Movie Meme Day 08 - Movie that should be required high school viewing

I actually watched this movie in high school.  After we finished the exam for AP Calculus we had about 6 weeks before school ended and an entire period to fill every day.  My teacher decided we must see Stand and Deliver and I've always thought it was fitting.  Edward James Olmos plays Jaime Escalante, a teacher starting at a difficult school, he takes on a particularly difficult class of misfits who can barely do basic math and decides to teach them calculus.  This is the movie that nearly every other "new teacher takes on a difficult class and changes their lives" seems to be based on (at least the more modern ones).  He rags on them, teases, belittles, praises, encourages, and disciplines them.  He won't take crap from anyone. 

Lou Diamond Philips is one of the students and of course has a problem - he's accused of cheating on the test because it's not possible he could have done so well, except that he had a brilliant teacher.  And since he's a tough kid full of pride and hate, he refuses to retake the test the way they want to prove he didn't cheat, and you almost think it will all be for nothing.  Olmos comes along and somehow makes things right.  It's an incredibly moving film and if you ever thought you might be a teacher of any kind, this is amazing.  Check it out. 

Check out the rest of the movie meme