Daren Briscoe, who joined the Barack Obama administration in 2009 after covering the president’s campaign for Newsweek, is the new deputy press secretary at the U.S. Department of Education.

Briscoe, who was with the Office of National Drug Control Policy, will start on Monday. He essentially takes the place of Sandra Abrevaya, who was called up to the major leagues last month to serve in the communications office at the White House. (She and Justin Hamilton shared the press secretary title at the Ed. Dept.)

Before joining Newsweek, Briscoe worked for the L.A. Times. With no extensive education policy background, he’ll probably spend the weekend reading every Arne Duncan speech and all of the titles of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.