California Secretary of Education Dave Long resigned Sept. 12. The governor’s office did not issue a press release on the resignation.

Long’s office released his resignation letter to the governor. In it he expressed his appreciation to Gov. Schwarzenegger for the opportunity to serve and said he simply wanted to pursue other opportunities.

“After much contemplation and reflection, I have come to the conclusion that it is time for me to move on to another chapter in my life,” Long wrote. “I will continue to surge ahead with my passion for creative solutions to better serve our students in low performing schools, and strive to promote what is best for the education of all the children in our state.”

ACSA Executive Director Bob Wells praised Long’s service.

“Dave Long has always been a great leader in California education and served as an excellent communication liaison between the education community and the governor’s office,” Wells said. “As a longtime member of ACSA, we have appreciated his service and wish him well in his future endeavors, which will certainly serve the cause of California’s 6 million students.”

The governor’s office has not yet named a successor to Long, who was the fourth secretary of education in Schwarzenegger’s five years in office.