Governor Phil Murphy today nominated Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan to head the Department of Education. A longtime educator and the interim Morris County schools superintendent, Allen-McMillan served as principal of Marshall Elementary School in South Orange for 12 years.

“From day one, I pledged to select a Commissioner of Education with experience in public education. We fulfilled that promise through the nomination of Dr. Repollet, and maintain that promise today,” said Murphy. “A product of New Jersey’s public schools, Angelica has worked at all levels of education and knows exactly what our teachers and students need to succeed. She is an exemplary educator and I’m confident she is the leader we need to carry our school communities through the remainder of this pandemic and beyond.”

Murphy made the announcement today in front of the school with Allen-McMillan, with the educator’s friend Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-27) in the socially distanced crowd.

Allen-McMillan will succeed Lamont Repollet on the job in an acting capacity pending confirmation by the senate. Repollet retired from the position earlier this year to become president of Kean University.

“I stand here because my parents believed in a stronger and fairer New Jersey,” Allen-McMillan said. “They moved to New Jersey from Washington D.C. As a result, I am a proud product of the New Jersey public schools.”

She thanked her family in her public remarks, and she thanked the man who nominated her.

“Thank you, Governor Murphy for this incredible opportunity,” Allen-McMillan said. “I am so very honored to serve the great state of New Jersey to serve the great state of New Jersey as acting Commissioner of Education.”

A graduate of Frank H. Morrell High School in Irvington, Allen-McMillan went to Cornell University for her undergraduate degree and received a Master’s from Seton Hall University.

She taught science in East Orange.

According to POLITICO:

“Allen-McMillan, 51, has served as Morris County’s interim executive county superintendent since 2018 and has spent more than 25 years working as a teacher and administrator in schools across Essex County.

“Prior to her role as interim executive county superintendent, she served as assistant superintendent for secondary education for the Newark Public Schools system and as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instructions in the Irvington School District.

“She was also previously a life and physical science teacher in the East Orange School District, the executive director of the Marion P. Thomas Charter School in Newark, assistant principal of Clinton Elementary School in Maplewood and principal of the Marshall School in South Orange.”