Movie Stand and Deliver

Stand and Deliver

Ramon Menendez's 1988 film Stand and Deliver portrays one teacher's impact on a class of underachieving high school students. Jaime A. Escalante quits a lucrative job in the tech sector to become an underpaid, underappreciated high school teacher in East Los Angeles. Although he was slated to teach computers to the underprivileged students, Escalante is forced to teach generic math because the district hasn't provided the school with any computers. Initially resistant to their new teacher, the students at Garfield High warm up to and gradually begin to admire and respect their role model. Even the most rebellious kids in the class respond to Escalante's unorthodox yet effective teaching methods. Inspired by the results, Escalante decides to offer advanced placement (A.P.) calculus to the Garfield students on weekends and throughout the summer. Their hard work pays off and the entire class of eighteen students passes the A.P. test and receives college credits. However, the results are so unusual, especially given the demographic of the school, that district officials accuse the class of organized cheating. Angry but undaunted by this setback, Escalante urges his students to retake the test to prove their merit. Again, all eighteen students pass the A.P. exam. Their universal success is matched in successive school years due mainly to Escalante's unwavering efforts. Based on a true story, Stand and Deliver concludes with figures from 1982, the year in which the film was set, through 1987: 18 students passed in 1982; 31 students in 1983; 63 in 1984; 77 in 1985; 78 in 1986; and 87 in 1987.

Jaime Escalante, the film's protagonist, exhibits an incredible amount of patience, wisdom, and humor in his approach to an unruly classroom. Because he can relate to his students linguistically and culturally, Escalante is especially able to affect their self-perception and their views on education. Besides Escalante, central figures in the film include students like Angel, Pancho, Sophia, Claudia, and Ana. Some of the students like Angel feel torn between the allure of gang life and the promise of a better future though academic achievement. Others, like Ana and Pancho are pressured not by their peers but by their family to drop out of school early so they can work. The students' parents therefore considerably impact the plot and outcome of the movie. Moreover, Drs. Ramirez and Pearson from the Educational Testing Service and Garfield administrative staff like Principle Molina's secretary Estelle affect the course of the film, as they display their biases and prejudices about the students. Set in East Los Angeles, the story specifically addresses ethnic and class conflicts that plague most American urban neighborhoods and prevent minority students from reaching their highest academic potential. Stand and Deliver motivates all educators and potential educators to approach their jobs with more awareness, effort, compassion, and respect for diversity.

One of the early scenes of the movie demonstrates one of the key reasons for Escalante's success. When he first walks into the chaotic classroom, Escalante addresses the class in both English and Spanish, asking that all Spanish-speaking students come to the front of the room. His respect for non-English speaking students is echoed in later scenes of the film as well; in fact, this theme runs throughout Stand and Deliver as being one of the most effective means by which Escalante gets through to his Hispanic students. Moreover, about twenty minutes into the film, Escalante explains that the mathematical concept of zero was invented by the Mayans: "Your ancestors," he adds with emphasis. This statement engenders ethnic pride, which is sorely lacking in American public schools. Moreover, the word "ganas," repeated throughout the film and related to its title, has more impact on the students because it is a Spanish word. Therefore, as a teacher, Escalante demonstrates an amazing level of cultural awareness and sensitivity; as a Hispanic male, Escalante becomes an ideal role model for his students.

Besides encouraging pride in the students' backgrounds and cultures through language and cultural references, Escalante treats the individual students with respect. Moreover, he is able to level with them and relate to their adolescent lingo and attitudes. One of the ways the teacher does this is through the humorous nicknames he tags onto the students, such as "Finger Man," for the kid who gave him the middle finger and "Net Head" for Angel, who wears a hair net. Turning the students' rebelliousness into respect by playfully teasing them is Escalante's unique gift and is one of the main reasons why he succeeds in what could otherwise be a hostile, threatening environment. In fact, Escalante remains unintimidated by the bullies early in the story and later accepts Angel's offer of "protection" in exchange for extra school books. Escalante therefore shows a unique ability to overcome generational differences by relating to his students on their level, in their language. Moreover, Escalante's unorthodox sense of humor also appeals to the students; humor is so often found lacking in the classroom and can be a powerful tool of learning. Escalante uses verbal and dramatic humor directly to teach math; for instance, he chops apples with a giant cleaver so the class can learn fractions. While a giant cleaver would not be a permissible prop in today's classrooms, this kind of demonstrative, interactive, and fun teaching style gets unmotivated students involved and interested in learning.

Escalante's sense of humor ties in with his creative methodology in the classroom. As his teasing indicates, he is not afraid to make fun of the students' egos or self-images. Escalante capitalizes on peer pressure by exaggerating this essential element of adolescence. For example, about one half-hour through the film, he humiliates Sophia when she will not participate by making her sit in a chair in front of the room. When Escalante drives Pancho's TransAm, he uses the opportunity to teach him a valuable lesson: "All you see is the turn; you don't see the road ahead." Pancho knows he can make "more money than you do," as a car mechanic, but eventually chooses to take the A.P. exam with the rest of the class. Escalante motivates his students to succeed by placing their personal pride at stake. However, Escalante does not take his teasing to an extreme. For instance, when Claudia storms out of the room after his comment about her many boyfriends, he follows her out, proving he genuinely cares.

These are but a few examples of the fact that Escalante genuinely cares for each student as an individual; he does not view them collectively as a mass. In fact, Escalante's willingness to relate to the students on a personal level is one of the main reasons he succeeds as a teacher. For example, he visits Ana's family restaurant knowing that her parents pulled her out of school to work and talks one on one with her father to persuade him into letting his daughter maximize her potential in math.