Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard J. Riordan will be California鈥檚 education secretary, Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger announced last week.
The high-profile appointment officially makes Mr. Riordan, 73, the incoming governor鈥檚 top education adviser, a role he has played in recent months as Mr. Schwarzenegger sought the office in the recall election that ousted Gov. Gray Davis. The governor-elect will take office on Nov. 17.
鈥淚 am confident that his experience in public service and commitment to reforming our public schools will benefit California,鈥� Mr. Schwarzenegger said in a Nov. 3 statement announcing his choice of Mr. Riordan for the Cabinet post.
Mr. Riordan鈥攚ho, like Mr. Schwarzenegger, is a Republican鈥攖ook an active interest in education issues during his tenure as mayor from 1993 to 2001. He promoted reading and after-school programs, for example. In 1999, he also helped finance new candidates for the Los Angeles school board, which he viewed as dysfunctional.
Many political observers in the state were not surprised at the appointment, as Mr. Riordan had been viewed as the top contender for the job in recent weeks.
Kevin Gordon, the executive director of the California Association of School Business Officials, said that Mr. Riordan鈥檚 appointment would bring a higher profile to the office, possibly at the expense of state鈥檚 elected superintendent of public instruction, former Democratic state lawmaker Jack O鈥機onnell.
Mr. Gordon said Mr. Riordan, who was already a prominent Los Angeles attorney before being elected mayor, had focused much of his political career on education issues.
鈥楬e鈥檚 Not an Educator鈥�
鈥淒ick Riordan is a moderate,鈥� Mr. Gordon said. 鈥淚 think folks in the education community on both ends of the political spectrum ought to be happy.鈥�
The California Teachers鈥� Association, however, was not happy.
It would like the governor to abolish the job of education secretary, which some educators believe is redundant and unnecessary. To make their case, CTA officials point to the independent state superintendent, who oversees the education department, and an 11-member state board of education鈥攁ppointed by the governor鈥攖hat sets policy.
The education secretary has a staff of about 20 people who work on policy recommendations and education projects for the governor. Mr. Riordan, whose new job does not require Senate confirmation, will succeed Kerry Mazzoni, who has held the job under Gov. Davis.
Last week, CTA Associate Executive Director John Hein resigned his position as an education adviser on the Schwarzenegger transition team because the CTA was not consulted on Mr. Riordan鈥檚 appointment.
David A. Sanchez, vice president of the CTA, denied that there was any animosity toward Mr. Riordan personally.
鈥淗e鈥檚 not an educator; he鈥檚 never been in the classroom,鈥� Mr. Sanchez said. 鈥淗e may be somewhat familiar with what鈥檚 happened in schools, but that department [the secretary鈥檚 office] is wasted bureaucracy.鈥�
