Education lifted him from the barrio. He paid it forward in Fort Worth schools
Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Italo Carl Candoli and General Dynamics Vice President of Engineering Charlie Anderson agreed in 1981 to partner in improving the schools' curriculum and to instruct teachers about applicable math and science skills.
Anderson sought to cut down the training time for new hires, seeking a more educated crop of applicants. For example, Fort Worth instructors were teaching drafting by hand when General Dynamics was using computers for blueprint drawings.
Anderson assigned Steve (Estevan) De Leon, aeronautics engineer and University of Texas graduate, as a loaned executive to the district in 1982-1984. Born and raised in San Antonio's barrio west side, De Leon knew a good education opened opportunities to aspiring students and a way out of poverty. Ms. Wharton, Brackenridge High School math teacher, recognized his math aptitude and encouraged him to pursue a science career. De Leon intentionally took her math classes for four years, seeking her guidance and encouragement.
After high school, De Leon took an entry test for a jet engine mechanic at Kelly Air Force Base. Scoring high, he landed the job, earning a salary higher than most new hires. He joined the Air Force reserves and went active duty in 1964 to maintain search and rescue helicopters in the 48th Air Rescue Service in Vietnam. De Leon said he learned in the service the importance of working as a team, especially in war.
After six years of military service, he yearned to learn more about aeronautics and entered UT engineering school in 1972. As one of few Latino aeronautic majors, he offered the dean of engineering, Earnest F. Gloyna, his recruiting skills to attract more Latino/a people, Black people, and women to the school. He assured the dean he and other Latino engineering students would more successfully attract minority students than a professional recruitment company. He founded the Pi Sigma Pi Society in 1972 and co-founded the Texas Alliance for Minority Engineers (TAME) in 1976 to increase the number of minority engineers.
The UT dean recommended De Leon to Anderson to help recruit more minority engineers to General Dynamics. At the time, the federal government pressured the company to diversify its staff. De Leon quickly proved his worth as an engineer, recruiter, and executive in the community.
When Candoli asked for a General Dynamics partnership, De Leon fit the specifications to represent the company in the 'Partners in Education' endeavor. He recruited PhD physicists and engineers to the classrooms to teach science and math. He and other engineers reviewed the district's science and math text books and wrote practical applications. For example, the formula for calculating volume was applied to determining the volume of fuel in airplane wings. De Leon coordinated the donations of computers and calculators to FWISD schools.
To assist the district's science and math teachers, De Leon organized one-day symposiums at the General Dynamics Training Center on how to teach practical engineering skills. He established a homework hotline to assist students from single-parent families or parents who didn't finish high school. Manned by engineers and teachers, the hotline guided students through their science and math assignments. Hotline tutors referenced the same textbooks that the students studied.
Impressed with the success of the General Dynamics/FWISD partnership, Candoli and De Leon expanded the partnerships to several businesses. The program developed into Adopt-A-School in 1982 with IBM, Bell Helicopter, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and other major Tarrant County companies. Corporations parented adopted schools with their expertise, resources, and time on behalf of students and teachers. Dr. H. Richard O'Neal, president of the FWISD school board, sounded a familiar note in the 1985 Adopt-A-School Annual Report, saying, 'Many people these days bemoan the state of public education. But here in Fort Worth, we have a loyal and dedicated cadre of businessmen and women who are taking action rather than complaining.' Candoli stated, 'Every segment of our school district has been favorably impacted. ... For teachers and other staff members, Adopt-A-School volunteers have lightened the workload while enriching classes.'
For example, Criminal Court Judge Pete Perez, Justice of the Peace Manuel Valdez, Domestic Relations Court Judge Maryellen Hicks, and other judicial staff and attorneys mentored Polytechnic High School students two hours a day. They provided tours of courtrooms, explained legal procedures, and offered internships.
Another example: Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and Northside High School teamed up to provide tours of the college, taught how to scrub for surgery, allowed school staff to attend medical lectures, and hired students as summer research assistants.
In 1985, Candoli wrote a glowing evaluation of De Leon's loaned executive work to Anderson. He stated, 'Steve De Leon is totally committed to the role that business and industry must play in the improvement of education. ... (He) gave a bit extra in encouraging and assisting minority students to participate in rigorous academic programs.'
Jaime Escalante, esteemed calculus teacher of Mexican American students in East Los Angeles, told his students, like the Mayans, math was in their blood. De Leon, a former Fort Worth resident who today lives in North Richland Hills, proved his veins flowed with math cells and compassion. His calculus for soaring educational success was the partnering of business smarts, receptive students, and a cooperative school district.
Author Richard J. Gonzales writes and speaks about Fort Worth, national and international Latino history.
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