Was Mr. Escalante a Good Teacher?

I believe that Mr. Jaime Escalate from the movie "Stand and Deliver" was a good teacher.  He expected dedication and discipline from his students knowing that they would get a good return on their investment.  He also pushed them to do their best and go beyond what they thought that they were capable of.  He believed in them and their abilities.  He made sure everyone knew the rules and made it to class to learn.  He made a contract that he expected the students to follow even though the terms were tough. 

Whenever anyone felt like they wanted to leave and give up, he talked them into staying.  When Angel wanted to join a fight that his gang was involved in, Mr. Escalante held him back so that he would not get in trouble.  Also, when Angel did not want to be seen carrying books, Escalante made sure he had a book for class, home and his locker.  When Claudia left the class, he followed her to talk with her about her issues.  When Ana felt like she was forced to drop put of school to work at her family's restaurant, Mr. Escalante took the time to talk to her father to convince him that staying in school would help the family business better in the long run.  He even went out on a drive with Pancho to prove a point, "All you see is the turn, not the road ahead."

When students struggled with their life outside the classroom, he took the time to turn their attention to the big  picture, life beyond the classroom and high school.  He knew that if they succeeded in high school and moved on to college, they would have a better chance of getting better jobs in the future.  He wanted them to raise the standards for their life.