Thousands expected to turn out to hear or protest Betsy DeVos in Bellevue this week
This coming Friday, two big crowds are expected at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue for Betsy DeVos’ first visit to Washington state as U.S. secretary of education.
Inside the posh hotel, the Washington Policy Center is expecting 1,500 people for its sold-out gala, where the minimum ticket price is $350.
Outside, DeVos critics expect an equal number of protesters who see DeVos’ support of charter schools and vouchers as a threat to the nation’s public-school system. Nearly 30 organizations plan to have members there, including the state’s largest teachers union.
Organizers hope it will be one of the biggest DeVos protests yet.
“We’re one of the farthest cities from Washington, D.C., but we feel the ripples of the policy changes just as much as they would be felt in D.C.,” said Sharonne Navas, executive director of the Equity in Education Coalition and an organizer of the rally. “It’s time for (DeVos) to understand that the Seattle area will stand by its progressive ideology.”
Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/thousands-expected-to-turn-out-to-hear-or-protest-betsy-devos-in-bellevue-this-week/