Jaime Escalante

Jaime Escalante (b. December 31, 1930) is a former Garfield High School (Los Angeles Unified School District) mathematics teacher who achieved national fame when his highly successful math class was dramatized in Stand and Deliver.

History

Jaime Escalante was born in La Paz, Bolivia. While living in Bolivia he taught physics and mathematics for 14 years. In 1964 he decided to move to the United States. To prepare himself he started studying science and mathematics at Universidad de Puerto Rico. Upon moving from Puerto Rico to California Jaime still could not speak english, and had no valid American teaching credentials. To rectify this he studied at night at Pasadena City College to earn a degree in electronics. At this point he took a day job while continuing his schooling at night to earn a mathematics degree at California State University where he studied calculus under the noted professor Louis Leithold.

Related Topics:
La Paz - Bolivia - Physics - Mathematics - 1964 - Universidad de Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico - California - English - Pasadena City College - California State University - Louis Leithold

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In 1976 he began teaching at Garfield High School, in East Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California). Initially Escalante was so disheartened by the lack of preparation in his students that he called his former employer and asked for his old job back. Jaime evantually changed his mind about returning to work when he found 12 students willing to take an algebra class.

Related Topics:
1976 - Garfield High School - East Los Angeles - Los Angeles County - California - Algebra

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The school administration opposed Escalante frequently during his first few years. He was even threatened with dismissal by an assistant principal because he was coming in too early, leaving too late, and failing to get administrative permission to raise funds to pay for his students' Advanced Placement tests. This opposition changed with arrival of a new principal in the form of Henry Gradillas. Gradillas saw a more serious academic environment at Garfield, reducing the number of basic math classes and requiring that those taking basic math had to concurrently take algebra. He denied extracurricular activities to students who failed to maintain a C average and new students who failed basic skill tests.

Related Topics:
Advanced Placement test - Henry Gradillas

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Escalante continued to teach at Garfield but it would not be until 1979 that Escalante would actually instruct his first calculus class. Escalante did this in the hopes that it could provide the leverage to improve lower level math courses. To this end Escalante recruited fellow teacher Ben Jimenez and taught calculus to 5 students, 2 of whom passed the A.P. calculus test. The following year the class had increased in size to 9 students, 7 of whom passed the A.P. calculus test. By 1981 the class had increased to 15 students, 14 of which passed.

Related Topics:
1979 - Calculus - 1981

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In 1982 he came into the national spotlight when 18 of his students passed the Advanced Placement calculus exam. The Educational Testing Service found these scores to be suspect and asked 14 of those who passed to take the exam again. 12 of the 14 agreed to retake the test and did well enough to have their scores reinstated.

Related Topics:
1982 - Educational Testing Service

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In 1983 the number of students enrolling and passing the A.P. calculus test increased over 100 percent. That year 33 students took the exam and 30 passed. That year Escalante also started teaching calculus at East Los Angeles College.

Related Topics:
1983 - East Los Angeles College

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By 1987 the program had escalated to the point where 73 students passed the A.P. calculus AB exam and another 12 students passed the BC version of the test usually reserved for second year calculus students. This was the peak for the calculus program. The same year Gradillas went on sabbatical to finish his doctorate with hopes that he could be reinstated as principal at Garfield or a similar school with similar programs upon his return. Gradillas?s replacement Maria Elena Tostado, did not share his views on education. Due to this, the relationship between administration and Escalante became strained.

Related Topics:
1987 - Maria Elena Tostado

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1988 saw the release of a book ' by Jay Mathews (ISBN 0805011951) and a movie Stand and Deliver detailing the events of 1982. During this time teachers and other interested observers asked to sit in on his classes. Jaime also received visits from political leaders and celebrities, including then President George H.W. Bush and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, Escalante has described the film as "90% truth, 10% drama". Several points he says were left out of the film:

Related Topics:
1988 - Stand and Deliver - 1982 - George H.W. Bush - Arnold Schwarzenegger

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:* It took him several years to achieve the kind of success shown in the film.

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:* In no case was a student who didn't know multiplication tables or fractions taught calculus in a single year.

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:* Escalante suffered a gall-bladder attack, not a heart attack. This distinction was clouded in the movie.

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Over the next few years Escalante?s calculus program continued to grow but not without its own price. Tensions that surfaced when his career began at Garfield escalated. In his final years at Garfield, Escalante received threats and hate mail from various individuals.

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By 1990 he had lost the math department chairmanship. At this point Escalante?s math enrichment program had grown to 400+ students. Jaime?s class sizes had increased to over 50 students in some cases. This was far beyond the 35 student limit set by the Union and in turn increased criticism of Escalante?s work.

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In 1991, the number of Garfield students taking advanced placement examinations in math and other subjects jumped to 570. That same year, citing faculty politics and petty jealousies Escalante left Garfield with Ben Jimenez. Angelo Villavicencio took the reigns of the program after their departure and taught the remaining 107 A.P. students in 2 classes for the next year. 67 of Villavicencio?s students went on to take the A.P. exam, and 47 passed. Villavicencio?s request for a third class due to class size was denied and the following spring he followed Escalante and quit Garfield. Upon his departure Escalante found immediate employment from the Sacramento, California school system.

Related Topics:
1991 - Angelo Villavicencio - Sacramento, California

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Since his departure the value of Escalante to the math program had become immediately apparently. In the space of just a few years, Garfield experienced a sevenfold drop in the number of A.P. calculus students passing their exams. In 1996 Escalante contacted Garfield?s new principal, Tony Garcia, and offered to come back to help revive the dying calculus program. This offer was subsequently rejected.

Related Topics:
1996 - Tony Garcia

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In 2001, after many years of preparing teenagers for the AP calculus exam, Escalante retired to his native Bolivia. He is living in his wife?s hometown and teaching part time at the local university. He returns to the United States frequently to visit his children.

Related Topics:
2001 - Calculus - Bolivia

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