Meet Penny Schwinn: Trump’s Deputy Secretary of Education Nominee with Sacramento Roots

Penny Schwinn has been chosen as the Deputy Secretary of Education by President-elect Donald Trump. She has a strong background in education, having served on the Sacramento County Board of Education and founded a charter school in South Sacramento.

Schwinn is the founder of Capitol Collegiate Academy, which started in 2011 on Roosevelt Avenue before moving to its current location in 2012. The school began with kindergarten and gradually expanded to include eighth grade by 2020, now serving around 470 students from transitional kindergarten to eighth grade.

Her experience extends beyond her school. In 2012, Schwinn was elected to the Sacramento County Board of Education, representing areas that include Elk Grove and Sacramento City Unified School Districts, among others. Her academic credentials are impressive: she holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a master’s in teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and a PhD in education policy from Claremont Graduate University.

Trump praised Schwinn on his Truth Social account, highlighting her commitment to school choice and education reform. Before this role, she worked as the chief deputy commissioner of academics at the Texas Education Agency and served as Tennessee’s education commissioner, further emphasizing her extensive experience in the field.