Republican elected officials from Colorado welcomed conservative leaders from around the country Thursday, arguing that the Centennial State makes the case for school choice efforts.

Speaking at the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual meeting in Denver on was state Treasurer Walker Stapleton, who is considering a run for governor, and state Rep. Owen Hill, R-Colorado Springs, who is hoping to unseat fellow Republican Doug Lamborn in the 5th Congressional District.

Much of the ALEC conference was focused on school choice, including expanding charter and voucher schools, to the chagrin of public school supporters, who protested around the event.

Stapleton, however, said school choice supporters should look no further than Denver, where charter schools have offered a viable alternative to certain failing public schools.

“Welcome to Denver, Colo., living proof that charter schools work,” Stapleton told the gathering of Republican lawmakers and policymakers from around the country.

Hill spoke on a panel presented by Conservative Leaders for Education, of which he is a member. He highlighted the so-called “Colorado growth model,” which recognizes that every child is different and should be treated differently so that they can successfully grow.

“A successful classroom is one that takes all of our students, wherever they start, and make sure that they grow as much as possible in that education,” Hill said.

The opening of the session included a video that featured Durango School District 9-R Superintendent Dan Snowberger, who has pushed for bipartisan education reforms that have at times put him at odds with some members of the left-leaning Durango community.

Hill was asked whether it can be difficult to bridge divides between school administrators and lawmakers. But the state senator said those divides often lead to healthier conversations.

“We all know that we have different standpoints and different perspectives, and we make each other better by that tension,” Hill said. “It’s why we believe in federalism, it’s why we believe in competition. There needs to be some tension.”