Rob Sumbler

Candidate Name:
Rob Sumbler
Age:
44
Candidate for [Elected Position]:
East Lansing School Board
Candidate Website:
sumblerforel.com
Candidate Contact for Public: rob@sumblerforel.com
Are you registered with any party? If so, please share your party affiliation:
Democrat
Please share all your social media accounts:
https://www.facebook.com/SumblerforEL
Please include a high quality photo of the candidate.
1. What motivated you to run for the position you are seeking election to?
a. I am running for the school board because our public education institutions are
under threat from those who fear knowledge and understanding. Because our
schools, students, teachers, and staff deserve a school board that will help make
sure they are safe, welcome, supported, and challenged, no matter who they are,
where they come from, or how they identify.
I want to make sure that all of our students have the ability to achieve success,
however they define it. Be that continuing to a four year institution, entering a
trade school, or directly joining the workforce to pursue their passion. Public
schools are the place where any of those options are possible.

2. What is your vision for the public body you want to serve on?
a. My vision for the East Lansing School Board is that it is a functional body, with
robust discussions centering around the health, wellness, safety, and success of
our students, teachers, and staff.

3. How does your vision differ from that of your opponents?
a. I don’t know all of the views of my opponents. I am simply campaigning on why I
think I would be a good board member, not why my opponents wouldn’t.
4. Funding for schools has been a consistent concern for nearly three decades. Proposal 1,
passed in the 90s was supposed to level the playing field in funding assuring that
districts with distressed property values would receive comparable per pupil funding.
That has not been the case. If elected, how will you address the under funding of
schools?
a. Proposal A was a multi-billion dollar hit to education funding in the state.
Additionally, public school funding is under constant threat from the far right who
seek to undermine the base of our public education system. There is plenty that
could be done at the state level to increase funding for schools, which of course I
would lobby for. But at the local level we are limited by state law as to what we
can do to supplement funding. I would seek out any available grant funding for
specific programs; partner with higher education institutions and non-profits to
help provide supplemental programming for our students at lower cost; and work
to increase participation and donations to the East Lansing Educational
Foundation, which provides support to teachers and programs in the district.
5. Has school choice, which allows students and parents to apply for and attend a different
school district than the one they live in, been a success? Why or why not?
a. The success of School of Choice is different depending on your perspective.
Some students in low performing districts were able to get into a neighboring
school with higher average test scores or graduation rates. This could be good
for those students' educations. It also increases the enrollment of the district
receiving those students, hence increasing the total state funding for that district.
However, for the district that was losing students, this meant already struggling
schools lost students and the state funding that came along with them. This
makes it harder for those districts to provide sufficient instruction for the students
and families that weren’t able to take advantage of the school of choice
opportunity.

6. Proposals in Michigan have long sought to use public dollars to pay for private school
tuition and costs. Do you support vouchers for private schools? Why or why not?
a. I do not support school vouchers. Vouchers are simply another way to siphon
money away from public schools and prop up private and parochial schools. That

goes completely against the mission of public education, which is to provide a
quality, comprehensive education to every student, regardless of their economic,
religious, or health status.

7. If vouchers are approved, public schools may see a decline in enrollment. How would
you close the funding gap by a reduction in per pupil funding?
a. If students leave for another school, we will lose that funding. Making up those
lost dollars is difficult, based on current funding structures. The best way to
ensure that we do not have a drop in funding is to make sure that East Lansing is
the single best option for families who want their children to receive a first class
education in an environment where they are safe, welcome and challenged.
Where their educational, emotional, and physical needs are nurtured.
8. Educators have been under scrutiny over LGBT youth support, LGBT history, the
American history of communities of color and more. In addition, school libraries are
pulling books off of shelves in public school libraries and public libraries.
a. Please share your perspective as you pertains to providing safe schools and
education for LGBT youth.
i. Thankfully, East Lansing is a very welcoming place for folx all across the
gender and LGBTQIA+ spectrum. One of the best tools that we have to
promote school safety is to build a culture of inclusion from very early on.
Teaching materials and books should feature families and characters of
all different identities, so that our children are raised without the idea that
some people are “Other” or “Less than” because of their sexual or gender
identity.
If not already in place, I would support any policy to ensure that no
violence or discrimination to any protected class will be tolerated at East
Lansing Public Schools.

