When Betsy DeVos was nominated to be Secretary of Education, she became the target of ferocious criticism from Democrats and teachers unions, among others. It was a sign that the road ahead of her would not be easy.

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The Michigan businessman had no experience in government or in education and was best known as a billionaire advocate for charter schools and vouchers. She flubbed a question during her Senate confirmation hearing because she didn’t understand the difference between proficiency (did students meet test standards) and growth (are students improving over time). She was derided for arguing that the threat of grizzly bears justified guns in schools.

Considering the flak she took during her confirmation hearings, it would be understandable if Mrs. DeVos decided to spend her entire tenure as education secretary in Washington, pursuing education reform and dodging teachers, parents, and the press. But that’s not what Mrs. DeVos has been doing.

At the invitation of Van Wert Federation of Teachers president Jeff Hood, Mrs. DeVos not only came to rural northwest Ohio to learn about public schools, but agreed to meet American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten there.

The two women spent a full day in Van Wert, touring schools, talking with students, and learning about programs.

In the end, Ms. Weingarten and Mrs. DeVos agreed to disagree on many policies, which is fine. But their example of civil discourse and honest intellectual debate is heartening. And their willingness to actually get out of Washington and talk about issues among the people actually affected by policy is tremendously refreshing.

Mrs. DeVos has affirmed that her role as the nation’s top education policy official does not mean she has to live in a bubble, ideological or social. In this instance, she showed a willingness to talk to untitled working people in the heartland, which is more than many of her critics are willing to do. Her trip to rural Ohio is a credit to the secretary.

First Published April 28, 2017, 4:00 a.m.