RIP Jaime Escalante

[PochoPatriot]

Jaime Escalante, math teacher.

Interesting fellow. He was called a traitor for supporting Prop. 227 (the ending of bilingual education). However, more than anything he helped prove that poor Mexican kids CAN rise to the expectations that are placed before them.

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Thank you Pocho for posting that article. Wow, what a guy.

[ilbegone]

Originally Posted by Jeanfromfillmore

Thank you Pocho for posting that article. Wow, what a guy.

My thoughts exactly.

Unpopular with fellow teachers, he won few major teaching awards in the United States. He liked to be judged by his results, a concept still resisted by the majority of his profession.

As he faced death, it was still the results that mattered to him -- the young minds he held captive three decades ago who today are engineers, lawyers, doctors, teachers and administrators.

"I had many opportunities in this country, but the best I found in East L.A.," he said in one of his last interviews. "I am proudest of my brilliant students."

The link is well clicking.

[PochoPatriot]

The thing about Jaime Escalante is that while teaching is a profession, there are a very, very few that excel as artists. From everything I read about Jaime Escalante, and saw (when he was on television) the man was truly inspired to do what he did.

[Ole Glory]

RIP, Jaime. The world lost a great TEACHER & EDUCATOR! Our loss!

[Patriotic Army Mom]

We need more like he was. RIP.

[Meilia]

Didn't he get fired for essentially being too effective a teacher?

[PochoPatriot]

No, Escalante was not fired. He resigned his position at Garfield High due to political pressures and petty jealousies. His replacement, also left Garfield. Since then the Garfield AP Calculus program went down the crapper.