Grantcoulson's Blog

      Do not think about, write about or deal with  human behavior without determining the effects of incentives.

    I join many others in commemorating the life of Jaime Escalante, extraordinary teacher and example. This fine man passed away in California on March 30, 2010 at the age of 79 after a life well-lived.

    He was the subject of many articles, several books and the movie Stand and Deliver. Escalante was rightly famous for his work with students from poverty in East Central Los Angeles emphasizing ganas, desire or motivation. Many of these students went on to further success after completing Advanced Placement Calculus, taught by Escalante. His results were so striking that he and his students were accused of cheating. No one could credit the results to good teaching.

    Mr. Escalante overcame bureaucratic hostility and indifference which bedeviled his teaching career in California.

    Here’s to someone who made a difference.

Cheerio and ttfn,
Grant Coulson
Cui Bono–Cherchez les Contingencies

This entry was posted on March 31, 2010 at 2:49 am and is filed under Education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.