| What: |
The Postal Service is issuing a First-Class Mail Forever Stamp honoring Jaime Escalante, the East Los Angeles teacher whose inspirational methods inspired his inner-city students to master calculus. The stamp is being dedicated during the annual convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price. |
| Who: |
Robert Cintron, USPS Vice President, Network Operations |
| Where: |
Washington Hilton |
| When: |
Wednesday, July 13, 2016, 11:00 a.m. |
| Background: |
Celebrated teacher Jaime Escalante (1930–2010) demonstrated that with hard work and determination supposedly “unteachable” students could learn even the most difficult subjects. Born in La Paz, Bolivia, Escalante became a math teacher in the United States in the early 1970s. A few years after Escalante began teaching at Garfield High School, he offered to teach a calculus class. His classes would allow students to take college-level courses and would prepare them to take the Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus Exam. Calculus was a demanding subject, and Escalante expected commitment from his students, who attended special classes both before and after school and during the summer. He promoted a team spirit and did not tolerate anyone missing class or homework. Four of the students from his first class of five passed the notoriously difficult AP exam in 1979. Two years later, 14 of the 15 students who took the test passed. In 1982, when 14 of his students were accused of cheating on the exam, Escalante suspected the reason was that they were Mexican Americans from a low-income area of Los Angeles. Twelve of the 14 retook the exam, a different version from the first, and all passed. The story of the dedicated teacher and his students attracted national attention with the release of the 1988 movie Stand and Deliver. Escalante became one of the most famous teachers in America, and in 1989 he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Jaime Escalante believed that a teacher’s role was to encourage students to set high goals and to achieve beyond their expectations. His legacy lives on in all teachers who see the potential in each of their students. The digital illustration by Jason Seiler depicts Escalante in a style meant to resemble an oil painting. Escalante stands in front of a chalkboard on which calculus symbols are visible. He is wearing his signature flat cap, looking forward toward the viewer. The illustration is based on a photograph taken by Jaime W. Escalante, on May 6, 2005, in the actual classroom at Hiram Johnson High School in Sacramento, California, where his father formerly taught. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Seiler. Find more information about the new stamp at usps.com/stamps, facebook.com/uspsstamps or uspsstamps.com The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. |
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