Teachers and other educators are “so upset over the pro-charter privatization and cuts to federal funding Secretary DeVos has put forward and continues to support” that “they want to vocally and demonstratively show their displeasure,” said Phyllis Robinette, president of the Pikes Peak Education Association.

DeVos has proposed cutting $7.1 billion from the 2020 federal education budget, compared with what lawmakers budgeted this year.

She promotes school choice and assistance for students to attend charter or private schools, which teachers unions say hurts traditional schools.

DeVos also believes that any student can learn, regardless of what ZIP code a family lives in, and advocates for equal access to school choice for low-income students.

Parents Challenge founder Steve Schuck has been friends with DeVos for decades and has worked with her on school choice initiatives.

Teachers from Denver, Greeley, Pueblo, Lamar and other cities will join members of the Colorado Springs teachers union at a protest before Wednesday’s luncheon, Robinette said.

Wearing the color red in show of the “Red for Ed” campaign, participants will meet in a field near the school, march, wave signs with messages opposing charter schools and voucher programs such as Parents Challenge and hear speakers talk about the issues.

A main issue is “getting corporations out of our public schools,” Robinette said.