Hundreds Gather to Resist DeVos in Denver

This morning, several hundred people gathered in downtown Denver in support of public education as part of a Resist DeVos rally.

A coalition of public education and teachers union supporters marched from the state Capitol to the Hyatt Regency hotel. Some estimates put the crowd at close to two thousand strong.

Hundreds of conservative lawmakers, and thinkers are convening there for the annual meeting of ALEC – the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group that has successfully advocated for “free market principles” in state legislatures across the country. ALEC has supported legislation that favors charter schools and voucher programs which critics say siphons money away from public schools.

Activists and protesters were rallying today because of the presence of Betsy Devos, the controversial Secretary of Education, who addressed the meeting this morning. DeVos, a billionaire and an advocate of school choice, charter schools and voucher programs, has close ties to ALEC.

The Alec meeting runs from today through Friday, to be followed up by a convention of the Western Conservative Summit, another conservative organization which the Denver Post describes as comprising conservative Christians across the region.

A large protest rally is expected on Friday morning at the Convention Center to coincide with Donald Trump’s schedule speech at the opening of the Western Conservative Summit.

KGNU’s Jim Banks spoke with some of the protestors attending today’s Resist DeVos rally.