Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn is leaving the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) effective June 1, online education policy magazine The74, reported Monday. The outlet reports that Schwinn has grown tired of distracting culture war battles over the way race and gender are taught in the state’s classrooms. In response, Governor Lee is returning to familiar ground for her replacement.
Lee named Lizzette Gonzales Reynolds as the news Education Commissioner, who, like Schwinn, is a former Texas Deputy Commissioner of Education.
“Lizzette’s significant education policy expertise and leadership make her well-suited to continue our work to deliver a high-quality education and expand school choice for Tennessee students,” Governor Lee said in an afternoon statement. He added, “I welcome her to Tennessee and appreciate her service to students, families and teachers across the state.”
The74 reported Reynolds has said that she plans to pick up where Schwinn left off.
Shortly after his inauguration as Governor in 2019, Lee brought Schwinn, a former Texas Chief Deputy Commissioner to Tennessee to “advance the cause of education improvement in Tennessee.” He said at the time, “We believe, and I am certain, that we found the person that understands that every child in Tennessee deserves a quality education.”
During her four years in Tennessee, the California native and former Teach For America staffer led her adopted state through a series of unprecedented changes while Tennessee schools attempted to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to launching the tutoring initiative to mitigate learning loss, Schwinn shepherded in a new state school funding formula through the legislature and positioned Tennessee as the first state with a federally registered teacher apprenticeship program.
Chair of the Tennessee State Senate Education Committee, State Senator John Lundberg (R-Bristol), told The Tennessee Star, “I’m truly appreciative of all that Commissioner Schwinn has done for Tennessee students and their families. She has led us through some transformative changes that I believe sets us up for even greater success in the future.” Lundberg added, “I’m also glad that she is electing to remain in Tennessee. She’ll continue to be a great resource for the state.”
Schwinn and her husband, Paul Schwinn, recently purchased a $1.85 million dollar home in southern Davidson County. Mr. Schwinn is employed by the Achievement Network, “a non-profit dedicated to the idea that every child deserves an excellent education.”
During her time in Tennessee, Mrs. Schwinn found herself frequently mired in controversy over political battles pertaining to staffing, critical race theory (CRT), library books, and the state textbook adoption process.
Staff members who wished to remain anonymous told The Star, “How ‘Penny Schwinn’ is it for her to grant an exclusive [statement] to The74 an hour before staff and superintendents are told, and the media embargo is lifted?”
A staff call was scheduled for 2:30pm, with a state superintendent call scheduled for 2:45pm.
It has long been rumored that Schwinn was pursuing other options as she has recently spent much of her time traveling the country to various speaking engagements.
In accepting Mrs. Schwinn’s resignation, Governor Lee announced that another former Texas Education Association (TEA) Deputy Commissioner, Lizzette Gonzales Reynolds, would take over at the state’s Education Commissioner. Reynold’s tenure preceded that of Schwinn’s at TEA, but is familiar with the ex-commissioner’s work. Five years ago she told Ann Kimbrell in an interview for the George W. Bush Institute:
[Texas Education Commissioner] Mike Morath and [Texas Deputy Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn] have worked hard to create confidential student report cards to make the test results more accessible and understandable. They should be applauded for this tremendous accomplishment. I was never able to accomplish that myself at the agency.
During that interview, Reynolds was asked by Kimbrell about her approach to data. She replied, “I have a love/hate relationship with data because I have witnessed folks who read data sheets all day long but don’t actually do anything with it or put I towards some actionable outcome.”
She’ll have three years to make her mark before Lee’s term ends, and a new governor is elected. Each governor typically appoints their own Education Commissioner.
Reynolds most recently served as the Vice-President of Policy for the Foundation for Excellence in Education, an education foundation founded by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush after he split from his previous foundation, Chiefs For Change. Gonzales Reynolds is the first Tennessee Education Commissioner not affiliated with Chiefs for Change since 2011 when then-Governor Bill Haslam appointed Kevin Hoffman to the position.
Tennessee Deputy Commissioner Eve Carney was recently named a Future Chief by the organization.
In 2007, while serving as TEA’s Deputy Commissioner of Policy and Programs, Gonzales Reynolds came across an email forwarded by Christine Comer. In it, the Texas Education Agency’s Director of Science pushed back against the teaching of intelligent design. At the time it was Texas state education policy that schools remain neutral in the teaching of evolution. Reynolds interpreted Comer’s email as a violation – calling it “an offense that calls for termination.” Comer resigned shortly thereafter.
Lizzette Gonzales Reynolds is expected to assume her duties as Tennessee Commissioner of Education on July 1. Deputy Commissioner Sam Pearcy will hold the position on an interim basis until then.
JC Bowman, Professional Educators of Tennessee’s Executive Director, told The Star, “We wish Penny Schwinn all the best in her future endeavors. Although her accomplishments have been mixed, the results will ultimately be determined over time. Governor Lee now has an opportunity to shift the Tennessee Department of Education in a new direction. A new leader needs to look inward, as well as outward.”
Looking forward, Bowman added, “The TDOE needs to rebuild and fill critical positions in the Department to serve the needs of parents, pupils, educators, and school districts. Outwardly, the TDOE needs to reconnect with the stakeholders here in Tennessee. We look forward to working with the Lee Administration and the new Commissioner Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds to continue making Tennessee the best place to raise a family and educate all children. Together, we can unleash the full potential of K-12 education to provide children the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills that will enable them to develop their full potential and become successful members of society.”
Governor Lee said, “During her years of dedicated service, Penny has played a key role in our administration’s work to ensure educational opportunity for Tennessee students and secure the next generation of teachers, while navigating historic learning challenges. I have tremendous gratitude for her leadership and wish her much success in her next chapter.”
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TC Weber is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. He also writes the blog Dad Gone Wild. Follow TC on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]. He’s the proud parent of two public school children and the spouse of a public school teacher.
meet the new boss, worse than the old boss!
Endorsed bt Jeb Bush. NO Thanks. This woman looks awful.
she has been consistently terrible since she showed up
good riddance!
maybe the door WILL hit you on the way out – bye bye there shadow secretary of Dianne Feinstein. NO MORE – DEI, CRT, and controversial gender studies.
I know for a fact Penny sent many of her staff to California on the Tennessee taxpayers dime !