Election 2024: Wilbur Pan For East Brunswick Board Of Education

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — A Pediatric hematologist/oncologist, Dr. Wilbur Pan is seeking a seat on the East Brunswick Board of Education this election.

Pan was on faculty at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School for 18 years and says this experience brings him a crucial understanding of education and administration.

Election is on Tuesday, Nov. 5

Patch has sent out a questionnaire to all candidates. They will be published as we receive them. If you are a candidate and haven’t heard from us, please contact Sarah Salvadore at sarah.salvadore@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements.

Name: Wilbur Pan

Age: 60

Town of residence: East Brunswick

Education: Northwestern University; University of Illinois, MD/PhD degree

Occupation: Pediatric hematologist/oncologist, currently designing and directing breast cancer research and clinical trials

1. Why are you seeking a seat on the BOE?

I am running for the East Brunswick Board of Education (EB BOE) because I want to give back to our community. Education is extremely important to me and my family. We moved to East Brunswick 20 years ago because of the schools, and we have seen how our two children benefited from our public education system. We especially appreciate all the work the teachers do. I want to help our school system to be the best that it can be for all of the children and families of East Brunswick.

My experience working with and advocating for children and their families and my experience and track record in education will aid me in bringing positive change to the EB BOE. I feel that I can contribute to making the school district stronger, which then leads to a more vibrant and thriving East Brunswick community.

I can bring a fresh point of view to our school district. Although I’m not an East Brunswick native, the town I grew up in the South suburbs of Chicago is very much like East Brunswick in many ways. I have seen how my old school district has changed for the better over the years, and I think that this can be a model for how our school district can deal with the challenges that we face.

2. What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I bring a unique perspective on the issues that our schools face. In addition to working with children and their families as a pediatric oncologist for decades, I have extensive experience as an educator and administering an educational system. I was on faculty at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School for 18 years. During that time, I did a lot of teaching, which was my favorite part of my job, I also received two teaching awards, which I am very proud of. I understand the point of view of educators.

I also directed the pediatric medical education program for the medical school for 8 years. During that time, I made changes to the pediatric medical education program that resulted in medical students who wanted to become pediatricians getting into better pediatric residency programs after medical school than they did before.

This experience shows that I have a track record of bringing positive change to an education system, and this is why I can help our students, our families, our schools, and our town with the challenges that the schools face.

3. What according to you is the biggest issue facing the school district?

The immediate issue is the budget shortfall our school district is facing. Although this issue has impacted our schools, I think it’s important to remember that we faced a budget shortfall in 2010, and that we were able to recover from that financial difficulty. This tells me that although these are difficult times, the current budget issue is a manageable one, and should the appropriate solutions be put in place, we will be able to recover from this as well. It will be good to keep this in mind going forward.

The broader issue that I see with the EB BOE is communication with the residents. I understand that there are limitations in how the EB BOE can communicate with the public. I also think that there are still ways to improve communication, and that is one of my goals when I join the EB BOE. Improved communication means improved trust, and improved communication and trust makes many of the challenges our school district faces will become more manageable.

4. Are you happy with the way the district has handled state aid cuts? What would be your approach?

Our school district, like many in New Jersey over the recent years, has had to make difficult decisions due to the budget shortfall we are facing. My top priority is to advocate for students by providing excellence in education. But excellence in education requires resources, and we have always had a limit on the resources that can be given to this goal. By my reading of the school budget, the cut in state aid is one part, but not the entire reason why we are facing a budget shortfall this year. It is likely, based on the experience of other school districts, that this may be a problem for the years to come.

We need to put everything on the table. To do this, we must have a clear understanding of the value proposition of our various programs, including the negative effects of cutting any given program on the students. Input from the teachers will be critical for this.

We must explore ways of increasing the revenues that come to the school district by working with our state and local governments to reduce the impact that the school funding formula has caused, maximizing existing revenue streams, such as school facility rentals, looking for efficiencies that can be gained in our programs, and stepping our attempts to gain funding through grants and other programs.

5. There were discussions about expanding the high school either by building a new one or renovating the existing one. What are your thoughts on this?

I have a detailed write-up on my thoughts about East Brunswick High School here. I would like to note that this post is just one example of my willingness to discuss important issues in detail, and shows my commitment to clear communication.

6. What other aspects need to be improved in the school district?

There are many other issues that our schools face, including bullying, resources for children with special needs, and mental health. These challenges are not unique to East Brunswick. But the factor that all of these issues have that makes them more difficult to deal with is communication.

The fact is that any school district will face issues like these, and solutions need to be developed. If there is good communication within and without the school district, that will develop trust that our schools will do the right thing in solving these issues, and give the schools, teachers, and administrators the breathing room to find good solutions.

I am committed to improving communication within and without the school system if I am elected to the EB BOE.

7. Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your campaign?

Excellence in education and advocating for students are core values for me, and it takes hard work and commitment to achieve these goals. Over the past months, I have demonstrated my commitment by talking face-to-face with hundreds of East Brunswick residents from all parts of our town about their thoughts and concerns about their children and our school district. In these conversations, the constant theme that comes up is communication between the EB BOE and the people of our town.

Communication was my most important tool in taking care of my patients. I developed the skill of explaining the complexities of pediatric cancer care in terms that families could understand. Most importantly, this established the trust my families have in me to take care of and advocate for their children. I will do the same when I am a member of the EBBOE.

My efforts over the past months show my commitment to communication, both in talking with East Brunswick residents and what I’ve written online. With good communication comes trust, and with trust, the challenges that our schools face become more manageable.

This is why I can bring positive change to the EB BOE, and I hope that this is deserving of your vote.

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