NEW YORK, January 21, 2025 – Teach For America Chief Executive Officer Elisa Villanueva Beard released the following statement on the nomination of Penny Schwinn as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

“I congratulate Teach For America alumna, Penny Schwinn, on her nomination as Deputy Secretary of Education. During her tenure as Tennessee Commissioner of Education, we worked successfully together on our shared commitment to improving reading and literacy for students and improving student outcomes.

I look forward to learning more about Penny’s priorities in her new role and working with her and the Department of Education to ensure all students have the opportunity to receive an excellent education.”    

About Teach For America

Teach For America works in partnership with communities across the country to expand educational opportunities for children. Founded in 1990, Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a diverse network of leaders who expand opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate. Today, Teach For America is a force of 70,000 alumni, corps members, and Ignite fellows working in pursuit of profound systemic change so that one day every child has an equal opportunity to learn, lead, thrive, and co-create a future filled with possibility. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook and X.

Contact:
communications@teachforamerica.org