b. Please share your perspective about integrating the history of communities of
color into curriculums in the public schools.
i. We can’t know where we, as a community, are without knowing where
we’ve been or what’s happened before us. Including information on our
history from the perspective of communities of color is paramount to our
students receiving a comprehensive education. For example: Learning
that the namesake of Robert L. Green Elementary school was the first
black homeowner in the City of East Lansing is important, to be sure, but
we would be remiss not to talk about WHY there were no black
homeowners here before 1968.
Black history is American history. Indigenous history is American history.
Just because a community is marginalized does not mean that their

contributions, struggles, and culture aren’t a core part of what makes our
society.

c. Do you support the removal of books some find objectionable from public school
shelves and public libraries? Why or why not?
i. I think that removal of books from public and school libraries and shelves
is one of the biggest threats to the wellbeing of our children. There has
been a troubling trend across our country and across our state to rip
books from shelves simply because they feature and validate
marginalized people and ideas. Library boards and school boards are
being targeted by right wing extremists who want to take our
communities backwards to a time when discrimination was rampant
and new ideas were silenced.
One of my reasons for running for the East Lansing School Board is to
make sure this trend doesn't rear its ugly head in East Lansing. Our
students have the right to see themselves represented in print. So no
matter what they are facing in life, they can know that they aren't
alone. Because everyone deserves to be their authentic self.
d. If you support such removals, at what point does the purge of objectionable
books stop? When it is the Quran? When it is the Torah? The Nag Hamadi? The
Bible? What policies will you put in place to monitor and assess removal of
books?
e. If you do not support the removal of objectionable books, what policies will you
support to stop the removal of books from public school libraries?
i. I have no intention of writing policy during a campaign, as that is
something best done at the committee level, with multiple voices adding
to a policy that best fits the district and community as a whole.
That said, I would support policies that require book removal requests to
be specifically argued and had the Miller Test applied to prove that these

9. There has been a split on how COVID was responded to by schools, and other
government bodies. Please answer the following questions:
a. Did you support the shut down of schools during the COVID-19 crisis? Why or
why not?

i. Yes I did support the shut down of schools during the height of COVID.
The disease was spreading exponentially, with no vaccines on the
horizon, and people were getting sick and dying like we haven’t seen in
our lifetime. Isolating was the best method we had at the time for
preventing the spread.

b. There has been a marked loss of educational gain as a result of the shut down.
How will you address this problem?
i. The pandemic pumped the brakes on many students' educational
journeys. The focus now should be on getting students back into a
groove, where they can build on their learning and ensure that the pace of
growth is on par with pre-pandemic levels. In school, goals are not a
finish line, they are simply a benchmark to see how students are
progressing year after year. The pandemic also showed us new ways our
children can learn. Some students took well to remote learning finding
benefits in being able to learn on their own schedule, while others
struggled to receive the individualized attention they needed. Tutors,
resource teachers, and classroom assistants should be available to assist
with learning.

c. Did you support face masks? Why or why not?
i. Yes, I support face masks. Taking reasonable precautions to keep kids
healthy, and in class is crucial to ensuring that students get the best
education possible.

d. Do you support the COVID-19 vaccine? Why or why not?
i. I support the vaccine, because people should be able to see other people
without having to worry about getting sick or dying,

e. Do you support vaccination for all students in public schools? Why or why not?
i. Schools have required vaccinations for attendance for decades. Adding
one when a new disease pops up, that affects millions of people around
the world should be a no-brainer.

