Grosse Pointe Public Schools Candidate Profile: David Brumbaugh

David Brumbaugh, a Grosse Pointe Park resident is running for Grosse Pointe Public Schools.

Age: 39
Party affiliation: N/A
Family:Married with two children in Grosse Pointe schools, first grade and preschool
Occupation:Data analyst and expert in national security and public safety (14 years)
Previous elected experience:None
Family members in government:I am a federal employee
Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/brumbaugh4gppss

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
Effective COVID response is foremost now, but our schools also face major strategic challenges. School funding is broken in Michigan, and is made worse by our declining enrollment and per-pupil funding cuts expected due to COVID. We may start the year with a $4 million operating deficit, and can’t wait for DC or Lansing to fix it for us. We should expand tuition-based early learning, establish the strategic endowment proposed by our parent experts in institutional fundraising, and partner with private donors and industry to create STEM/STEAM and career-focused learning options. These will strengthen our schools and draw in new families.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I am a parent of young students in the district, and a public servant with a track record of using data and building relationships to solve hard problems. I have been effectively advocating for early education expansion for several years. I have shown that I am committed to conducting effective constituent outreach, using data to drive our decision-making, and finding ways to strengthen our schools through innovation. Our schools are facing profound crises, and voters should look critically at candidates who refuse to admit there is a problem, or haven't shown they're going to do the work to bring actionable solutions to the table. I am eager to do my part, and I know we can get through this stronger if we work together.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I have been effectively advocating for early education expansion for several years, which paved the way for opening Trombly and Poupard elementary schools as emergency early ed and K-8 learning centers this fall. I was integral in designing the Trombly early ed pilot, and would like to see this program grow to serve the whole district at scale, so we can use it to solve funding, enrollment, and service deficits in GPPSS. Professionally and in our schools, I've shown that I can work with all parties to tackle hard problems.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?
In terms of action our legislature could take to secure and strengthen our schools, changing the count method to 75% of 2019-20 and 25% of 2020-21 was an important first step to mute the impact of potential enrollment loss in our public schools due to COVID concerns. They also need to shore up the school aid fund and provide more funding to teachers and schools -- not the $600+ per pupil cuts proposed -- if we want to ensure our teachers and schools have everything they need to be effective and safe for a speedy return to learn. This will have watershed effects on our economy as well. In the near term, parents will be better able to return to work. In the long term, strong schools are essential to the health of our society and economy. They're a phenomenal investment and our leaders must commit to providing them the support they need.

How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform?
We have to make every effort to equip our students, staff, and teachers to make our schools a safe harbor where everyone can engage in learning — and the thousand passing interactions that shape their day — with joy and the spirit of discovery. Learning empathy, and how to listen to and understand each other, takes deliberate action every day.
As a society, we ask our teachers, police officers, and other public servants to do too much with too few resources. Police agencies should serve their public safety and liaison functions with our schools, but shouldn’t be our first or only option to deal with every problem there. Programs like OK2SAY have been tremendously successful at anti-bullying and suicide prevention by partnering with schools--but must complement a broader range of social/emotional support programs designed to identify and intervene early with students and families in need.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:
My campaign aims to foster innovation, trust, inclusion, and proactive problem-solving in GPPSS. We need to create programs that draw families and funds into the district -- starting with my early education proposal, but extending to early college, career prep, special needs, advanced or specialized programs, and other ideas floated during reconfiguration but never fully explored. We need leaders committed to transparency, clear communication, and responsiveness to community needs and concerns. This is critical for rebuilding trust in the district, and to ensure our decisions are fully thought-out and made stronger by robust input from community experts and stakeholders. Inclusion, equity, and diversity are important because our schools must be a safe harbor where all students, staff, and teachers will thrive. This takes a plan and deliberate action every day to move the ball forward. And the thread that ties these all together, and defines my approach to public service, is a bias toward action. We need to be thoughtful, deliberate, and accountable for results. Everyone has a role to play and our leaders need to ensure we're fully engaging our talented and connected community, students, families, and staff.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I'm always available to talk if you have any questions, ideas, or concerns - and you'll rarely get a quick and easy answer from me, because our schools face big and complex problems. The easy "answers" too often provide false hope or needless despair. We're facing profound challenges, but we can get through them if we put the work in to understand the problem, admit when we need help, and bring all hands on deck to face them. We need trustees on our Board who aren't afraid to put in the work, have open and honest discussions, and reach out to collaborate with other elected bodies in our area -- especially our city governments, and many challenges we face as a district we face together with our cities. This rigorous, fact-based and solutions-driven approach has earned me the endorsement of the GP Dems and the four unions who represent our hard-working teachers and staff.