This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

After the Democrats held the Senate floor overnight in a last-ditch effort to stop Betsy DeVos from becoming the next secretary of education, she was confirmed thanks to the first ever tie-breaker from a vice president in our nation's history. Parents of children with special needs who receive vital services from public schools are scared of the implications of this appointment. During her confirmation hearings, DeVos revealed a lack of understanding of basic education policy, most troubling perhaps her disregard for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as well as FAPE, which guarantees Free Appropriate Public Education. DeVos neither understands nor agrees with enforcing these vital laws, leaving parents worried for the future of their children's educations.

Before having my own children and leaving the world of full-time employment, I was a public school teacher. I stumbled into the job at first, during a time when one wasn't required to have a degree in education in order to teach. I had a passion for literature and a love for sharing it with others, and I foolishly thought that would suffice. It was a trial by fire, for certain, and I owe my survival of that first quarter to all of my colleagues. Their dedication to the students superseded their frustrations with my lack of experience. For the sake of our students, they sacrificed their precious little free time in order to help me become a good teacher, because that is what teachers do. They offer their time for the sake of their students.

Parents of children with special needs hear DeVos' lack of regard for their students when she expresses confusion over the meaning of IDEA and FAPE. Before these federal protections, students had no right to education. If parents didn't have the financial means to provide an alternative, they often had no choice but to place their children in institutions.

I cannot imagine the fear of losing my child's educational opportunities because of the ineptitude of the secretary of education. But what I learned in my seven years as a public school educator is that teachers are a rebellious lot. You can throw all manner of rules and regulations at them, and they will find workarounds in order to teach their students.

During the No Child Left Behind years, for example, my colleagues and I were expected to prove a percentage of growth that did not take into account the fact that a large chunk of our student population had been in the country less than a year. And so we stayed late and brainstormed creative ways to help our students meet these goals. Incentive programs were created offering pizza lunches, movie passes, anything that would motivate the middle schoolers to work harder. Games and other creative lesson plans helped students learn in months what their peers had taken years to master. In spite of seemingly insurmountable odds, our students reached the progress goal.

My principal, a man who got up ahead of the sun in order to get to school before his staff and students, used his afternoons and weekend to assist our technology coordinator with a "Young Black Scholars" program providing much needed mentorship to many of our students.

When bullying became prevalent in our hallways, the assistant principal and two teachers met for several weeks outside of school hours in order to plan a Day of Peace for the entire school. Students were provided space to express their fears and concerns, while teachers worked to improve the safety of our classrooms.

During any given lunch or planning period, before or after school, and even on weekends, my colleagues were in their classrooms offering extra lessons, homework help, hosting reading groups, or even just providing a listening ear for their students. Contractually, this time was ours for planning and grading. In reality, these hours were sorely needed in order to prepare our students for standardized testing.

Whether the student had a formal diagnosis or an Individualized Education Plan in place, our teachers worked tirelessly to help each one succeed. As a teacher, I thought our school was unique. Now a parent, I realize that this is what teachers do. Sometimes when I drive by the building on my way to my child's dance lessons or soccer practice, I notice that the same cars I saw early that morning are still parked in the lot. Twelve-hour days are standard for teachers.

People like DeVos who have no experience in education foolishly push the narrative that schools should be run like businesses. They look at test scores and grade data and see broken products rolling out on a faulty assembly line instead of human beings.

But instead of seeing products, teachers see people. People who are not disposable. Teachers see determination and drive and they seek to nurture their students. Teachers place value on growth, even when they are required to also prove proficiency.

To the parents of the 1 in 8 students in America who currently rely on public education to provide special-education services, I want you to know that while DeVos may not see you, your child's teachers do. They know this will not be easy, but they will continue to provide an education to your child, even if it means their lunch breaks, their planning periods, their weekends. They are not deterred by policies and politicians. Teachers know that policies and politicians come and go quickly, and so they focus on what matters most: your children.

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Morson is a freelance writer from the suburbs of Annapolis, Md.