Two new members, Mary Bennett and Jeanette Pena, were sworn in at the State Board of Education meeting in January. This is the first time that Gov. Phil Murphy's State Board of Education nominee has made it through the Senate confirmation process.
Various onlookers commented on Murphy's slow progress, given that Gov. Chris Christie appointed five board members and some have sat in their seats much longer. Ronald Butcher was appointed in 1990. Now, this helplessness is partly due to a constitutional convention called “Senate deference,” which allows the representative of an unofficial candidate’s district to reject that nomination. That's why Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan is “acting,” not permanent. She moved from Montclair to another district, Cedar Grove, just before her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, and Republican Sen. Kristin Corrado gave her a thumbs up. -Under. Allen-McMillan can still be a member (she was eligible to do so at the beginning of her position), but she cannot be an “acting” member of the State Board of Education. If you don't like the CEO, you're screwed.
But maybe we are selling our current governor short.
State Board of Education members serve a six-year term. Since most of Christie's remaining nominees are scheduled to be replaced this year, Murphy will have to wait until the final two years of his term to confirm who he will personally nominate for the next governor's first term.
Are you paranoid?
I asked NJ Ed Report columnist Dr. Marc Gaswirth. He is a longtime NJ school administrator who observes and writes about education policy and politics in NJ. “Murphy now has the opportunity to prevent the next governor from making any appointments to the state board,” Gaswirth said. “Murphy can now shape the board of his choice, set policy priorities for the next six years, and effectively block the next governor and education commissioner from changing the Department of Education’s prerogatives.”
As Joseph Heller wrote: catch-22, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they won’t come after you.”