Stand and Deliver notes

Garfield High School is in the middle of the hispanic neighborhood ghetto.

Escalante arrives to teach computer class, there are no computers. Disrespectful students with no discipline or order.  Some students don’t speak English, only Spanish.

Escalante goes to car to find radio stolen. He lives in a nice neighborhood. Neighbor comments about Escalante being laid off, escalante comments that he chose to teach high school.

Student walks in while they are discussing math percentages. He walks in like he has a chip on his shoulder and supplies a note. Student is disrespectful and flips teacher off.  Has student remain after class, some boys in glasses looking tough walk in and pat teacher in face.

Mr. Escalante is walking with friend. Fight on other side of the fence, it is the student who flipped him off earlier.

Student walks in to Mr. Escalantes room, with his tough friends. Teacher mentions multiplication, and that students who add and subtract equal gas pumpers. Student “finger man” says it is better to steal from a gas station.  Teachers offers an algebra  equation, “finger man” struggles to answer.  Negative times neg equals positive.

Staff meeting, debating resources and the school being on probation.  Students will rise the level of expectations.

Mr escalante declares daily quiz, and that real life will be hard on them so will he. One of the “tough” students walk away. New student arrives to fill his seat.  Student who walked out approached escalante in hall for help with his education.  3 books, 1 for class, 1 for home, 1 for locker so no one else thinks he is pursueing his education.

Students are sitting for lunch, discussing Escalantes hard class and the schools failure. Students plan to fail test. 

Day of test, 10 min to take test.  Female student refuses to take test. Every one calls to give her the chair.  She is sat directly in front of class while everyone continues testing.

The student who decided to get his education undercover is at home studying. Walks away to hang out with his gang.  Girl who refused test is at home putting away dinner and babysitting children. Her mother arrives home from working all day and goes straight to the couch, girl is studying when mother tells her to turn off the light.

Wants an education gangster was busy all weekend and tired. He arrives to class late, and is refused class. Kid gives a speech  ultimately is allowed to remain in class. More bad news he forgot his pencil. Quiet girl offers her pencil saying today was her last day.

Mr. Escalante goes to restaurant and calls out the waitress’s inability to add. Anna is needed at the family restaurant, and father is refusing to allow her education.

Class is clapping a tune. Mr. Escalante produces a math problem relating to students lifestyle.  No one has the answer until Anna returned to class and gave correct answer.

Teacher asks principal if he could teach calculus, principal laughs. Other teachers debate it as ridiculous, that the students could not handle it. She debates with Mr Escalante saying it would shatter the childrens self confidence.

Blistering heat in hallway, everyone is passing around oranges. 

Mr Escalante is walking with a fellow teacher. When trash cans and seats are tossed from above. Gangsters running around with chains.  Mr escalante chases them until they hop a fence.

Kids are given a contract in order to test for calculus. Students are offered calculus an hour before class, and students will receive college credit for passing.

Girl student asks mom to sign, she says boys don’t like it if girls are too smart, and signs it. One student does not get his paper signed, he is offered a good job instead.  

Day of calculus most students come.

Class is running late, girl leaves. Teacher follows her out, she is crying because her family and relationships are being affected by class.

Wants an education kid is at hospital with his grandma, asks nurse to be prioritized. He is blown off.

A student has a fit because he cannot finish a calculus problem on board.  Student  whose grandma was sick arrives late. When told to leave he tosses a chair and leaves.

Mr. Escalante is talking on phone while is family is waiting to eat.  When he sits his wife is discontent with his priorities. The student with a sick grandma arrives with his grandma and invites himself in.

Mr. escalante is speaking basic sentences with adults in a class of adults. He walks out looking pained, and has a heart attack on the stairs.

Calculus students sit in class discussing Mr. Escalante’s burn out. When two begin to fight the principal comes in to inform them that he would be ok.  A substitute arrives to teach students, but has never taught calculus.

Mr Escalante is in the hospital and is informed he should not stress or work at all for a month. He requests a new doctor.

Mr Escalante sneaks into class, and continues his class.

Calculus final, students are busy working.

Garfield has the highest number of passing calculus students in all of SoCal. The entire class passed.

The test is kicked back, and the board claims that everyone copied from each other.

Board is questioning the children as to whether they cheated or not.

Mr. Escalantes car is missing from the school parking lot.

Mr Escalante approaches board member investigators. Questioning why the students were being accused of cheating.  The students had answered too quickly and not enough average incorrect. He argues that it is based on racism.

Students decide to retake test. Students arrive to retake test.

There is a misunderstanding with the second test.  All 18 students passed, again.

Mr. Escalante was a successful teacher because he always raised the bar for the students,  he refused to accept that they could not be educated. He used real life situations in his curriculum. He was passionate about his work, and refused to be told what the kids could and could not acheive.