Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s nominee for education commissioner, spoke for about nine minutes at her introductory press conference Oct. 20 in South Orange.
Here is some of what she said:
- “Like so many in our society, I believe that our children are our most precious resource. Participating in the education of students over the past 25 years has prepared me for this awesome responsibility. I stand here today because my parents believed in a stronger and fairer New Jersey. They moved to New Jersey from Washington, D.C., to pursue new career opportunities. As a result, I am a proud product of a New Jersey public school system.”
- “Upon my return to my beloved profession [after a family-related hiatus], I would join the Newark public schools, the largest school district in our state, as the assistant superintendent of secondary education. I joined a cadre of motivated educators who utilized a variety of metrics to increase the high school graduation rate as well as the number of colleges acceptances.”
- “As a parent of three, I understand the challenges of reviewing homework and working on projects and college applications with my own children when the assistance is unwanted. As a teacher, I understood the adjustments that were needed every time a new student was added to my class roster.”
- “Teachers, staff, school and district-level administrators, I want to acknowledge your critical contributions to our overall response to this pandemic and the challenges that you continue to face while working daily with and for our students. Thank you, thank you, thank you. These words alone do not convey the profound appreciation that I have for you.”
- “We have been knocked down, and we’ll continue to stumble on occasion as we work to stand tall in our fight against COVID-19.”
- “I will utilize the lessons learned through my 25-year career in public education to lead a department that is quick to listen, precise in our execution and ready to advance access to a high-quality education for all.”
