Penny's education began with STEM. She earned a Bachelors of Science in Geology from the University of Georgia. It includes a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction, and Doctorate in Education, Leadership and Innovation, both from the University of Colorado, School of Education. Her dissertation was on the development of educational standards and the political landscape that led to No Child Left Behind.
Leading up to accepting her current position, she previously designed a STEM school in Adams 12. It grew from 200 to 4,000 students in three years on several campuses. The transformative power of a great school changes lives. The lucky ones selected by lottery have an opportunity she wishes all students could share. Before being the founding principal, she worked in the central office supporting 52 schools. Prior to district work, she served at CDE (Colorado Dept. of Education), responsible for the science CSAP- selecting test items, organizing the review process and overseeing the scoring process.