Tennessee’s former commissioner of education, Dr. Penny Schwinn, has landed a new position with the University of Florida. Dr. Schwinn will join the school in a newly created position as vice president for PK-12 and Pre-Bachelors Programs.
According to an email from Cynthia Roldán Hernández, University of Florida’s director of Strategic Communications, this work will earn Schwinn an annual salary of $367,500, making her the second-highest-paid University of Florida vice president.
Schwinn officially started her employment with the university on June 15, but her hiring wasn’t made public until this week when University President Ben Sasse emailed staff, followed by a press notice.
Schwinn’s position will explore strategic opportunities for the University of Florida to (1) develop and expand innovative opportunities in the PK-12th grade space in areas like space and aeronautics, pre-apprenticeship programs, etc; (2) to develop possible “master-class” and exploratory high-end hybrid opportunities for high school students that may provide and expand access to collegiate level work that can support college readiness, align with workplace internships and apprenticeships, support existing courses and instruction, supplement summer school enrichment offerings, and/or allow for opportunities to use successful completion to advance university coursework; (3) support the School of Education to expand their already impressive array of programs and services; (4) explore partnership possibilities with LEAs and public charter schools to make UF the marquee service provider for state requirements, academic acceleration opportunities, and as a center for education innovation.
Schwinn’s tenure as Tennessee Commissioner of Education, from 2019 to 2023, was controversial.
Parents in Williamson County, Tennessee, sued Schwinn in November 2022 for failing to prohibit the teaching of 14 tenets of Critical Race Theory in Tennessee’s K-12 public schools, as is required by Tennessee state law. She was criticized for her frequent absences from the state during her tenure as K-12 student performance declined, and her frequent use of no-bid contracts for vendors.
Schwinn also supported a close relationship between the Tennessee Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education, which was emphasized in her September 2022 joint appearance in Knoxville with First Lady Jill Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
The Tennessee Star attempted to ascertain whether the new position would require Schwinn to relocate or if she would work remotely from Tennessee. The university did not respond to the question. Earlier this year, she and her husband purchased a south Nashville home for $1.85 million.
In the press release, Sasse praised the former Tennessee commissioner, saying, “Dr. Schwinn was not only the youngest education commissioner in modern Tennessee history but was also the first person of color and the first woman of color to serve in the role.” He credited her with working to restructure the state’s $9 billion school finance system and implementing statewide training and professional support structures for teachers in the science of reading, leading to historic growth in student achievement.
“The University of Florida is a special place with an incredible team,” said Schwinn in the press release. “I am excited to join a team that is passionate about education, focused on students, and dedicated to supporting teachers. I want to help put UF’s incredible knowledge, data, and expertise into more classrooms in each of Florida’s 67 counties so we can help make sure every student has the opportunity to succeed. UF wants to make the world a better place, and that starts in K-12 classrooms across the state. I am excited to get to work.”
In addition to her position with the university, the former Tennessee Commissioner of Education is a senior fellow for FutureEd, an education policy think tank at Georgetown University. In her FutureEd biography, she states that in addition to her fellowship duties, she serves in a “senior leadership role” for a university, but doesn’t identify the University of Florida.
Schwinn is also a member of Chiefs for Change, an education policy foundation created by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
Sasse, a former Republican Nebraska senator, took over leadership of Florida’s state university in February despite having four years remaining on his latest term. Sasse’s hiring resulted from a search by a committee led by a long-time Republican donor with ties to Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis. Despite being one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump after January 6, he considers himself a true conservative.
In his 2018 book, “Them: Why We Hate Each Other — and How to Heal,” he proudly referred to himself as “the second or third-most conservative member of the Senate.”
State Senator Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol) wished Schwinn “good luck” on her future endeavors.
“She is one of the few people leaving Tennessee for Florida,” Lundberg, the Tennessee Senate Education Committee chair, told The Star. “In all seriousness, I’m truly appreciative of all that Commissioner Schwinn has done for Tennessee students and their families and wish her the best in all future endeavors.”
Since taking over, Sasse has faced opposition from various student and faculty groups opposed to his stance on L.G.B.T.Q issues. The new president has taken the criticism in stride.
In response to questions from New York Times writer, Michael Sokolove, Sasse said, “The idea that much of what’s happening here is about tribal politics is wrong because what’s really happening is going to be radically disrupted by technology,” The president added. “The historian in my soul thinks that 100 years or a thousand years from now, when people are looking back, I really don’t think they’re going to be talking about politics.”
Last year, U.S. News ranked the University of Florida fifth among public universities — behind only the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Michigan; and the University of Virginia.
Ninety-two percent of the university’s 35,000 undergraduates come from Florida. That differs from other state universities, where the figure is often not much over 50 percent, and for some, like the University of Alabama, where it is slightly over 40 percent.
The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees recently adopted a policy that guarantees college admission to certain in-state applicants. Under the new policy, Tennessee high schoolers who meet required academic standards will automatically be accepted to at least one school in the state university system.
“In taking this step, the UT System would join public institutions in at least a dozen other states, including Arizona, Florida, and Texas, which offer guaranteed admissions to eligible students,” said the adopted resolution. “University admissions officials project that this change would have a positive effect on the number of Tennesseans choosing to apply to and enroll at one of its campuses.”
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TC Weber is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. He 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.
