Penny Schwinn Archives - Tennessee Star

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn Gave $8 Million Contract to Company That Employs Her Husband

March 24, 2021March 23, 2021 Corinne Murdock

Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn’s husband works for the company that benefited from an $8.06 million reading initiative contract.

Apparently, Commissioner Schwinn keeps it all in the family. As The Tennessee Star reported last fall, sources claimed that Schwinn imported former colleagues from Texas when she assumed her role within TDOE. They also claimed that they were subjected to hiring freezes and pressure to slash budgets, though Schwinn had no problem with maintaining the six-figure salaries for her imports.

Tennessee Department of Education Faced Lawsuit over Textbook Bias Allegedly Perpetrated by Commissioner Penny Schwinn

January 30, 2021January 29, 2021 Corinne Murdock

A lawsuit alleged that Commissioner Penny Schwinn favored certain textbook vendors without merit at the expense of more qualified vendors. Textbook and educational materials publishing company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) filed the suit against the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) in November of 2019. Consequently, HMH noted that the sale of all other grade levels of reading materials offered by HMH were jeopardized, since they are designed to be implemented together from K-12 curriculum.

The Tennessee State Board of Education acted on the recommendation of an advisory panel appointed by the Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission to not adopt HMH’s third grade reading material. HMH claimed that the advisory panel’s process was disrupted after Schwinn appointed Dr. Lisa Coons as TDOE Assistant Commissioner for Standards and Materials. Thereafter, HMH claimed that the panel re-reviewed and failed HMH’s material, while TDOE adopted programs offered by competitors that also received failing grades.

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn Warns Metro Nashville Public Schools on Federal Funds

January 27, 2021January 26, 2021 Chris Butler

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn warned Metro Nashville Public School officials this week that serious consequences await if they do not account for $110 million in federal aid. Schwinn warned MNPS officials in a letter dated Monday.

Tennessee Department of Education Gives $1 Million to Left-Leaning PBS

January 12, 2021January 11, 2021 Chris Butler

Officials with the Tennessee Department of Education announced late last week that they will give $1 million of taxpayer money to Tennessee’s six PBS stations to help educate students throughout the state. As reported last year, several organizations, including the Family Research Council, have faulted PBS’ educational materials for what they call a left-leaning bias.

Tennessee Stands Announces New Plans to Help Conservative Candidates Across the State

November 15, 2020November 14, 2020 Chris Butler

Tennessee Stands, based out of Williamson County, announced new initiatives Friday, including new partnerships and a new initiative to recruit right-leaning candidates for county commission and school board seats across the state.

This, according to an emailed press release that Tennessee Stands speaker Gary Humble emailed Friday.

COVID-19, Spending Cuts Focus of Tennessee Education Budget Discussions

November 12, 2020November 11, 2020 The Center Square

Teacher raises, vacant positions and funding for school districts with decreased enrollment this school year were some of the topics discussed Tuesday as the chiefs of Tennessee’s education agencies presented their proposed budgets for the upcoming fiscal year.

Gov. Bill Lee is hearing budget presentations from each of his state agencies over the course of the week, preparing to put together a state budget proposal Lee will present to the Tennessee Legislature in his State of the State address next year.

Lawmakers, Superintendents Blindsided by Tennessee Department of Education Learning Loss Projections

September 30, 2020September 29, 2020 Admin

Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn’s announcement of COVID-19-related learning loss projections for Tennessee students took state lawmakers and school superintendents by surprise.

In a joint news conference with Gov. Bill Lee last week, Schwinn announced Tennessee students are expected to face learning loss of 50% in English and 65% in math, stressing the importance of in-person learning. Projections were based on national research and early results of beginning-of-year student checkpoint assessments in Tennessee.

Tennessee Projects 65 Percent Learning Loss in Math, 50 Percent Loss in Third Grade Reading After COVID-19 Closures

September 25, 2020September 24, 2020 Admin

Reading proficiency among Tennessee third-graders is projected to drop by 50%, and math proficiency is projected to drop by 65% because of COVID-19-related school closures, according to preliminary projections released by the Department of Education.

Gov. Bill Lee and Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn announced the projected learning loss during a news conference at the state Capitol on Wednesday.

Tennessee State Rep. Bruce Griffey Wants No Confidence Vote on Penny Schwinn

September 23, 2020September 22, 2020 Chris Butler

State Rep. Bruce Griffey (R-Paris) on Tuesday announced he wants members of the General Assembly to issue a vote of no confidence in Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn.

Griffey announced this through an emailed press release as well as a statement he published on his Facebook page.

Former TDOE Employees Warn That Penny Schwinn Jeopardizes Tennessee’s Public Schools As Well As Bill Lee’s Reelection Chances

September 12, 2020September 11, 2020 Chris Butler

Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) Commissioner Penny Schwinn’s leadership problems could trickle down to the state’s public schools, and parents are right to worry.

Additionally, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who appointed Schwinn, should worry that she could cost him reelection in 2022.

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn Has Created ‘a Fairly Abysmal’ Work Environment, Former Employees Allege

September 11, 2020September 10, 2020 Chris Butler

Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) Commissioner Penny Schwinn and her leadership skills have created a toxic work environment and driven too many talented state workers away and into the private sector, said three former TDOE employees.

These are the same three sources who criticized Schwinn in an article that The Tennessee Star published Wednesday. Those sources spoke on condition of anonymity. They said the problems within the department started when Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee appointed Schwinn. And the sources also said the difficulties began not despite Schwinn — but because of her.

Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Formally Asks Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to Fire Penny Schwinn

September 10, 2020September 9, 2020 Chris Butler

Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner (TDEC) Penny Schwinn must leave, said Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles on Wednesday.

Ogles posted on his Facebook page that Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee must remove Schwinn. Ogles said he formally called on Lee to do this only hours after he read Wednesday’s Tennessee Star article that quoted three former TDEC higher-ups. Those former employees, speaking anonymously, denounced Schwinn and her alleged on-the-job behavior. They said she falsified government records, ridiculed Lee at TDEC staff meetings, and lied to avoid appearing in public alongside U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

Documents Show Tennessee Department of Education Misrepresented Intended Scope of Child Well-Being Checks

September 9, 2020September 8, 2020 Admin

While the Tennessee Department of Education has said temporarily withdrawn guidance on child well-being checks was not intended to apply to every child, internal documents and emails sent in development of the guidance show officials have misrepresented the intended scope of the initiative in response to public outrage.

A guidance toolkit outlining statewide Child Wellbeing Checks was developed by the COVID-19 Child Wellbeing Task Force and released Aug. 11. Within three days, the department had withdrawn the program after uproar over perceived big-brother style government overreach.

Former Tennessee Department of Education Higher-Ups Criticize Commissioner Penny Schwinn

September 9, 2020September 8, 2020 Chris Butler

Three former high-level Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) officials who left the department voluntarily criticized their former boss, Commissioner Penny Schwinn, in exclusive interviews with The Tennessee Star.

The former officials spoke with The Star on the condition of anonymity.

Their criticisms of Schwinn are withering, and include the following allegations.

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn Served Under Liberal U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein

August 29, 2020August 28, 2020 Chris Butler

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn interned for U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) almost 20 years ago, according to a resume that Schwinn posted online.

Schwinn posted that resume to a document more than 10 years ago.

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn’s Leadership Polarizing Many, According to Some Educators

August 28, 2020August 28, 2020 Chris Butler

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn may have lost the confidence of some influential people in Tennessee, at least according to a new editorial that the Professional Educators of Tennessee (PET) published this week.

The Nashville-based PET is a statewide professional association of educators, according to its website.

Tennessee Group Says Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn Wants Too Great of a Role Nurturing Children

August 22, 2020August 21, 2020 Chris Butler

Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) Commissioner Penny Schwinn is a leftist and a statist who wants the government to have too great of a role developing public school students, according to a video one organization released this week.

Gary Humble, speaking for Tennessee Stands, criticized Schwinn and the TDOE for proposing that state officials go to people’s homes to perform wellness checks on children.

