The Postal Service dedicated the Jaime Escalante stamp July 13, saluting the beloved math teacher who used unconventional methods to inspire his students.
“We celebrate Mr. Escalante for his charmed ability to create calm within a landscape of calamity,” said Network Operations VP Robert Cintron, who spoke at the ceremony in Washington, DC.
“As a result of staying committed to his belief that all students can learn, kids who had been written off as undisciplined, uninterested, unmanageable and unruly were given a real opportunity at learning. In return his students showed the world that one opportunity was really all that they needed.”
Other speakers included U.S. Education Secretary John King and actor Edward James Olmos, who played Escalante in the 1988 movie “Stand and Deliver.”
The stamp depicts Escalante in a style meant to resemble an oil painting. He stands in front of a chalkboard where calculus symbols are visible.
Escalante became a hero in the 1980s for his work with inner-city high school students in Los Angeles.
The stamp ceremony was held during a League of United Latin American Citizens convention.
The stamps are available at Post Offices and usps.com.
