District 9
Joyce Dorse-Coleman, chair of the Shelby County Board of Education, is a native Memphian who has lived in the Orange Mound Community for about 40 years. She is a proud graduate of Melrose High and The University of Memphis. After years in the medical field, Dorse-Coleman recently retired.
Her compassion and love for our youth runs deep. She has been actively involved in all phases of the education process. She is quick to remind people that she is not a politician. She is a parent and grandparent passionate about how our future is taking shape.
Dorse-Coleman and her husband, Theodore Coleman, are the proud parents of seven children. All are graduates of Shelby County Schools. They are even prouder to have nine grandchildren, five of whom are now enrolled in MSCS.
She has been actively involved as chair for the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for several years and at several different schools.
Dorse-Coleman’s dedication was put to the test after her neighborhood’s elementary school, Dunbar Elementary, was placed on the list of potential school closures. During this time, she became very ill, but that didn’t stop her from making her voice heard with other community members and community leaders. Together, they fought to keep the doors of Dunbar open to ensure the children of the Orange Mound Community could receive the best education close to home.
Dorse-Coleman said, "We must have people in place who are willing to be held accountable for what is taking place and that is just what I want you to do—hold me accountable."
