Jaime Escalante: Education Excellence Means "Do it Right the First Time"
| January 18, 2008 |  View for printing |
This article -- written by Wayne Hanson and Bob Graves -- was originally published in Government Technology's Visions Magazine in December 1998
Jaime Escalante was born in Bolivia, became a teacher in 1952, and later came to the United States. It was at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles that he first attracted worldwide attention His students -- mostly from low-income Spanish-speaking neighborhoods -- tested so high in the prestigious advanced placement test for calculus that he was suspected of cheating. Under close scrutiny, however, observers discovered an exceptional teacher, so exceptional, in fact, that a movie -- "Stand and Deliver" starring Edward James Olmos as Escalante -- was filmed and released in 1988.
Documentary filmmakers have also attempted to capture the classroom magic that transforms kids into bright mathematicians. The 24-part series Futures With Jaime Escalante, helps students connect classroom studies with real-world careers. Futures -- produced by the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE), has received more than 50 awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award. In cooperation with the National School to Work Office and FASE, PBS re-released the series in 1998, with new teacher materials for use in school-to-work programs.
Escalante was interviewed in his final year of teaching in the U.S. at Hiram Johnson High School in Sacramento, Calif..
By Wayne Hanson
Full Story: http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/251178
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