Oshkosh Area School District’s Samuel Coleman making a difference both on a personal and district level
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – In his first year with the Oshkosh Area School District, Assistant Superintendent Samuel Coleman is already having an impact across the district as well as one-on-one with students.
“It seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to be a part of the growth that the school district is experiencing,” Coleman said. “I want students to be able to find their success after they graduate and say education played a role in that. And that’s why I became an educator.”
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The 36-year-old moved back to Wisconsin after working in a district leadership position in Virginia to take this job. He is helping to oversee the district’s growth, which includes a move into Vel Phillips Middle School this year and Menominee Elementary next year, as well as improving literacy rates.
He began his career working in literacy and counseling positions before taking on administrative roles. For all the meetings, colleagues, and students who have been involved in his workday routines over the years, there have been times when he has felt incredibly alone.
“Most of the teams that I’ve worked on as an administrator, I’ve been the only Black male in those spaces,” he said. “We have a team here in Oshkosh that has a willingness and an openness and an appreciation for diversity, not just across lines of racial diversity, but lived experiences.”
In Coleman’s own experiences in his education, which included growing up in Milwaukee and graduating from Wauwatosa West High School, there were often times when he felt isolated as a student.
“Most of my K-12 experiences have not been very diverse from a racial perspective, and that has certainly impacted what I thought about myself and my abilities as a student and as a learner,” he said. “I didn’t see myself represented in the stories that I read about in history or English classes, I didn’t see myself and my identity and perspectives represented in the teachers and leaders that I’ve had. And all of that mattered when I thought about how connected I felt to a school.”
That is something that he hopes is different for his students at OASD.
“Representation matters. And not just for Black students, but all students, need to see diversity represented in the materials that they read, in the history that they learn about, in the adults that support their learning,” Coleman said. “We have to do the work that it takes to make sure that all of our school environments, all of our work environments, celebrates and welcomes diversity.”
Coleman joined the district when it was faced with staffing difficulties, which led to OASD hosting multiple job fairs over the summer. He says that having a diverse staff that is able to support students of all backgrounds begins with the administration.
“If we don’t have diverse representation in leadership spaces within our schools, it will be more difficult to attract diverse educators and staff members,” Coleman said. “It is extremely important that our students, that our staff, that our administrators, and our community members see that diversity is an asset, diversity is a strength.”
Coleman believes that diversity is already a strength of Oshkosh’s and hopes to help people of all backgrounds work towards their individual and collective goals, big and small.
“I’m excited not just to be at the table but leading and influencing decisions that are being made on behalf of students, staff, and community members that represent a uniquely diverse city,” he said. “The best part about my job as assistant superintendent is being able to see students, staff members, and team members that I work with set and reach their goals.”
Coleman explained that diversity is not only a strength but also a responsibility of community members.
“I hope that it inspires students to see themselves as responsible for helping to create a school community that celebrates what makes this community strong, and again, that’s the unique diversity of our students and staff here,” Coleman said. “My racial identity plays an impact and plays a role in how I experience life. My perspective and my input on those topics and conversations adds context.”
Coleman said that a lack of diversity in his educational experiences shaped him, and he hopes that students seeing a Black leader will shape them in a positive way.
“If it were not for the education that I received and the way that I was challenged to prioritize education, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Coleman said. “I hope when I’m interacting with people, not only do they see me as a Black male, but they see me as an intelligent, loving, caring, committed leader.”
Coleman hopes to impact all students, but especially the ones who have not yet found appreciation for education.
“I don’t believe that success has to look one specific way, but I do believe that every single student has a birthright to be successful. However, they define that. And I believe education plays a role in that,” he said. “So when I hear students say ‘school isn’t for me’ or ‘I’m going to find ways to be successful out of school,’ what I’m hearing is that students haven’t figured out or found the value in education as far as how it’s going to help them become successful.”
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Working with students one-on-one and making time for those opportunities has been a pressing matter on his daily agenda.
“For me, it’s important to be present and visible in our system. So I’ve prioritized in my schedule time to spend in schools every single day,” Coleman said. “I’ve just fallen in love with the work that it takes to help students understand and appreciate why education matters in the grand scheme of experiences they’re going to have in their life.”
