Eliminating Systemic Racism Starts at the Top | Remark

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The director of the Study Committee on Legislative Education, Rachel Gudgel, has to leave. His very presence in government represents the systemic racism that we must eliminate and hold accountable.

In 2018, our legislature was tasked with taking immediate action to overhaul the state’s education system after Judge Sarah Singleton ruled that New Mexico violated our constitutional mandate to provide adequate and sufficient education, especially to students of color, low income students, English- language learners and students with disabilities. The elimination of the Gudgels is a key part of fulfilling this mandate. His continued presence is far too real an embodiment of failing to stand up for our anti-racism values ​​and truly holding leaders accountable for their words.

Social science research has proven that racist and disparaging words hurt and cause real and lasting damage, especially when it comes from a key leader of the system seeking to educate and empower our young people. Gudgel remaining at the helm means continued pain for our Pueblo and tribal communities, continued pain for our hardworking LESC staff, and continued pain for all New Mexicans, knowing that our education system excuses those who make racist statements and hurtful.

Our system is designed to hold the director of LESC accountable to elected officials, who must ensure that our government is truly representative of our ideals and best interests. Gudgel does not represent us or our values. It does not represent the values ​​of our people. Instead, she has come to represent the change we must undergo to truly transform education and eliminate systemic racism. Responsibility starts at the top and representation matters.

The decision to keep Gudgel in office, even for now, has had a ripple effect on our government. It has undermined our efforts to eradicate systemic racism and caused immense setbacks in our progress in advancing a fair and adequate education system. Unfortunately, these effects will continue to be felt for years to come.

This fallout is directly embodied in the recent resignation of Regis Pecos, a brilliant and loyal leader in the promotion and production of adequate and equitable education in our state. After decades of service in New Mexico, Pecos stepped down as senior political adviser to the majority office of the New Mexico House of Representatives in response to the lack of action around Gudgel, holding us all accountable for the perpetuation of racism and derogatory remarks that stick around as long as she continues in her job.

So far the system put in place to prevent such impunity has failed, so we are launching this public plea for self-responsibility. We ask Gudgel to take responsibility for the weight of his actions and submit his resignation.

If New Mexico is serious about transforming education in our state and rising from our bottom-ranked national ranking, our system must be led by someone who understands the needs of our diverse state and the weight of racist language and derogatory. We must not only recognize the damage caused by such inappropriate words and actions, but also take real and tangible steps to root them out of our system.

As allies of indigenous communities in our own districts and across our beautiful state, we do not support Gudgel or the farce of institutionalism. Rather, we support our communities, our pueblos, our tribes and nations and the future of the children of New Mexico.

Democrats Andrea Romero, District 46, and Linda Serrato, District 45, sit in the New Mexico House of Representatives. Democratic state representatives Kristina Ortez, Roger Montoya, Angelica Rubio, Brittney Barreras and Meredith Dixon also contribute to this article.

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