Hundreds of people gathered at the state capitol today to call on U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to resign. DeVos is in Denver for a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council on Thursday.
In addition to protesting DeVos at the conservative policy advocacy organization gathering, demonstrators spoke against everything from school vouchers and teacher evaluations, to charter schools and high stakes testing.
"Don't be fooled by so-called reformers who claim to be doing this for the sake of the children,” said Democratic State Sen. Mike Merrifield at the rally. “Their true intention is the voucher-ization, the privatization, the corporatization and the profitization of public education."
Local social studies teacher Rhiannon Wenning echoed Merrifield.
"United, we can come together and defeat DeVos and ALEC and their anti-public education and anti-union agenda,” Wenning said.
After the speeches, local lawmakers, union members and students marched down the 16th Street Mall and ended at the Hyatt Regency where the ALEC meeting was being held.
Read More: Betsy DeVos' Latest Speech Draws Protests, Even Before She Speaks
