Federal

Trump Names Experienced Educator as His Pick for Deputy Education Secretary

By Lesli A. Maxwell — January 18, 2025 3 min read
080321 Tennessee Education Commissioner CRT AP BS
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Penny Schwinn, a former teacher, charter school founder, and state commissioner of education, has been named by President-elect Donald Trump as his pick for deputy secretary of education at the U.S. Department of Education.

Schwinn, a strong supporter of school choice, would serve as the No. 2 official in the agency, working under Linda McMahon, Trump’s choice for the top job at the Education Department. Schwinn’s extensive experience in K-12 stands in contrast to that of McMahon, a wealthy business executive who founded and served as CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment.

Trump announced his choice of Schwinn on Truth Social late Jan. 17, originally referring to her as Peggy Schwinn. The post was updated to correct her name.

“Penny has a strong record of delivering results for children and families,” Trump wrote. “A former teacher herself, Penny became the founding principal of a charter school, because she believes in the power of School Choice, and is committed to delivering the American Dream to the next Generation by returning Education BACK TO THE STATES.”

Trump’s agenda for K-12 has centered on a pledge to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and expand private school choice.

Penny Schwinn has extensive experience in K-12 education

Schwinn, who served as Tennessee’s schools chief under Republican Gov. Bill Lee from 2019-2023, started her K-12 career as a Teach For America teacher in Baltimore before later moving into education leadership positions in several states. She served in senior roles in the Delaware education department as well as the Texas Education Agency before Lee appointed her as his education commissioner. She had mostly recently worked at the University of Florida.

Developing a stronger pipeline of teachers and shifting the state’s elementary teachers to an evidence-based approach to teaching literacy were among Schwinn’s top priorities during her tenure as Tennessee’s schools chief. She oversaw its effort to be the first state to establish a federally registered teacher apprenticeship program.

But as the top education official, she was also responsible for implementing the state law that set limitations on discussions and lessons about race and racism in public schools. She took heat from progressives and conservatives, including a complaint from a local Moms for Liberty chapter who accused Schwinn of dodging their complaint about one school district’s use of the children’s book “Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story,” the autobiography that recounts Bridges’ experience as the first Black student to desegregate an all-white school in New Orleans.

In a 2023 interview with Rick Hess, the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and an Opinion blogger for Education Week, Schwinn said a lack of civility and common decency over divisive culture issues influenced her decision to step down.

See also

Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
States Opinion Advice for State School Chiefs: Focus on All Kids at All Times
Rick Hess, July 27, 2023
9 min read

In the same interview, Schwinn also told Hess that she wasn’t surprised by the surge in enthusiasm for school choice, but passing laws to expand it were just a first step to ensuring access and quality.

“For school choice to work, there needs to be understandable, accurate, and accessible information for parents,” Schwinn said. “It requires exceptional customer service for families and tooling that streamlines the process. Fiscal accountability needs to be clear and enforced. Well-defined benchmarks for quality and outcomes must be publicly stated and honestly reported. Whether you are someone who advocates for choice for choice’s sake or for choice specifically to ensure better opportunities for students and families, the surest way to see the work fail is to believe that passing the law is the finish line.”

Trump also announced the selection of Eric Bledsoe to serve as a special assistant to the president for domestic policy, focusing primarily on education. Previously, Bledsoe was a senior director of civics at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and an instructor at Florida State University.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
Creating Resilient Schools with a Trauma-Responsive MTSS
Join us to learn how school leaders are building a trauma-responsive MTSS to support students & improve school outcomes.
School & District Management Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: We Can’t Engage Students If They Aren’t Here: Strategies to Address the Absenteeism Conundrum
Absenteeism rates are growing fast. Join Peter DeWitt and experts to learn how to re-engage students & families.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Linda McMahon Abruptly Tells States Their Time to Spend COVID Relief Has Passed
Secretary Linda McMahon said the Education Department would no longer honor the extensions it had granted states.
3 min read
Education Secretary Linda McMahon arrives before President Donald Trump attends a reception for Women's History Month in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Washington.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon arrives before President Donald Trump attends a reception for Women's History Month in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Washington. In a letter Friday, McMahon told state leaders on March 28 that their time to spend remaining COVID relief funds would end that same day.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Federal McMahon Says Schools With 'Gender Plans' Could Be Violating Federal Privacy Law
The U.S. Department of Education opened investigations under FERPA into two states, alleging violations of parents' rights.
5 min read
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 20, 2025. McMahon said that the U.S. Department of Education would make a "revitalized effort" to pursue federal student privacy law violations for parents' rights, asserting that school "gender plans" that aren't available to parents violate the federal law.
Ben Curtis/AP
Federal Dramatic Cuts to Ed. Data Programs Will Have Far-Reaching Consequences, Researchers Warn
Education research organizations asked Congress to intervene in cuts to ed. data, research staff.
6 min read
Image of performance data analysis.
NicoElNino/iStock/Getty
Federal See Which Schools Trump's Education Department Is Investigating and Why
The agency has opened more than 80 investigations. Check out our map and table to review them.
2 min read
President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing in women's or girls' sporting events, in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on Feb. 5, 2025, before signing an executive order barring transgender females from competing in women's or girls' sports. Transgender athlete policies have been a common subject of investigations into schools, colleges, state education departments, and athletic associations by the U.S. Department of Education since Trump took office.
Alex Brandon/AP