Stand and Deliver

It's not that they're stupid, they just don't know anything
Stand and deliver is one of my favorite movies. It's the story of a man who begins teaching at a high school in the slums of Los Angeles, expecting to teach Computer Science. When he arrives what he instead finds is that there is not computer department, and he's stuck teaching basic math to a bunch of social misfits. The beginning of this movie sets the stage wonderfully by showing us the kind of people who inhabit the city as he drives through it on the way to the first day of school. When he arrives at the school we see the students in their natural environment (and a rough one it is). What is a teacher to do?

The protagonist of this awe-inspiring story (Jaime Escalante) is a wonderful example of what can happen when a person chooses to adapt to certain environments and NOT adapt to others. When he's given the task of educating a group of kids that includes some scary gang-member type looking kids, instead of acting like a teacher he acts tough right back (reminding them...

compellingly entertaining
Stand and Deliver, directed by Ramón Menéndez and starring Edward James Olmos, is an entertaining dramatic retelling of a true story about what one man can accomplish when he dedicates his life to serving others.

The film contrasts the results of an educational system where no one cares enough to do anything more than to emptily, heartlessly "go through the motions," with what can be achieved through the labors of a single teacher who cares enough to demand more. The film argues for this more caring kind of educator. Each contrast suggests the inherent superiority of educators putting more than just their time into teaching their students; they must put in their hearts and souls as well.

The story is told from a several perspectives. The primary perspective is that of Jaime Escalante, a man who leaves the private sector to teach public High School in Eastern Los Angeles. There are a couple of secondary perspectives told concurrently with that of...

Educational and thought-provoking lesson about dreams.
STAND AND DELIVER is one of the best movies to show to high school kids, whether you're a parent or a teacher. Real life math teacher Jaime Escalante, protrayed by Edward James Olmos, teaches his students more than adding and subracting fractions in the cruel setting of East Los Angeles. He shows them how to stretch beyond their limited lives and to rise to their dreams, and he teaches them how to stand up after the world tries to crush their hopes. I show this movie every year to my 8th grade math students, and when the ending credits are rolling, they are always stunned silent, unable to speak. They love STAND AND DELIVER!

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