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Gov-elect Phil Murphy will nominate Asbury Park Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lamont Repollet to be his Commissioner of Education. As key administrative focus, Murphy said he wants to ensure every child has access to the very best education.

“The very notion of a stronger and fairer economy rests on a foundation of strong public schools that will allow all New Jersey children, not just some of them, to get the tools they need to live their dreams,” Murphy said during the Friday morning announcement at Barack Obama Elementary School on Bangs Avenue.

In speaking of igniting an educational revolution that would shift the state’s approach to standardized testing and expand prekindergarten, Murphy said he found that in the Repollet.

“Let there be no doubt, our State, at one level, is already recognized for having among the best public education systems in the United States,” Murphy said. “But we also cannot be blind to the fact that there are still too many disparities up and down our state. If we are to move ahead we need strong leadership at the Department of Education with the real world experience both in and out of the classroom to ignite an education revolution.

Repollett, 47, has led Asbury Park’s schools since 2014. Along with his parents, wife, children, sisters, and aunts, a host of educators and area dignitaries attended the formal announcement.  

Asbury Park Board of Education President Angela Ahbez-Anderson said under Repollet’s leadership morale, literacy, test score, and graduation rates increased and dropout rates have declined.

“He knew exactly what was needed,” she said. “In his first six months he began building relationships; with the staff, janitors, cafeteria people, parents and the students. From there, he brought in his ‘dream team’ and then he began implementing the plan he told us about during his interview. So everything he told us he was going to do has been accomplished. It’s bittersweet but I know that he is going to do what he has done for us statewide for all the kids.”

During his tenure the Asbury Park School District far surpassed the in-house educational benchmarks set in place and created programs that addressed a student’s holistic needs.

The district partnered with Brookdale Community College to create the Dream Academy, a program that sets incoming freshmen on a path to obtain an associate’s degree at the time of their high school graduation. Through the creation of career academies, students train in Allied Health, Engineering, and Law and Public Safety.

The district received the Innovate NJ award for demonstrating a commitment to providing, designing, and implementing an innovative school environment and was recognized nationally as a Model School by the International Center for Leadership Education.

“I think this nomination validates the choice we made,” said Carole Morris, the state monitor who has overseen the district’s administrative choices since 2014. “He has brought hope and has been able to turn the attitudes throughout the district around; from the community to through the education system. He is very visionary, a great listener, and has been on the forefront of bringing programs into the district.”

Among them are the award-winning debate team’s annual participation at Harvard University, the partnership with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to increase literacy, and the Ghana Project, an ongoing shared educational program that culminated this past year with Asbury Park students traveling to Abrem Agona, Ghana, and setting a goal to construct a Literacy Lab in the African nation.

“He has exposed, so well, the children of the district to realize they too have the hope of an even playing field in life, where they can achieve,” Morris said. “I think it’s a wonderful choice and the district should be so proud.”

Repollet, who spent nine years as principal at Carteret High School, began his career as a middle-school teacher. The Carteret native spoke of his military parents struggle, relying on public assistance at one time. Through the Equal Opportunity Fund, Repollet graduated from Trenton State College in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He received a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Kean University and doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.

If accepted, he will oversee the $8 billion budget in support of educating 1.4 million New Jersey students in 678 school districts.

“In Asbury Park district we embrace a philosophy that is student centered,” he said. “We call ourselves Hard Hat Nation. Our guiding principles are rebuild, retool, and restore. At the Department of Education we will instill the same student-centered philosophy.”

Repollet immediately laid out his goals, saying the department will be guided by three questions: ‘How do our decisions impact students; does our action bring honor and distinction to the state and to this nation;’ and ‘are our policies and mandates economically feasible to the state and to our districts.’ Objectives, he said will be to ‘educate students, train our educators, empower our stakeholders, and reward our districts.’

In the end, as he has done with members of the staff, dignitaries, and those in the community who supported and helped the district meet its goals, Repollet donned Murphy with his signature Hard Hat Nation accolade.

“This is a historic moment,” said Mayor John Moor, who is among the Hard Hat Nation team. “It is a well deserved appointment.”  

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