Coulson received a B.S. in Education from Wayne State University, an M.A. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a Ph.D. in American Literature and Poetics from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Coulson has worked as a classroom teacher, English department chair, senior administrator, and English professor. As an instructor and school administrator, Coulson was named a Master Teacher, served for several years as a Mentor Teacher and curriculum consultant, and worked to develop comprehensive teacher-training programs.