime Escalante has passed away. Our condolences to his family. He will forever live in our hearts and memories. The entire Garfield community and East L.A. extends our gratitude to God for allowing Mr. Escalante to grace us with his love and kindness."

http://fasenet.org/images/escalante.jpg