Penny Schwinn
Penny Schwinn | |
|---|---|
| Tennessee Commissioner of Education | |
| In office February 1, 2019 – July 1, 2023 | |
| Governor | Bill Lee |
| Preceded by | Candice McQueen Lyle Alishie (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Lizzette Reynolds |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1982 (age 42–43) Sacramento, California |
| Spouse | Paul Schwinn |
| Education | |
Penny Schwinn (born 1982) is an American educator, Trump supporter[1] and former Commissioner of Education for the U.S. state of Tennessee. She was appointed by Governor Bill Lee on January 17, 2019,[2] and was sworn in on February 1, 2019.[3] She resigned in May 2023. She then worked for the University of Florida for less than a year before she was terminated[4]. She was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the United States Deputy Secretary of Education in January 2025. On July 31, 2025, Secretary Linda McMahon announced that Penny Schwinn's candidacy for Deputy Secretary had been withdrawn.[5]
Early life and education
Schwinn was born and raised in Sacramento, California. Her mother was an educator for low-income students in Sacramento for nearly 40 years. Many of her extended family are also educators.[6] After graduating high school, she went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley, then Master of Arts in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and her PhD in Education Policy from Claremont Graduate University.[7]
Career
Schwinn began her career in education as a high school history and economics teacher in Baltimore, Maryland. She also has been involved in education in South Los Angeles and has worked in the private sector. She then served on the board of education for Sacramento County, California.[8] After being a principal and board member, she served as the Assistant Secretary of Education of Delaware. She later served as the Deputy Commissioner of Standards and Engagement, Deputy Commissioner of Special Populations and Monitoring, and Chief Deputy Commissioner of Academics at the Texas Education Agency. In 2019, she left the agency, after being appointed by Governor Bill Lee to become the next Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education.[7] She was sworn in on February 1, 2019.
On May 1, 2023, Schwinn announced she would be stepping down as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education on June 1, 2023. She was succeeded by Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds on July 1, 2023.[9]
She went on to work for Ben Sasse at the University of Florida where she created outrage among parents, teachers, students and alumni when she proposed to remove a lottery system from P.K. Yonge school which was seen as an attack on the diverse student population.[10]She was then terminated from the role in less than a year.[11]
On January 17 2025, President-elect Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he had picked Peggy Schwinn[12] to be his Deputy Secretary of Education.[13] After her nomination, Penny Schwinn launched a new business in Florida before being confirmed. When the 74Million looked into the matter, she quickly put her sister's name as the owner.[14] On July 31, 2025, Secretary Linda McMahon announced that Schwinn's candidacy had been withdrawn.[15]
Personal life
Schwinn is married to Paul Schwinn, who is also an educator and has worked with multiple educational institutions and advocacy groups.[6] She has three children, two of whom are students in Tennessee public schools.[3]
References
- ^ "What a top Trump nominee said about funding, school improvement, and ending the Education Department". Chalkbeat. 2025-06-05. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Gonzales, Jason. "Gov.-elect Bill Lee taps reform advocate Penny Schwinn as new Tennessee education commissioner". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
- ^ a b "About the Commissioner". www.tn.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
- ^ Moody, Josh. "6 Sasse Allies Sacked at University of Florida". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Jacobson, Linda (2025-07-31). "Penny Schwinn Drops Out of the Running for Ed Department's Deputy Role". Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ a b "Six things to know about Penny Schwinn, Tennessee's new education commissioner". Chalkbeat Tennessee. 2019-02-01. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
- ^ a b "Penny Schwinn". Tennessee Board of Regents. 2013-04-03. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
- ^ "Penny Schwinn -- Area 5". KCRA. 2012-06-02. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
- ^ "Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn to step down; Gov. Lee names school-choice expert to post". MSN. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ^ Castro, Sabrina (2024-04-17). "Parents, students, alumni and community members outraged by proposed 'selective admissions' process to P.K. Yonge". WUFT | News and public media for north central Florida. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Moody, Josh. "6 Sasse Allies Sacked at University of Florida". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "Trump Fumbles 'Congratulations' To Education Pick In Massive Announcement Goof-Up". Yahoo News. 2025-01-18. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Jones, Vivian. "Trump picks former Tennessee education chief Penny Schwinn as Deputy Secretary of Education". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ Jacobson, Linda (2025-06-04). "Schwinn's Business Venture After Nomination to Ed Dept. Could Raise Questions". Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "Penny Schwinn is no longer Trump's nominee to be No. 2 at the Education Department". Chalkbeat. 2025-07-31. Retrieved 2025-08-09.