Stand and Deliver Discussion Questions Essays - Film,

Stand and Deliver Discussion Questions What kind of leader is Escalante? In what ways did Escalante (and/or other charac ters) portray Kouzes Posner's Practices of Exemplary Leadership? What role did the school principal play in Escalante's program? Is holding the example of Jaime Escalante up to America and to beginning teachers through the film "Stand and Deliver" a realistic representation of how prospective instructors can be successful in their careers in inner-city public schools? Or , is it an example of why, in inner-city schools and elsewhere, approximately 50% of teachers leave the profession within the first five years? Was Jaime Escalante a true improvement in the system? Or not? Was he an exemplary teacher? Was he a model of change? Or was he a one-of-a-kind flash in the pan? Was h e an example of how change happen s in public schools? An example of why education will not improve, despite the best efforts of the best teachers? Are standout, brilliant teachers like Escalante the answer to a distressed educational system? "Savior" teachers like Olmos's Escalante, Sidney Poitier in "To Sir with Love," (1967) or Michelle Pfeiffer in "Dangerous Minds" (1995) all make for good drama. They sell tickets to the movie theater to moviegoers who wish to be en tertained. But does the exceptional make for good policy when it comes to the everyday exigencies of school reform? Are there thousands of charismatic, highly-skilled, expertly trained, and experienced school teachers ready to imitate Escalante in similar circumstances? Are they r eady to contribute to a qualitative shift in the quality of instruction in struggling schools? Are they willing to work 60 hour weeks giving their all with study sessions before school, visits to student's homes - on their own time? Willing to do it for $40,000 per year? And when success in your job is far from assured? Escalante after all, in real life, found his position and program at Garfield undermined by the jealousies of the teachers' union and school administration second-guessing. Can a talented and dedicated leader thrive over the long-term in the dysfunctional, unprofessional atmosphere which so often typifies the American public school system? Source: http://www.rjgeib.com/biography/inner-city-blues/stand-and-deliver-review.htm