My name is Isaac Cheng, and I am running for a seat on the Board of Education in Plainsboro. As a lifelong resident of Plainsboro and a product of the WW-P K-12 school system (starting in Kindergarten at Wicoff and graduating in 2008 from High School North), I admit that I’ve often taken the excellence of our schools for granted. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I’ve fully come to appreciate — on a personal level — why our educational system is exceptional and worth striving to maintain.
The moment came when I saw my two-year-old nephew prepping for pre-school interviews in New York City. He lives in a district where the public schools are crowded and the education is not very personalized. My sister wanted him to go to a selective pre-school since a selective pre-school meant a better chance for acceptance into a K-12 prep school, and a K-12 prep school meant that my nephew would receive more attention in the classroom.
There he was, busily practicing his ABCs and remembering that the red square block goes into the red square hole. Actually, here is a more accurate description: my nephew bounced around the living room (as two-year-olds often do) while my sister tried for the hundredth time to get him to even acknowledge that a red square block was in need of being placed into a red square hole.
That’s when it became real to me. We live in a community where we aren’t compelled to send our kids to a private school for a quality education. Our schools and teachers do an excellent job in preparing our children for the future, despite budget cut after budget cut and despite increasing competition in society at large. We live in an exceptional community that provides an incredible commitment to our schools, our teachers, and our students. My own experience at the University of Chicago, where I graduated in 2012 with the highest academic honors and dual degrees (BA’12, MA’12), as well as my ability to start a fulfilling career in management consulting, is a testament to the fact that our schools prepare students well for college and beyond.
I am running for the Board of Education because I want to maintain this level of excellence in our school district. One day I hope to raise a family in Plainsboro. When that day comes I want my children to have the same opportunities that I received and to gain the same foundation on which they can build their lives.
Over the next few weeks I look forward to laying out my plans for the Board, my background, and how I can bring a fresh perspective to the table. Most of all, I look forward to discussing with you how we, as a community, can continue to support our schools, our teachers, and our students.
The educational system is the jewel of our community. My goal is to keep it shining bright for years to come.
Isaac Cheng