People Speak Out Against Big Brother Style Child Wellbeing Check Run by Tennessee Department of Education

August 14, 2020August 13, 2020 Admin

Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles says, “NO!!!” to Gov. Bill Lee’s Big Brother-style child wellbeing program that plans to send government officials to families’ homes to do welfare checks of children.

The Tennessee Department of Education says it released a toolkit on child wellbeing checks to ensure the needs of children are being met during and after extended periods away from school. It is promoted as protecting children.

Gov. Lee Shares His ‘Child Wellbeing Plan’ With First Lady Melania Trump

June 19, 2020June 18, 2020 Admin

Gov. Bill Lee spoke by phone Wednesday with First Lady Melania Trump on a new task force to address children’s mental and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The White House said Penny Schwinn, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, also participated.

Tennessee Public Schools to Stay Closed for Rest of School Year, Bill Lee Recommends

April 16, 2020April 15, 2020 Chris Butler

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said at a press conference Wednesday that, per his recommendation, the state’s public schools will remain closed through the end of this current school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Left-Wing PBS to Instruct Tennessee Children During Coronavirus Outbreak

March 27, 2020March 26, 2020 Chris Butler

The Tennessee Department of Education has secured a partnership with the state’s PBS stations to deliver daily educational content to public school students as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to keep them out of school.

Several organizations, including the Family Research Council, have, in the past, faulted PBS’s educational materials for what they call a left-leaning bias.

TDOE spokeswoman Victoria Robinson on Thursday said she could not describe the PBS content in detail or whether state officials are making sure it has no political biases.

Bill Lee Awards Civics Mini-Grants Promoting Life-Long Civic Engagement to Public Schools and Districts

January 26, 2020January 25, 2020 Chris Butler

This week Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee and Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn awarded 21 Governor’s Civics Seal mini-grants promoting life-long civic engagement in schools and districts across the state.

Tennessee’s Department of Education Is Having a Mass Turnover Rate

November 27, 2019November 26, 2019 Zachery Schmidt

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has had 240 employees leave since February, Fox 17 reports.

JC Bowman Commentary: Grow Your Own Teachers

October 18, 2019October 17, 2019 JC Bowman

Tennessee is a unique state, not only because we have the greatest citizens, but because of our geography. We border eight states. That can be an advantage and a disadvantage at times. When economic times are good, people want to relocate to our state. When economic times are difficult, it allows residents to move to a neighboring state and pursue more money in their chosen occupation. In education, we lose teachers to our border states on a regular basis.

Gov. Lee to Provide Grants to Schools That Teach American History, Civic Values

October 15, 2019October 15, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced the launch of the Governor’s Civics Seal and mini-grant program to provide support and recognize schools and districts that prioritize teaching the nation’s history and civic values.

The Tennessee Star Report: Gill and Leahy Discuss WCS Video Series and the Forced Education of Global Citizenship

March 19, 2019March 18, 2019 Julie Carr

On Monday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy talked in depth about the Williamson County school districts “Cultural Competency” video training series that have been…

JC Bowman Commentary: State of the State Expectations 2019

March 2, 2019March 1, 2019 JC Bowman

The State of the State will signal to the state the administration’s priorities for the immediate future. It is where campaign promises, either become realities or go to die.

Governor Bill Lee Delivers Inspiring Inaugural Address Short on Specifics

January 20, 2019January 20, 2019 Chris Butler

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Republican Bill Lee took the oath as governor on Saturday and then delivered a broadly inspiring, almost pastoral, inaugural address in a 15-minute speech that did not provide much in the way of the specifics of his agenda. The inauguration was held indoors at War Memorial Auditorium due to…

Bill Lee Names UC Berkeley Grad Penny Schwinn, Who Began Career at Teach for America, as Education Commissioner

January 18, 2019September 20, 2019 Chris Butler

On Thursday Governor-Elect Bill Lee named 36-year-old Penny Schwinn, a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, who began her career in education working as a teacher for Teach for America, as Tennessee’s new Commissioner of Education. Kevin Huffman, who served as Commissioner of Education during the Haslam administration…