It must be hard to look on the bright side when you’ve just been told that you’re losing your job. Somehow, Florida school bus driver Martha Brown was able to do just that.

After she and many of her coworkers were laid off, Brown was interviewed for a story by News4Jax.com. The outlook she shared with the local media outlet was this:

“They got to make cuts somewhere, and I would rather — as much as I hate to say it — I would much rather see us be cut than a teacher.”

As sad as this story is, it’s encouraging to hear from another school bus driver who is so dedicated to the educational process. Despite her own misfortune, she sees the silver lining: preserving the people directly responsible for teaching the kids.

Still, school bus drivers are a critical link in the educational process. More than 20 million children across the U.S. rely on the yellow bus every day to get to and from school.

Budget woes are prompting many school districts to reduce transportation services. Unfortunately, this forces children to use other modes of transportation that aren’t as safe as the school bus. And a successful school day has to begin with a safe trip.

— Thomas McMahon, Executive Editor