With a few notable exceptions, most school superintendents signing a letter critical of state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman that was sent to Gov. Haslam Wednesday represent schools in small towns or rural counties, according to a list released by the letter’s author.

Dan Lawson, the Tullahoma City Schools director who wrote the letter that has circulated among the state other 136 school superintendents since last week, provided a list of 56 names and said he was still trying to verify the signatures of five others, who were not put on the list.

Lawson’s letter, with the list of signatures, was sent to Haslam and all members of the General Assembly on Wednesday, Lawson said in an email. The governor earlier this week sent all the state’s school superintendents a letter of his own, declaring he was disappointed with the criticism of his appointee to lead the state’s education system but intends to meet with the superintendents and hear their concerns.

Lawson said he left the letter open for signatures a week to give superintendents a chance to add or delete their names – and some had done both. He declined to say what impact Haslam’s letter had.

“I didn’t ask for signatures, didn’t ask for reasons to sign or reasons that some wanted their names removed,” he said. “For me it was a matter of personal conviction.”

“… I am thankful that Gov. Haslam recognizes our concerns and I look forward to the establishment of effective dialogues to accomplish achieving the goals of school improvement in Tennessee,” Lawson said.

Of the state’s biggest urban systems, only Metro Nashville Superintendent Jesse Register signed the letter. Superintendents of Clarksville-Montgomery County schools, Washington County Schools and Jackson schools also signed, but most of the signing superintendents – like Lawson – represent smaller systems.

Lawson provided a list of names only. Matching the names on the list of a list of the state’s school superintendents, here’s a list of names that matched up:
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