CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SACRAMENTO

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed a new state education secretary Wednesday, a low-profile insider given the job of advancing the governor’s education agenda at a time when most of the discussion is about how much to slash education funding.

Glen Thomas, a 62-year-old Republican, brings to the task more than 30 years of experience, most notably as the executive director for a statewide network of California’s 58 county school superintendents.

In that position, he helped superintendents expand their role in training educators and assisting schools that repeatedly failed to meet academic performance targets, said state Board of Education President Ted Mitchell.

The governor’s education secretaries have trended in the direction of lower-profile insiders. Schwarzenegger’s first appointee was former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan, who was both famous and far outside the education establishment. He was followed by former U.S. attorney and controversial San Diego Unified Supt. Alan Bersin and then former Riverside County Supt. David Long.

Before Wednesday’s announcement, the job had been vacant for four months. The position does not require confirmation and pays $175,000 a year.

“Glen is the right person to make sure California continues to uphold high academic standards during this challenging fiscal time,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement.