President-elect Donald Trump nominated Penny Schwinn, who headed Tennessee’s Department of Education for five years, for deputy secretary of education on Saturday as he finalizes his Cabinet before Inauguration Day.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump praised Schwinn for her “strong record of delivering results for children and families” and her views on school choice.

Trump added that Schwinn is “committed to delivering the American Dream to the next Generation by returning Education BACK TO THE STATES.”

The position will have to be confirmed by the Senate. If Schwinn is confirmed, she will serve under Linda McMahon, Trump’s nominee for secretary of education. McMahon’s confirmation hearing is currently unscheduled.

Schwinn has a lengthy background in education, most notably serving as commissioner of Tennessee’s Department of Education for five years before she resigned in 2023. Since then, she has been vice president for K-12 education at the University of Florida. She also holds degrees from top-ranked institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University, and Claremont Graduate University.

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As commissioner of Tennessee’s DOE, she implemented the state’s first school choice program and oversaw the department during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Bill Lee (R-TE) offered strong support for Trump’s nomination, posting on X that it is “another strong choice to further his education agenda — delivering school choice & finally returning power back to the states.”