f. There has been a growing mental health crisis among our youth. It was present
before the pandemic, but experts warn it has gotten worse since the pandemic. If
elected, how will you address the mental health needs of our students?
i. Mental health is a huge concern, not just for our students, but also for our
teachers and staff, who have been asked to try to provide the same level
of education, with fewer resources, and less ability to connect with the
students. We should utilize every available avenue to get mental health
services to anyone in our district who is struggling, because a school

community is an ecosystem, where the wellbeing of the whole community
is dependent on the health and wellness of each individual. The students
and families that make up East Lansing Schools are among the most
diverse in the state, and they deserve a board that recognizes that
diversity as exactly what it is — not only a gift, but also the key to a well-
rounded education that creates world changers and global citizens.
10. There have been a number of school shootings, with deeply tragic consequences for
students, teachers and administrators alike – as well as communities. If elected, what
will you do to address the school violence crisis, including school shootings?
a. I believe this can be addressed by fostering a culture of inclusion. Violence is
frequently born out of a lack of perceived options for conflict resolution. Creating
space for students to have involvement with each other and within the district,
through extracurricular activities, clubs, and service groups can make our
children see how they are an integral part of a larger community. Quashing the
“Us vs. Them” mentality that has been perpetuated for generations, and
replacing that with the concept that we are all part of the greater “WE”.

11. Elections have become a serious concern for some voters. Please answer the following
questions:
a. If you lose your election, will you accept the results? Why or why not?
i. Absolutely. Our elections are secure and accurate.
b. If your election is close and you chose to pay for a recount, will you accept the
result of a recount? Why or why not?
i. I won’t be asking for a recount. But if I did, I would accept the results.
c. Much has been made about the 2020 election. Do you believe Donald Trump
won the election? Why or why not?
i. HELL NO. He got less votes. That’s how elections work.
d. Do you believe there was widespread election fraud? Why or why not?
i. No. Because that’s a bold faced lie, with no evidence to support it.
e. Do you believe leaders in Washington are involved in a secret pedophilia ring?
Why or why not?
i. I do not believe in that baseless conspiracy theory, no
f. Do you believe the Jan. 6 Capitol incident was appropriate in light of the
election? Why or why not?
i. No, because it was a test run of a civil war.

12. Are you a member, or have you ever been a member or donated to any of the following
organizations:
a. Socialist party
i. No
b. Rock the Vote
i. No
c. The Democratic Party
i. Yes
d. Any Democratic Candidate for Office
i. Yes
e. The Republican Party
i. No
f. Any Republican Candidate for Office
i. No
g. The American Taxpayers Party
i. No
h. Any American Taxpayer Party Candidate for Office
i. No
i. The Heritage Foundation
i. No
j. People for the American Way
i. No
k. III Percenters
i. No
l. Proud Boys
i. No

13. Please share with readers and voters your qualifications for the position you seek.

a. My qualifications for school board are my empathy, my ability to problem solve
under budgetary constraints, and my desire to better the community and help
children have a better school experience than the students who came before
them.
I want to ensure that ALL students in the district are and feel SAFE,
WELCOMED, and CHALLENGED.
I didn’t attend college after I graduated from East Lansing. Instead, I started a
career in Television. My East Lansing education prepared me for that, and I want
to make sure all of our students can be successful, however they define that for
themselves.
I have worked in event planning and project management, handling budgets for
large scale events. As director of photography at Message Makers, I was
instrumental in production on the Early Literacy Essentials video series for the
Michigan Department of Education and Michigan Virtual. Throughout my 26-year
career in journalism and communications, I had to quickly gather and distill large
amounts of information, while also being the big voice for the little voice. My
career has brought me to WKAR TV, where our key focus is education and
community, meeting people where they are..
I held a leadership role as President of the Michigan Television News
Photographers Association and worked as sponsorship committee chair for the
Lansing Derby Vixens, securing donations for the group’s events. In the past I’ve
also worked closely with the Old Town Commercial Association as a member of
the marketing committee.