Lieutenant Governor Dick Posthumus
In July, Michigan Lieutenant Governor Dick Posthumus threw his support behind the Kids First! Yes! initiative, saying it was a way to improve all Michigan schools. Posthumus, a longtime supporter of public education, has two children enrolled in public schools and a daughter who is a public school teacher.
“We need as many tools as we can have to assure that kids in high-risk areas have the same educational opportunities that all kids in great public schools have,” remarked Posthumus, Michigan’s highest-level state elected official to back the education reform plan.
Congressman J.C. Watts Jr.
Oklahoma Congressman J.C. Watts Jr., the highest-ranking African-American member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was in Michigan in July to show his support for the Kids First! Yes! initiative. Watts is a leading spokesperson for educational freedom in the U.S. Congress.
“I believe that every child in America deserves an equal opportunity for a quality education,” remarked Watts, who holds the fourth-highest leadership position in the U.S. House of Representatives, that of House Republican Conference Chairman.
Steve Forbes
Visiting Michigan to campaign for Kids First! Yes!, Forbes magazine publisher Steve Forbes said the initiative had “national ramifications” and predicted it would spark similar reform plans across the country.
“An initiative like this sends a real message: ‘We have had enough. We can’t wait’,” said the two-time Presidential candidate, addressing the Michigan Chamber of Commerce in Oakland County in early June.
