A rising star in education reform circles will lead the Tennessee Department of Education, Gov.-elect Bill Lee announced Thursday. Penny Schwinn, 36, an official with the Texas Education Agency, will join Lee as his education commissioner, arguably one of the governor-elect's most significant Cabinet picks. She will be tasked with crafting Lee's K-12 education initiatives, which could include a school voucher proposal, and ironing out issues with the statewide TNReady standardized test.
Penny Schwinn, the Texas Education Agency chief deputy commissioner of academics, will become Tennessee's new education commissioner under incoming Gov. Bill Lee. Lee said he looked around the country and the state for a candidate who could “advance the cause of education improvement in Tennessee.” “We believe, and I am certain, that we found the person that understands that every child in Tennessee deserves a quality education,” he said.
A career educator who comes from a family of teachers, Schwinn has experience in Delaware leading testing efforts and founded a California charter school.
Joining Tennessee from Texas
A top administrator in Texas, she comes to Tennessee having weathered a conflict-of-interest controversy that resulted in that state revising its contracting rules. Schwinn said she grew up with her mom, a 37-year-educator, bringing her to class. She said it instilled a passion for education and ensuring all children have the best opportunities to learn. "What I have accomplished and what I still hope to accomplish in education is the reason I work 100-hour weeks," she said. "It is the reason I believe this is a lifetime commitment." In an interview, she said she wants to ensure educators and parents feel heard.
She leaves the Texas Education Agency after pursuing a series of reforms that included transforming the state's assessment program after a year of issues, according to the announcement. She said she will lean on that experience to improve TNReady testing, which has been under fire after several years of problems. Schwinn also expanded pathways for improving students’ career readiness upon graduation, the Lee transition statement said.
Schwinn's appointment was hailed as an "outstanding choice" by Texas' education chief.
"Penny’s leadership as TEA’s chief deputy commissioner of academics has led to considerable improvements in the way we deliver education to Texas’ 5.4 million school children," Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath said. "I wish her all the best as she embarks on this new journey to improve the lives and educational outcomes for students in Tennessee."
