Jaime Escalante

Jaime Escalante obituary, Los Angeles, CA

Jaime Escalante

Jaime Escalante Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Mar. 30, 2010.
(Associated Press) By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON Associated Press Writer LOS ANGELES Jaime Escalante, the math teacher who transformed a tough East Los Angeles high school and inspired the movie "Stand and Deliver," died Tuesday. He was 79. Escalante died at his son's home near Sacramento, after battling bladder cancer for several years, family friend Keith Miller said. An immigrant from Bolivia, he transformed Garfield High School by motivating struggling students to excel at advanced math and science. 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." 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, he overhauled the school's math curriculum and enabled students who were previously considered unteachable to master the advanced placement calculus test. He 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 - and 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. Bolado took the AP calculus test in 1982, the year that testing officials made 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.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

How to support Jaime's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.

Read more
Attending a Funeral: What to Know

You have funeral questions, we have answers.

Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?

What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?

Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?

We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.

Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
Estate Settlement Guide

If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast

Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.

Read more
The Five Stages of Grief

They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.

Read more
Ways to honor Jaime Escalante's life and legacy
Obituary Examples

You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples

These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.

Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?

Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.

Read more

Sign Jaime Escalante's Guest Book

Not sure what to say?