Trump selects Penny Schwinn for the position of deputy secretary at the US Department of Education.

The Texas Education Agency was previously where Schwinn worked.

Trump selects Penny Schwinn for the position of deputy secretary at the US Department of Education.
Trump selects Penny Schwinn for the position of deputy secretary at the US Department of Education.

On Saturday, President-elect Trump announced that he has appointed Penny Schwinn, the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, as the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

In Tennessee, Schwinn managed the department's pandemic response, implemented Gov. Lee's school voucher program, and revised the state's school funding formula, according to the Associated Press.

House Education Committee Hears Testimony On Safely Reopening Schools
Tennessee Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn testifies at the House Education Committee on Capitol Hill in 2020. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

The Texas Education Agency deputy commissioner who criticized Hegeseth's qualifications stands by the Department of Defense secretary who oversaw the botched Afghanistan withdrawal.

She was also the assistant secretary of education in Delaware.

Tennessee starts apprenticeship program to address teacher shortages

Trump congratulated Schwinn on Saturday in a post on Truth Social.

"Penny, a former teacher who founded a charter school, is committed to delivering the American Dream to the next generation through School Choice. Congratulations to her and her family!"

Johns Hopkins and Claremont hold master's and Ph.D. degrees, respectively, for Schwinn.

by Alexandra Koch

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