EDUCATOR PROFILE: CONSUELO RODRIGUEZ
EDUCATOR PROFILE: CONSUELO RODRIGUEZ
By Tatiana Villaseñor Carrillo
“We speak English here. You People. Ghetto Language. You’ll do better if you speak English.”
Vocabulary of a white teacher in the 1950s assimilating someone like me.
Consuelo was in the second grade when her teacher, Ms. Wilson, renamed her Conni, a name that would follow her well into her 20s. Conni grew up in San Ho-zay (San José) when Japantown was adjacent to canneries, and the Eastside had still-open orchards. She was renamed at Horace Mann, the “barrio school.” She then moved on to Roosevelt, the barrio junior high school. It was at Roosevelt that Conni had her first internal revolution.
PICO (Pacific Institute for Community Organization) Organizing Principle
“My time at Roosevelt was not a good one academically or otherwise except for this one “Ray of Hope” that saved my life. Her name was Netty Goddard, and she was one of two black teachers. I was acting out in her class one day as I did with the gang girls I hung around with. She pulled me out of the classroom, put me up against the wall, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, I know you care for your friends (bubbles and popcorn, etc.). Still, they have gotten into a lot of trouble, and with just one more incident, they’re going to be kicked out of school and sent to the California Youth Authority. If you continue, this behavior isn’t going to help them any more than it’s going to help you. She continued to talk to me but did so in a way that I knew she really cared for me; then she told me I was bright and that I could if I wanted to become something like a teacher, and then I could really help students like my friends. I just remembered laughing at her and making a smart comment like, “That’s funny, me, a teacher,” but down deep inside, what I remember the most was that no one had ever said anything like this to me before, let alone related to me in this manner. I certainly did not think of myself as “bright,” and having any kind of future, like being a teacher, never entered my head. Well, she became a significant role model even though I continued getting into trouble. Somehow, things changed, and I looked to her even more as a role model.”
Consuelo Rodriguez
RE: Transcription of Tapes: Consuelos’ Interviews with Dr. Steve Arvizu
Date of Interview: June 29, 1994
Location: Monterey Bay Campus
Subject: General Open-ended questions to get a perspective on CR’s background and discrimination at SJSU through some examples.
Public education has long been a tool for assimilating individuals into dominant societal norms, and while its methods have evolved, its function as a gatekeeper remains. The school-to-prison-to-deportation pipeline serves as a stark reminder of these inequalities. The California Youth Authority (CYA), established to manage youthful offenders, has existed since the 1940s and continues to impact marginalized communities disproportionately. Recent reports highlight racial disparities in California's juvenile hall system: Hispanic/Latino youth make up nearly 50% of the population, often reflecting broader socio-economic and systemic challenges, while Black/African American youth account for 25%, despite being a smaller proportion of the state’s overall youth population.
Consuelo’s journey is a testament to the impact of systemic erasure and personal care. Ms. Wilson, a teacher, renamed her, demonstrating how even small acts of assimilation can strip away identity and self-worth. Yet, her encounter with Netty Goddard—a teacher who saw her potential and treated her with compassion—planted a seed of hope and inspired a new trajectory.
Netty’s influence reminds us of the transformative power of representation and genuine care in education. A single voice of encouragement can spark resilience and redefine a child’s future. As we confront ongoing systemic challenges, Consuelo’s lived experiences challenge us to envision a better path forward—one where educators empower rather than erase, and systems uplift rather than oppress.
“How can we be the Netty Goddards of our time? How can we create environments where every child feels seen, valued, and encouraged to dream beyond society’s constraints?”