{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Joyce Dorse Coleman","chatgptsummary":"Joyce Dorse Coleman's biography shows extensive constituent relations experience through decades in Orange Mound and leadership roles with multiple PTOs and PTAs. Her background includes advocating for school closures and managing family involvement across Shelby County Schools. The record contains no disciplinary history or controversies. Bio does not indicate budget literacy or policy judgment experience.","notes":null,"party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJoyce Dorse-Coleman is a native Memphian who has lived in the Orange Mound Community for about 40 years. Joyce is a proud graduate of Melrose High and the University of Memphis. After years in the medical field, Joyce recently retired.\n\nHer compassion and love for our youth runs very deep. She has been actively involved in all phases of the education process. Joyce is quick to remind people that she is not a politician, she is a parent and grandparent that is passionate about how our future is taking shape.\n\nJoyce 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 which are now enrolled in SCS.\n\nJoyce has been actively involved as chairperson for the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for several years and at several different schools.\n\nJoyce's dedication was put to the test after her neighborhood\u2019s elementary school, Dunbar Elementary, was placed on the list of potential school closures. During this time Joyce became very ill, but that didn\u2019t stop her from allowing her voice to be 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.\n\n\"We must have people in place that are willing to be held accountable for what is taking place and that is just what I want you to do -- hold me accountable.\"\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=DORSE-COLEMAN&id=80170&f=196877&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2026** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005 (Amended))](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=DORSE-COLEMAN&id=80170&f=196877&v=2) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2025** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=DORSE-COLEMAN&id=80170&f=200733&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2024** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=DORSE-COLEMAN&id=80170&f=198363&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n\n*Source: [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm). Scraped 2026-04-25.*\n","firstname":"Joyce","lastname":"Coleman","middlename":"Dorse","suffix":null,"token":"iaJgb9h9C4"},"token":"joyce_dorse_coleman"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"school_board","o.office":null,"office":"county_school_board_district_9","officedescription":"A school board member serves on the elected body that governs a public school district. The board sets district policy and budget priorities and hires and evaluates the superintendent, while leaving day-to-day management to the administration.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment for a public school district \u2014 setting direction while leaving day-to-day management to the superintendent.\n- Budget literacy for operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the county commission (which appropriates) and the state.\n- Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent \u2014 the board's highest-stakes recurring decision.\n- Constituent relations with parents, teachers, principals, and community members.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"School Board Member","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-16","title":"Shelby County Election Commission \u2014 2026-08-06 Sample Ballot (General)","url":"https://www.electionsshelbytn.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026-State-and-Federal-Primary-and-State-County-with-Sample-GEN-7.6.26.pdf"},"title":"County School Board District 9"}