I would like to take a few moments to recognize the important accomplishments of Jaime Escalante and the tremendous impact he had on his community, California, and the nation.

Jaime Escalante left Bolivia in 1963 seeking a better life here in the United States. An educator back at home, he had to work many odd jobs, teach himself English, and earn another college degree before he could return to the classroom.

The child of two teachers, Jaime became one of the most famous educators in America. In 1974, he took a job at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, California. He found himself in a challenging situation: teaching math to troubled students in a school known for violence and drugs. Though some had dismissed these students as "unteachable," Mr. Escalante strove to get his students to live up to their potential. He started an advanced mathematics program with a handful of students.

In 1982, 18 of his students took and passed an advanced placement test in calculus, with seven of them receiving the highest possible score. Some of the students' test scores were invalidated by the testing company, which believed that the students had cheated. Mr. Escalante protested, saying that the students had been disqualified because they were Hispanic and from a poor school. Vindication came in a retest. Of the 14 accused of wrongdoing, 12 took the exam again and passed.

His classroom challenges and successes were the topic of much public discussion in 1988. That year, his story was the subject of a book entitled Jaime Escalante: The Best Teacher in America and a film called Stand and Deliver. Both educators and students have been inspired by Escalante's work at Garfield inspiring.

I invite all Californians to join me in recognizing and honoring Jaime Escalante for his work, which touched the lives of generations of Americans. He is survived by his wife, his sons, and six grandchildren.