Protesters Block DeVos From Entering on 1st School Visit

Betsy DeVos made her first visit to a public school as education secretary Friday, but a group of protesters initially barred her from entering Washington DC's Jefferson Middle School. One of them chanted, "Shame. Shame. Shame," as DeVos was forced to return to her car, reports ABC News, which calls the group of demonstrators "small." The protesters also kept her from quickly driving away, but ABC says she eventually entered the school.

"Don't we want the Sec of Education to visit schools?" tweeted Kellyanne Conway after the incident. DeVos was confirmed as the head of the Department of Education Tuesday in a contentious vote that required Vice President Mike Pence to break the tie. The Washington Teacher's Union, which did not support DeVos' nomination, had also organized a gathering outside the middle school Friday, in which they told DeVos they support free public schools and equal education opportunities for all, WJLA reports. That meeting was apparently unrelated to the group blocking DeVos' entrance. (More Betsy DeVos stories.)