Oshkosh educator was shocked to be named one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Black Leaders of 2023

OSHKOSH ― “I never saw this coming!”

Dr. Samuel Coleman, Oshkosh Area School District assistant superintendent of instruction, was likely being honest more than trying to be humble with that response to being named one of the most influential Black leaders in the state.

After all, he didn’t see himself becoming an educator. So how could he envision being recognized as one?

Yet, that’s exactly what happened less than a month ago when Madison365 named Oshkosh’s new kid on the block as one of Wisconsin’s 51 Most Influential Black Leaders for 2023.

“I became aware of the list about five years ago, but I never made it a goal to get on the list [and] I didn’t make it a goal because I don’t pursue recognition for the work I do,” the 36-year-old Coleman said of his accolade.

Madison365 publishes annual power lists to recognize influential leaders across racial and ethnic groups.

A nonprofit online news publication, Madison365 publishes annual power lists to acknowledge the influence of leaders across different racial and ethnic groups.

So, it wasn’t exactly surprising they eventually pinpointed Coleman following a 16-year career in public education that featured stints in both state and municipal government.

The real shocker might be that Coleman's current passion was an afterthought as recently as 2007.

“It wasn’t something that was on my radar, to be honest, but I was looking for ways to have an impact, especially on young people,” said Coleman, who was a children’s pastor at a denominational church in Milwaukee at the time.

“My pastor, who’s also my mentor, sat me down for lunch one day and asked if I ever thought about teaching, so then I really began to explore just what it would be like for me as a classroom teacher.”

“From there, I just fell in love with the process of helping students set and reach goals," he said. "So, as I reflect on my own educational experiences and just how important it was to have people in my life holding me accountable, I want to be that to students, knowing that many students may not have that.”

The unassuming teaching assistant became an ambitious social studies teacher who quickly developed major aspirations in the education ranks.

What then followed were roles as the dean of students, chief of staff, director of student services, director for equity, director of curriculum and instruction, and Coleman’s last position as the chief academic officer for Lynchburg City Schools in Virginia.

Dr. Coleman never expected to be recognized as one of Wisconsin's most influential Black leaders.

And for all that, Coleman never expected to find himself sandwiched between judges, CEOs and directors on a list of who’s who of Wisconsin’s Black leadership elite.

It may sound somewhat pretentious considering this is a man with three master’s degrees and a doctorate perfectly aligned behind his desk in a 20-foot-by-20-foot office. Somewhere, though, a kid from the north side of Milwaukee who became a first-generation college graduate would disagree.

“I felt excited when I got the email that I have been acknowledged [but] immediately following the excitement was a deep sense of humility and gratitude,” Coleman recalled.

“And I say humility and gratitude because this list specifically highlights leaders who have influence within the state. I believe influence in being able to lead in a way that inspires people is a tremendous responsibility, so for me I was deeply honored and grateful that people allow me to lead, and they choose to follow my leadership.”

This isn’t to say Coleman’s aspirations end here.

Coleman hopes to lead educational policy at the national level for the U.S. Department of Education.

The paraprofessional-turned assistant superintendent still has a couple transformations up his sleeve, figuring one day he could become a district administrator before reaching his ultimate goal — leading educational policy at the national level for the U.S. Department of Education.

“I’m not rushing for those steps just yet because I want to make sure I’m here long enough to create an impact and see that work though,” Coleman acknowledged.

But the Oshkosh community isn’t exactly a stranger to their assistant superintendent’s penchant for the ambitious, despite him being on the job for just six months.

Coleman has already made significant waves by saying he wants the city to reset the U.S. standard for literacy by having most, if not all, of Oshkosh’s students proficient in reading.

Considering the school district is significantly behind the state averages in language arts, it’s safe to say these are lofty goals. But Coleman acknowledges there’s a bigger objective he must first achieve in Oshkosh — earning the community’s trust.

He knows it won’t be easy though. As such, Coleman focuses on the district’s pre-K-12 academic programs, alternative programming, student achievement data and improvement efforts.

Coleman believes his biggest impact can be made outside of the classroom.

Coleman believes it’s through these administrative efforts that his influence will truly be felt, even if he does feel the itch to return to the classroom.

“I do miss the day-to-day interactions and relationship-building opportunities with students and their families because that is something that kept me going as a classroom teacher and as a school administrator,” Coleman said.

“But I think from an impact perspective as I continue to develop my own leadership skills, I learned that the greatest impact that I can have on a system is not in the classroom but at the policy level, the strategy level and the resource allocation level of a school system.

He added, “I can make sure that teachers have what they need and that principals have what they need so they can do the hard and important work that occurs every day in the classroom.”

Have a story tip or public interest concern? Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@gannett.com.