California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed a Sacramento consultant as his secretary of education, the fifth person in as many years to hold a job that has come to be seen as ineffectual in setting policy.
Mr. Schwarzenegger named Glen Thomas, 62, currently a consultant to philanthropic and education groups who also served as director of a county superintendents’ association from 1998 to 2006.
The education secretary is the governor’s chief liaison to the appointed state board of education. The secretary has limited authority over schools and has had only a small role in setting policy. The elected superintendent of public instruction, Jack O’Connell, oversees the state department of education.
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