It Takes Ganas
“Ganas” is a Spanish word meaning “motivation sufficient to act.” It was a word often used by Jaime Escalante, the former Garfield High School teacher who was the inspiration for the movie “Stand and Deliver.” As the education world sadly learned on Tuesday, Jaime lost his valiant battle with bladder cancer at the age of 79 in the company of family and friends. He helped transform a tough East Los Angeles high school by motivating his students to master advanced math and erase the stereotype held by many that inner-city students cannot perform at the highest levels.
Listening to an appreciation of Jaime on NPR as I drove to school, I was again reminded about the selfless deeds of a great educator. It also confirmed the chance we have as teachers to change a student’s life and, quite possibly, an entire education system. An immigrant from Bolivia, Jaime taught AP Calculus and other math courses for 20 years to students from one of the poorest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. His students faced incredible odds. However, Jaime, a tireless advocate and motivator, helped them recognize their true potential, as he broke down even their own misconceptions about what poor and minority students are capable of achieving.
Some Unanswered Questions About ESEA
This post will be the first in a multi-part, multi-blog reflection on this topic. Be sure to read down to the bottom to see who will pick up the discussion after I leave off.
Today I had the opportunity to listen to a webinar conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, which coordinated with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to invite National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) to participate in a discussion of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, (ESEA, also known as No Child Left Behind in its most recent incarnation). In preparation for Congressional work on ESEA, the DOE has released its Blueprint For Reform.
Though I have found myself disappointed in Arne Duncan more often than not, I appreciate his longstanding support for NBPTS. The National Board is one of the best hopes we have for building the profession of teaching across the country, and it is fitting that NBCTs and other teaching experts should be consulted about this important legislation.
Judy Wurtzel spoke on behalf of the DOE, and after using up half of the time presenting the administration’s plan, she took some questions about it. Not exactly a discussion – it sounded more like a friendly press