Duncan is the architect of President Barack Obama’s Race to the Top initiative; an educational reform plan that endorses standardized testing and charter schools. The controversy arose from that Duncan has favored privatization of public education, as well as the weakening of teachers unions in the past. The UPWA and Raging Grannies argue that his policies are incompatible with the goals of public education.

The group of fifteen representing the UPWA protested near the Foothill College Student Center, near the faculty and students. The protesters held signs that said the slogan, “Stop the Obama/Duncan assault on public education.”

The Raging Grannies brought a smaller group than the UPWA, consisting of three women. They made their voices heard by singing songs they composed for the occasion. Both groups remained sealed off in the designated free speech area throughout the ceremony.

George Wright, co-founder of UPWA and an instructor at Skyline Community College, said that the UPWAs protest was organized with permission from Foothill College school administrators.

Wright declined to comment on whether or not he received a call from Foothill College President Judy Miner prior to the ceremony asking for the protest to be canceled. President Miner was unavailable to comment further.

“Our goals were to inform. Some ignored us, but quite a few acknowledged us. Some stopped to say thanks for being here,” Wright said.

The commencement ceremony concluded without any incident, said Foothill-De Anza Police Chief Ron Levine.

Neither the UPWA nor the Raging Grannies attended the De Anza College commencement ceremony the next day, which also featured Duncan as keynote speaker. That ceremony was, however, attended by De Anza College student organization Students for Justice, which opted to protest silently out of respect for the graduating class.