Jaime Escalánte, the 1988 Hispanic Heritage Awards Honoree for Education, is considered a visionary and a hero. Since gaining national recognition for his success in teaching advanced mathematics to students deemed “unteachable,” he has been highly revered by educators, business professionals and political leaders.
After establishing his teaching career in his native Bolivia, Jaime moved to the United States in 1964, where he pursued additional credentials and degrees while learning English and working day jobs. In 1976, he began teaching at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, motivating students to overcome obstacles and pass the AP calculus exam. When the Educational Testing Service suspected cheating, the students took the test a second time and passed. The controversy made Jaime a national hero, and highlighted his innovative approach of inspiring students through “ganas” – the belief that desire, practice and clear concepts lead to academic excellence.
An outspoken educator, Jaime has promoted high standards of excellence in both learning and teaching. In 1997, he joined the “English for the Children” campaign as Honorary Chairman, helping to promote monolingual education. A number of books have been written about his life, including Jaime Escalánte: Inspiring Educator (1998), Jaime Escalante: Sensational Teacher (1996) and Escalante: the Best Teacher in America (1989) – which inspired the acclaimed 1988 film, Stand and Deliver and subsequent 1989 paperback. Public television’s FUTURES with Jaime Escalánte has helped students connect their school studies with real-world careers. As the most popular classroom program in the history of PBS, it has been honored with more than 50 awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award, the highest honor in broadcasting. PBS re-released the 24-part series in 1998, with new teaching materials for school-to-work programs.
Jaime retired to Bolivia in 2001 – but his legacy lives on in the United States. In Los Angeles, a large mural of Jaime and Edward James Olmos, who portrayed him in Stand and Deliver, faces a major intersection. In 1999, Jaime was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. His other honors include the Presidential Medal for Excellence in Education, the Organization of American States’ Andres Bello Award and the Freedom Forum’s Free Spirit Award. He holds numerous Honorary Doctorates from prestigious higher education institutions, and advanced training and tutoring programs have been named after him. Most remarkably, Jaime’s students – currently working as doctors, engineers, economists, publicists and attorneys – stand as living testaments to his unparalleled commitment to education.
