When it comes to public education, conventional wisdom suggests that the charter school movement is a movement spearheaded by conservatives.

Now that a liberal, Democratic administration is settling into Trenton, it’s no surprise that some conservatives are worried about what will happen to a charter school movement that was warmly embraced by the former Christie administration.

So when state education commissioner-designee Lamont Repollet appeared Monday for his Senate confirmation hearing, it was no real surprise that state Sen.  Gerald Cardinale, R-39th Dist., one of the most conservative lawmakers in Trenton, had charter schools on his mind.
Cardinale asked Repollet about reports the Murphy administration would put a moratorium on new charter schools.

Not so, said Repollet, noting that if a charter school application arrived on his desk tomorrow, it would be considered. But he did say that the administration planned a “comprehensive review” of charter
school regulations.

Prodded by Cardinale, Repollet also talked about what happened when a charter school opened in Asbury Park when he was superintendent.

Critics of charter schools often say that they siphon the best students from the traditional public school system. Some districts are skeptical, alarmed or even hostile to charter schools.

Repollet said he took a different approach.

“We did not talk about the charter school being (a) negative,” he said. Instead, Repollet said he went about improving programs to make the established school system more attractive to students and parents. So, Cardinale, concluded, the charter school “improved” public education in Asbury Park, right?

Repollet wouldn’t go that far, but that certainly seemed to be the case. Cardinale, at least, was satisfied.

In earlier remarks, Repollet, whose confirmation was assured by the Democratic-controlled committee, talked about his guiding principles of ACE, which he described as Assess, Create and Execute. (In the end, Repollet was supported by the Judiciary Committee unanimously). Repollet was universally praised for the work he has done in Asbury Park, where the district’s graduation rate has risen from 49 percent
to 73 percent over three years. Meanwhile, the district’s per pupil costs have dropped from $33,000 to $28,000.

All was not totally rosy. He dodged a question about the state’s education formula, saying he had not completely studied it. Republican state Sen. Michael Doherty, R-23rd Dist., noted that residents in Clinton, a town in his district, contribute six times as much tax money to the state education fund as does, say, Asbury Park. But Clinton receives only a fraction of the state aid Asbury Park receives.

“Where’s the equity?” Doherty asked.

Repollet said that issue was not for him to decide, noting that the state aid formula is state law.

Clearly, this is a topic that’s going to need some Assessing, Creativity and Execution.