Hundreds gathered at the state Capitol Wednesday to protest Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ arrival in Denver for the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
ALEC is a non-profit funded mostly by corporations and conservative organizations that attempts to mold state governments by providing model legislation to be used by its members in statehouses across the country.
Together, ALEC and DeVos are viewed by progressives as a central threat to public education because they aim to privatize public schools, undermine teacher’s unions, and prioritize corporate agendas over the needs of the nation’s children.
The protest featured a myriad of speakers including State Sen. Andy Kerr, who’s running for Congress in Colorado’s 7th district, and State Rep. Joe Salazar, who’s running for Colorado Attorney General, in addition to teachers and students.
The children in attendance then led the march onto Colfax Ave.
The protest was organized by Tay Anderson, an 18-year-old recent Manual High School graduate who’s running for Denver School Board. He’s been endorsed by several Democratic state lawmakers including Senate Minority Leader Lucia Guzman, State Rep. Jonathan Singer, State Rep. Joe Salazar, and State Sen. Michael Merrifield.
