Jaime Escalante Leaves Garfield

As an alumnus of Garfield High School class of 1973, I was greatly saddened by the announcement that Escalante would be vacating his teaching position. Escalante was more than a teacher, he was an inspiration to his students and to the teaching community. He is a shining example of what teaching can be and should be: challenging and exciting.

Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, which is predominantly Latino, became the focus of national attention thanks to the biographical movie “Stand and Deliver.” And for this we owe a debt of gratitude to Escalante for his innovative teaching techniques. There are many other unsung teaching heroes who influenced, nurtured and challenged us to think. I salute all the faculty at Garfield High School.

DELIA REY

Montebello