The board of Denver Public Schools is nonpartisan by definition, and pro-education reform by inclination. Some of its key policy positions, like its support for charter schools, originally hailed from the right of center in their political evolution.

Yet, none of that is about to smooth over the board’s displeasure with the Republican administration of President Donald Trump and his controversial education secretary, billionaire Betsy DeVos. Particularly after DeVos dissed Denver’s school system, essentially by questioning its commitment to school choice.

Besides, Denver is overwhelmingly Democratic even if that theoretically doesn’t matter in school board politics. So, the risks of taking on Trump are low.

Hence, the board’s approval last week of resolutions denouncing the Trump administration’s education budget and DeVos’s views on school choice.

Chalkbeat Colorado’s Eric Gorski reports:

The board is trying to draw a stark contrast between DeVos-style reforms and those carried out in Denver Public Schools over the past decade…

…“We are witnessing an assault on public education in this country, both through the budget and the appointment of what I think most of us would agree is the least qualified secretary of education ever appointed to that office,” said board member Mike Johnson…

…The resolution also amounts to a pre-emptive strike ahead of what should be a contentious school board campaign. Opponents of the incumbent school board members are all but certain to try to link them to DeVos and Trump, not exactly popular figures in heavily Democratic Denver.