"Teaching is, I believe (and I run the serious risk of sounding preachy here), actually noble work. It's my third career and it's the hardest job I've ever had and the most rewarding job I've ever had, too. It's so important, yet a good part of the ethos behind the money machine that DeVos represents would put that noble work on the chopping block in the service of profit.
If we really valued education as a society and put the interests of the kids first, we would go through hell or high water to make sure that teachers have the resources they need to do their job as well as they possibly can. You know, the old saying about how it would be nice if the schools had all the money they needed and the Navy had to have a bake sale to get another aircraft carrier. But the Republicans appear willing to wreck the entire system, and that feels pretty scary.
I think my reaction [to Betsy DeVos's confirmation] was similar to the one I had the day after the election: dismay seasoned with a dash of despair and dread. Where to start? It feels utterly demoralizing to see such a completely incompetent person buy their way into such a critically important job at the top of my profession, especially when there are countless other people who are far more qualified. It feels like my profession has been profoundly devalued.
My heart sank when I heard the news, especially because it had seemed like there was some chance at least a couple of Republicans would 'see the light' and stand up to this completely incompetent appointment. I was texting with another teacher and the discussion turned to [DeVos's confirmation]. We reminded each other that the answer to the despair is what we do every day anyway, and that is to focus on the kids. They give me hope every day, they make me smile, and they help me to forget, even if for just a brief moment, the perils we face."
