The confirmation of Betsy DeVos is demeaning to public education and insulting to public school educators. Unless someone has stood before a classroom of kids, they will never understand the work teachers do.

There is so much more to teaching, especially in a public school setting, than purveying the subject matter you were hired to teach. You mentor, coach, advise, distribute Band-Aids and Kleenex, listen, parent. You open your wallets to provide school supplies, teaching materials and more. You glean food, clothing and household goods from your own home to assist students and families in need. You even share your own lunch with a hungry kid.

Each day you stand before a diverse group — different colors, different cultures, different languages, different learning styles, different learning abilities and different perspectives on why they are in your classroom. Your days, evenings, weekends and summers are spent grading, assessing, writing IEPs and strategizing. It is all-consuming work — exhausting, frustrating, sometimes frightening. Teachers are superheroes.

Betsy DeVos is now the secretary of education. You can expect dumbfounding and ridiculous legislation coming from the office of someone who doesn't have a clue about the scope and complexity of your work. Ms. DeVos' future is uncertain. Somewhere down the road, she will disappear and be forgotten.

When you face your class today, tomorrow and beyond, know that it is you who knows what is right and good for the kids in your care. You are smart, passionate and resilient. You make a difference each and every day. Stay strong.

Nanci Paulson, Camarillo

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