Dr. Marsha Francis; Executive Director
STE(A)M Truck is proud to welcome Marsha E. Francis, Ph.D. as executive director - an accomplished and nationally recognized educational leader with more than 15 years working toward educational equity.
Dr. Francis has been committed to improving learning environments for STEAM education in Title I schools for her entire career and was named one of Education Week’s 2020 Leaders to Learn From.
She was most recently executive director of Talent Management at the Clarke County School District, where she leveraged her knowledge of equitable educational practices, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning to support district initiatives.
Beginning her education career as an elementary teacher for Atlanta Public Schools, Dr. Francis developed an after-school science club and a monthly science initiative to increase science learning opportunities for under-represented students. Inspired by the lack of high-quality science instruction observed during student teaching, her Spelman College senior thesis presented ways to improve science instruction in Title 1 schools and led her to continue that inquiry through her Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Practice from the University of Georgia, with a dissertation that focused on the ways in which race and gender limit exposure to high quality science instruction.
In her roles as an elementary teacher, faculty member at Spelman College where she taught Math and Science methods to teacher candidates, and district administrator, Dr. Francis became immersed in understanding the needs of novice teachers and equitable learning environments. Coupling these experiences with her past work as a thought partner, professional development consultant, and STEAM Designer to STE(A)M Truck, Dr. Francis is uniquely qualified to grow the organization in this next phase of supporting students across the Greater Metro Atlanta area.
Dr. Francis is engaged with multiple civic organizations across Atlanta, including Atlanta Women’s Foundation, and Georgia Women’s Policy Institute, to ensure equity for women and girls of color, and was named to the 2019 class of Outstanding Atlanta, the city’s premier honor for career and civic engagement.
Passionate about this organization, STEAM education, and the possibility of providing equitable opportunities for students across Metro Atlanta, and beyond, Dr. Francis is focused on ensuring that students have the opportunity to engage with amazing tools, tech and 21st century careers, as well as providing direct support and development for teachers to embed these strategies into their teaching practice.