A small but vocal group of public-education activists protested outside the Boulder office of U.S. Rep. Jared Polis Friday in opposition to choices the governor-elect made for his transition team on education.

According to a Facebook Live feed of the event, about 20 showed up to “call out” Polis’ inclusion of education reformers on the transition team.

The transition team is co-chaired by former Colorado State University President Al Yates and Elaine Gantz Berman, currently a member of the state board of education.

Transition team members include Amie Baca-Ohlert, the president of the Colorado Education Association, the state’s largest teacher union, as well as former state Sen. Polly Baca of Denver, who serves on the board of a charter school network Polis started. Former CU Regent Michael Carrigan is also a member.

But it’s who else got picked for the transition team itself that generated controversy. Protestors who support public schools are keying on several other members.

One is former Democratic state Sen. Michael Johnston, who authored a controversial teacher evaluation bill during his time in the state Senate that teachers and parents claim are driving teachers out of education at a time when the state is experiencing a teacher shortage. Polis endorsed Johnston’s 2010 legislation in a 2013 op-ed where he stated he was proud that the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 10-191.

Johnston ran against Polis in the Democratic gubernatorial primary and lost.

Then there’s Jen Walmer, the head of Democrats for Education Reform in Colorado. DFER’s parent organization in New York is viewed as anti-teachers union and some activists allege it is also pro-voucher.

Former Republican state Rep. Bob Schaffer, a strong proponent of taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools, also is on the transition-team list.

“It’s a list that would make [U.S. Secretary of Education] Betsy DeVos blush, said protestor Hasira Ashemu of Denver.

The activists did not meet with Polis.

Some activists see certain school-district charter schools operated by outside groups, voucher programs to fund private schools, merit pay for teachers and other changes to public-education norms as part of an attempt to privatize education.

During the campaign, Polis – who has founded charter schools for homeless and immigrant children – expressed support for charters. In Congress, where he represents Colorado’s 2nd District, while serving on the House Education and Workforce committee, he advocated for additional federal funding for charter schools.

But Polis also said as a candidate that he opposed using public funds for vouchers going to “unaccountable” private schools and also spoke out against for-profit education.

Ashemu said that Polis had traveled to Five Points, a predominately African-American section of Denver, to seek votes. But when it came time to put together the transition team, the governor-elect “went to rich homes and the money,” he said.

Others pointed out that Polis ran on a platform of full-day kindergarten and pre-school and on improving teacher recruitment, which they said was contradicted by his choices for the transition team.

“Where is the balance?” said one unidentified protestor. She asked why the team does not include a school superintendent, a representative from the Western Slope or San Luis Valley, an expert on early childhood education, community colleges or someone who works with disabled students?

“Your team will not carry through on the initial steps that helped you get elected,” said another activist. “I don’t know if I can trust you to keep your promises … Be true to those who voted for you.”

The Polis website, boldlyforward.co., announced additional volunteers were being sought for the transition teams; the deadline for applying was Thursday.

The group left behind a list of demands in what they want to see in other memberships for the education transition team, which is to be announced sometime Friday.

Luke Ragland of the pro-voucher group Ready Colorado said in a statement that “The CEA is represented on the committee, just as reform advocates are. Apparently for the union, it’s not enough for them to have a seat at the table, but all dissenting voices must be silenced. It’s disappointing, but perhaps not surprising, that the union doesn’t value a diversity of viewpoints. It is ridiculous and counterproductive for the union to protest Bob Schaffer’s inclusion on the committee considering his public charter school has the state’s #1 SAT and ACT scores. Any group that tries to stop the top school operator in Colorado from participating in a discussion on education policy clearly is not prioritizing students.”