jaime escalante dies of cancer (Stand and Deliver powerful movie.). Video

The math teacher at a tough East Los Angeles high school who inspired the movie "Stand and Deliver," has died. He was 79.A family friend says Jaime Escalante died Tuesday in Reno, Nev., where he was undergoing treatment for bladder cancer. An immigrant from Bolivia, he transformed Garfield High School by motivating struggling students to tackle and excel at advanced math and science. The school had more Advanced Placement calculus students than all but three other public high schools in the country. Edward James Olmos played Escalante in the film based on his story. Olmos says Escalante proved that inner city students can perform at the highest levels, and left an important legacy for American education. Crime \| Government \| Medical marijuana \| Education \| Prop 8 \| Traffic \| Westside « Previous Post \| LA NOW Home \| Next Post » Legendary East LA math teacher Jaime Escalante dies at 79 March 30, 2010 \| 5:07 pm Legendary Garfield High School math teacher Jaime Escalante, who was immortalized in the film "Stand and Deliver," died Tuesday afternoon after battling cancer. Escalante died at 2:27 pm at the home of his son, Jaime Jr., in Roseville, Calif., said actor Edward James Olmos, who portrayed Escalante in the film. "He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren," said Olmos, who drove Escalante from a Reno hospital Monday night to Roseville. Olmos said he was notified by the family several minutes after Escalante died. Escalante, 79, helped turn the math program at ...