Election 2024: Pankaj Goswami For East Brunswick Board Of Education
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Current Board member Pankaj Goswami is among a crowded field of candidates, vying for a seat on the Board of Education.
In a Q&A with Patch, he talks about transparency and collaboration and his plans for steering the district is the right direction.
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 for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements.
I am running because I believe that our diversity is not only our strength but a unique asset that helps define the greatness of what it means to grow up and be educated here in East Brunswick. I find it to be truly wonderful that our children get to grow up experiencing such a wide array of cultural traditions and practices. From Christmas to Diwali, to Passover and Eid - every one of our students graduates from our schools more culturally enriched than some people in this country can ever dream of. Which is why I am running to represent the entire community voice that can help reinforce and enhance the incredible cultural vibrancy that we are so proud to have characterized our community.
Additionally, I am running so I can continue to do whatever I can to foster an inclusive, innovative, and equitable learning environment for all students. To help achieve this goal I have been steadfastly committed to ensuring that my service as a member of the East Brunswick Board of Education is characterized by dedication, honesty, enthusiasm and collaboration.
I bring a fresh perspective and I come from a program management and financial services background. I believe that I am uniquely qualified for this role because of my extensive experience in the financial services sector, especially my experience in budgetary management. Beyond financial management, I am driven to serve on the Board by three pivotal issues — enhancing communication, enriching the curriculum, and improving facilities.
These areas are crucial for fostering a thriving educational environment and ensuring the success and well-being of our entire school community. As an IT and finance professional, I am dedicated to committing my substantial experience and expertise to raising up students, advocating for teachers and empowering families. I will leverage my experience in Information Technology to expand the ways in which we as a board engage and inform our communities. I believe that we have the means to expand the ways in which our residents can engage our board in order to ensure that we hear from all of the voices that wish to enhance the world-class education we are able to offer to our students. I will ensure our taxes are spent carefully and thoughtfully and money is being directed appropriately in a manner that supports educational outcomes and empowers decisions that the community believes in.
Right now, I believe one of the most pressing issues we face as a Board is that of unity and trust. I believe that one of our main priorities this coming year should be increasing collaboration, transparency and cooperation between Board members and the community as a whole. Since beginning to serve on the board I have realized that I am truly blessed to serve alongside some of the best school board members this state has to offer. I believe that through increased cooperation and collaboration, we can truly harness the incredible wealth of experience, expertise and passion that is contained within our board in order to ensure our school district continues to be amongst the best in this State for generations to come.
When I joined the board the budget cut planning and execution already happened. I will bring every ounce of my extensive experience in financial planning to make sure we always hire and maintain financial professionals that will have long-term strategies for the sustained success of our community at its core instead of short-term strategies for easy wins. Additionally, I will make sure I bring this same expertise to bear in order to ensure that we as a board and all of you as our teachers, students and families are just as informed as I am as it pertains to the financial health of our schools. Together we can all work towards our shared goal of protecting the bright and promising future for our families so that every student has a fair shot at his or her success regardless of where their talents may lie. That being said, I want to be very clear, should our district face cuts I will fight with every fiber of my being to ensure we claw back every dollar we possibly can.
When it comes to overcrowding in our schools, we need to look no further than the reality that 9th-grade students have to currently be educated in a middle school due to a lack of space at the high school. Countless high school freshmen for years now have had to have their physical transition to high school and all that goes with it deferred due to a lack of adequate space. As we go forward, we must recognize that education contains within it the imperative to bring to term a new world, better equipped to handle the unique challenges that will come to characterize the lives of each generation that will inherit this earth after we are gone.
And to that end, I support putting the question of whether or not we should construct a new high school to a referendum so that all of our community members can have confidence that their voice was heard and their vote counted on such an important and large expenditure.
I would investigate and see if the school is optimally utilized and if it is and we have no other option then my vote is "yes" on building a new high school because I think we all can agree that education is the only way we can truly develop a blueprint for our future. I believe it is time our State stops punishing high-performing schools. As your school board member I am committed to engaging our elected leaders in order to make sure they understand that even if this is not their intention, this has become the effect. If a renovation is an option and can help the town, I will go and propose renovation rather than building a new one.
We cannot do this alone and this state needs to draw from every corner of its coffers just as we draw from every corner of our town without drawing from public safety dollars to ensure that our students have the best schools, the best teachers, the best administrators, faculty and the best school board.
Transparency in communication, parents' voice needs to be heard, improved school ratings, better financial planning, handling of the deficit, and support to teachers.
I will focus on the following areas:
My Slogan is "GO FOR GOSWAMI." I chose this as my slogan because I wanted it to embody the positive and forward-thinking spirit that I think we need on the East Brunswick Board of Education. Responsible stewardship of our town's most valuable resources - our students, our families and our schools.
I will continue to ensure that we prioritize and enhance school safety, prepare and defend our budgets, empower teachers, and inform parents. Throughout my time as an East Brunswick resident, I have found great joy in serving on numerous local boards including serving as a board member for EB ARTS Coalition as well as serving as a Trustee for the East Brunswick Symphony Orchestra, Trustee for the East Brunswick Cricket Club, and Vice President for both UDNJ & NABP, which are 501c (3) non-profit organization.
