About Me
Samantha Pugh
Ms. Pugh is a proud native New Yorker who has dedicated her life to education and believes wholeheartedly that All students should have access to a high-quality education that prepares them for college and beyond. A self-proclaimed equity warrior, and as a first-generation college graduate, she believes that by creating an environment where children are supported emotionally, challenged academically, and empowered socially every child can succeed beyond their dreams. Her commitment to education is a “true calling” and she is highly driven to ensure that every child, regardless of zip code, can and will have the tools to succeed. She is determined “to change the world, one student at a time!”
She is a transformational leader with 23 years’ experience in all grades. Throughout her journey in the education field, she has held numerous positions, beginning with several years as a successful classroom teacher followed by years as a Dean of Students and an Instructional Coach. For seven years, Ms. Pugh held the positions of Assistant Principal and Principal in both charter and district schools where she worked to turn-around struggling schools. Her most recent experiences include:
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Founding Head of School/Principal where she created, led, and implemented programming that addressed the needs of students who come from one of the poorest and educationally underserved congressional districts in this country.
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Chief Academic Officer at Merrick Academy Queens Public Charter School where she led one of the first Charter schools in New York, who was in danger of closing to a full five-year renewal as well as helped close the achievement gap in both Science and Mathematics in most of her tenure there.
She has also taught on the Graduate School Level as an adjunct professor. The courses taught include Secondary Reading Instruction I and II, Inclusive Classrooms, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in schools and student teaching I and II. She has also appeared as a guest expert on many educational reform platforms and has been a sought-after speaker for many educational equity conferences, workshops, and Higher Ed residencies, including Rutgers University and The New School. Ms. Pugh has also been interviewed and been the subject of educational policy briefs that has led to changes in educational policy in New York City Schools.
She currently is the Chief Education Officer and owner of the educational consulting firm “Cou(rage)ous Solutions” where she continues her work as an equity warrior and disruptor, by supporting schools across the country to strengthen their practices to ensure that all students have access to high quality educational experiences, and they are in affirming school environments where they thrive. She is also co-author of the book “Teaching Black Brilliance for Girls”.
Ms. Pugh holds a Bachelor of Arts in English/Secondary Education from Hampton University, Master of Arts degree from Touro University in Literacy and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Fordham University’s Educational Leadership Administration and Policy Principal Preparation program. She is also an alumna of the prestigious nationwide leadership preparation program New Leaders which is a yearlong program that develops transformational school leaders to ensure high academic achievement for all children. Ms. Pugh is a true believer in being a “Lifelong Learner” as a result she has continued to seek to expand her knowledge and expertise by participating in workshops by institutions such as Harvard Graduate School of Education, Relay Graduate School of Education, UnBoundEd, etc.