On Tuesday, April 18th, 2023, we hand delivered our original letter (link here) to Governor Lee and all members of the Tennessee General Assembly. We are continuing to gather the support of education leaders across the state, and will continue adding names to our online version of this letter below.
To publicly join this chorus of support, please fill out this form.
Dear Governor Bill Lee, Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, Speaker Cameron Sexton and members of the Tennessee General Assembly,
As leaders in education from across Tennessee, we urge you, our elected leaders, to take steps that will help protect both our children and the rights afforded to all Americans by the Second Amendment. United, we support a reasonable response to the violence in our state; guns are now the first leading cause of death of children in Tennessee.
Specifically, we ask legislators to take these steps during the 2023 legislative session to keep guns away from those who are a risk to themselves or others:
- Allow authorities to temporarily remove guns from those who pose a risk to themselves or others by implementing Extreme Risk Protection legislation.
- Adopt additional measures to keep guns away from dangerous people by requiring background checks on all purchases and closing the background check loophole on unlicensed sellers.
- Stop firearms from falling into the wrong hands by requiring gun owners to provide safe storage and report lost and stolen guns.
Governor Lee’s commitment to improving school infrastructure safety and access to mental health resources are steps in the right direction. We believe more must be done in order to protect our children and educators inside their classrooms and on their campuses. In the last three mass shootings in Nashville, there was knowledge of the assailant’s threat to themselves and others prior to their crime. Taking the above steps this legislative session will help to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future while also protecting the right to bear arms. Offering our collective public support will help us all do the next right thing as we heal together. Together, we can build a safer Tennessee.
We stand with other Education Leaders for a Safer Tennessee.
Respectfully,
Brooke Allen
Executive Director
Diverse Learners Cooperative
Davidson County
Elizabeth Ayton
Director
Belmont Weekday School
Davidson County
Chris Barbic
Board Chair
TN Charter School Center
Davidson County
Jill Black
Board Member
Hamilton County School Board
Hamilton County
Erin O’Hara Block
Board Member
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board of Education
Davidson County
Dr. Maya Bugg
President & CEO
TN Charter Center
Davidson County
Sean Casey
Head of School
Franklin Road Academy
Davidson County
Tanya Coats
President
Tennessee Education Association (TNEA)
Davidson County
Darrell Cobbins
Vice Chair (2017 – 2023)
Tennessee State Board of Education
Shelby County
Kathy Conlin
Head of School
Cool Springs Montessori
Williamson County
Sean Corcoran
Head of School
Brainerd Baptist School
Hamilton County
Katie Cour
President and CEO
Nashville Public Education Foundation
Davidson County
Indira Dammu
Education Advisor, former Mayor Briley
Davidson County
Nick Darnell
Member (2018 – 2023)
Tennessee State Board of Education
Hamblen County
Paul Davis
President
Father Ryan High School
Davidson County
Todd Dickson
Founder & CEO
Valor Collegiate Academies
Davidson County
Rodger Dinwiddie
CEO
STARS Nashville
Davidson County
Randy Dowell
Founder & Executive Director
KIPP Nashville
Davidson County
Bob Eby
Chair (2018 – current)
TN State Board of Education
Anderson & Roane Counties
Rachael Anne Elrod
Board Chair
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board of Education
Davidson County
Charlie Friedman
Founder & Executive Director
Nashville Classical Charter Schools
Davidson County
Tamara Fyke, M. Ed.
Founder, BlueWonder Creative
Davidson County
Sarah Giblin
Chief of Schools
Valor Collegiate Academies
Davidson County
Brad Gioia
Headmaster
Montgomery Bell Academy
Davidson County
Cameron Gish
Executive Principal
Explore! Community School
Davidson County
Lillian Hartgrove
Chair Emeritus (2014 – current)
TN State Board of Education
Putnam County
Cameron Hill
Board Member
Tennessee Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (TIAAA)
Davidson
Jess Hill
Head of School
Harpeth Hall
Davidson County
Daniel Hoffman & Alene Arnold
Co-Heads of School
Jewish Middle School of Nashville
Davidson County
Ryan Holt
Member (2022 – current)
TN State Board of Education
Davidson County
Kevin Huffman
CEO, Accelerate and
Former Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Education
Davidson County
Larry Jensen
Member (2019 – current)
TN State Board of Education
Shelby County
Karitsa M. Jones
Board Member
Hamilton County School Board
Hamilton County
James Jordan
Head of School
Episcopal School of Nashville
Davidson County
Jim Leckrone
Founder & School Director
East End Preparatory School
Davidson County
Logan Lyman
Director
Westminster School for Young Children
Davidson County
Stuart McCathie
Headmaster
Lausanne Collegiate School
Shelby County
Robert McGehee
Head of School
St. Nicholas School
Hamilton County
Rhonda L. McKay
Executive Director
Children’s House of Nashville
Davidson County
Debi Miller
Director
Mt. Juliet Montessori Academy
Wilson County
Jeffery L. Mitchell, Ph.D.
Head of School
Currey Ingram Academy
Williamson County
Natalie Morosi
Founder & Executive Director
Aventura Community School
Davidson County
Terry L. Morris
Executive Director
Ironwood Academy
Williamson County
Will Norton
Head of School
St. Paul Christian Academy
Davidson County
Zee Pendleton
Director, St. George’s Kindergarten
Davidson County
Freda Player
Vice Chair
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board of Education
Davidson County
Daniella Pressner
Head of School
Akiva School
Davidson County
Gini Pupo-Walker
Executive Director
The Education Trust – Tennessee
Davidson County
Amani Reed
Director
University School of Nashville
Davidson County
Kimberly Richardson
Head of School
Linden Waldorf School
Davidson County
J. Eric Rice
Former Board Member, Maryville City Schools Foundation
Blount County
Kate Riley
Head of School
Holy Trinity Montessori
Davidson County
Kristen Ring
President & Head of School
Hutchison School
Shelby County
Tiffanie Robinson
Board Chair
Hamilton County School Board
Hamilton County
Abigail Rockey
CEO
Intrepid College Prep
Davidson County
Hart Roper
Head of School
Oak Hill School
Davidson County
Tara Scarlett
President & CEO
Scarlett Family Foundation
Middle Tennessee
Gary Shorb
Executive Director
Urban Child Institute
Shelby County
David Skeen
Head of School
Harding Academy
Davidson County
Teresa Sloyan
President
Hyde Family Foundation
Memphis, TN
Mary K. Smith
Director
Nature’s Way Montessori School
Knoxville TN
Prentice Stabler
Head of School
Ensworth School
Davidson County
Albert L. Throckmorton
Head of School
St. Mary’s Episcopal School
Shelby County
Leigh Toomey
Head of School
St. Bernard Academy
Davidson County
Wendy Tucker
Commissioner, TN Public Charter Schools Commission (2019-present)
Former board member, TN State Board of Education (2014-2019)
Williamson County
Abigail Tylor
Board Member
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board of Education
Davidson County
Dr. R. Kirk Walker, Jr.
Former Headmaster
McCallie School
Hamilton County
Roblin Webb
Founder & CEO
Freedom Prep Charter Schools
Shelby County
Bonnie Smith Whitehouse
Director of Global Honors Program and Professor of English, Belmont University
Davidson County
Jacqueline Wolfe
Interim Head of School
Montessori Academy Brentwood
Davidson County
Jaime Yeager
Head of School, Amare Montessori and
Executive Director, Montessori Alliance of Tennessee
Montgomery County