NASHVILLE – Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn praised Governor Bill Lee and his second State of the State Address in which he announced historic investments in public education in Tennessee, including major initiatives to improve early literacy, to establish a quarter of a billion dollar endowment to support mental health services in our public schools, and to build the best teacher preparation program right here in Tennessee.

NASHVILLE – Today, Governor 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. "Teaching civics to our students is a key priority of my administration, and I'm pleased to see this initiative is taking shape," said Governor Bill Lee. "Thanks to these new resources, we can better prepare our students in the classroom and in life for what it means to be a citizen of this great nation." The mini-grants allocate $220,000 to support public schools and districts implementing high-quality civic education programs that result in readiness for college, career, and civic life.

NASHVILLE — Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Education are awarding start-up grants to fund middle school career and technical education (CTE); science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education; and the expansion of equitable access and participation in early postsecondary opportunities (EPSOs).

NASHVILLE— Today, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn unveiled the state report card, an annual report designed to provide convenient access to the most important data and information about every school and district in Tennessee.

NASHVILLE— Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn today presented the department’s strategic plan to more than 1,000 statewide educators at the 2019 LEAD conference held in Nashville. The plan, called “Best for All,” sets priorities for the department in serving Tennessee students, teachers, administrators, and families.

NASHVILLE—Today Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn announced that 117 charter schools will receive approximately half of the $12 million that was allocated to the department’s Charter School Facilities fund in Governor Lee’s budget. The money is designed to ensure that students in a Tennessee charter school are being educated in an environment that supports student achievement, safety, and well-being.