Marva Tutt, Ed.D.
Dr. Marva Tutt is a seasoned educator, learning designer, and founder of Learning Futures Collective, where she serves as Chief Creative Officer. In this role, she focuses on equity-driven learning design, partnering with schools to create transformative programs that nurture student potential and foster thriving educational environments. Her work bridges innovative instructional strategies with systemic improvements, ensuring that both educators and students are empowered to reach their fullest potential.
Alongside her work at Learning Futures Collective, Marva serves as a Human Resources Coordinator at the Richmond County School System, where she leads recruitment, professional learning, and onboarding initiatives to strengthen staff development and retention. Over her 28-year career in education, she has held multiple principalships, directed STEM and student support programs, and worked extensively within charter school settings. She has a proven track record of securing grants, improving student outcomes, and implementing equity-focused policies that create inclusive learning environments.
Marva’s professional philosophy emphasizes alignment, resilience, authenticity, and solutions that prioritize student and community needs. A passionate advocate for early childhood education, she is actively building a nonprofit and pursuing the launch of a charter school focused on gifted learners from marginalized communities. She encourages the next generation of educators and leaders to trust their instincts, maintain student-centered focus, and approach initiatives with patience and clear purpose.
• SHRM
• Principal Leadership K-12
• Math Teacher
• Clear and Renewable Certificate-High School Math
• Professional Learning Communities (PLC+) Certification
• National Principal Mentor
• Educational Leadership Certificate
• Harvard Business School
• Cornell University
• UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education
• University of Kansas - Graduate School of Business
• Argosy University Sarasota- Ed.D.
• Winthrop University- M.Ed.
• South Carolina State University- Bachelor's
• Howard University
• Emerge Georgia
• Empower Her Collective
• Augusta Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce
• National Association of Elementary School Principals
• CSRA GaTAPP
• Crosscreek High School
• The Wright School
• American Association of School Personnel
• National Association of Secondary School Principals
• Professional Association of Georgia Educators
• The Links
• ASCD
• Alpha Kappa Alpha
• National Association of Black School Educators
• National Urban League
• ACT
• Virginia Education Association
• Association of School Counselors
• ASCD Emerging Leaders
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
• Leadership Augusta
• The Links, Incorporated
• Chisholm Leadership Academy
• SC Women Lead
• Braven
• National Urban Fellows
• New Leaders Council
• The Family YMCA
• Charleston Trident Urban League
• The Junior League
• Scholastic
• CASA
• GUIDING PATH ENRICHMENT CENTER
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Going into education, you have to trust your own instinct, because there are a lot of people out there that tell you other stuff and show you all the negative parts of things, but they don't look at the value and the return on investment later on. You have to find what works best for you, and you have to keep that same energy throughout. There will be times when you have burnout, so I always say listen to your instincts. If you're saying it's right, keep doing what's best for kids. And when starting your own business, remember to start slow. Don't expect to see results overnight. Right now, I have $295 in my business banking account, and I pay for all the other things like Slack and LinkedIn out of my pocket, but I know that the return will come. The second part of that is you have to find your niche. Find something that is different and addresses a true need. Like, find your truth.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in my field are teacher recruitment, retention, and addressing educator burnout. A major opportunity lies in developing gifted early childhood education programs specifically designed to serve marginalized communities.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Alignment is really important to me because I have started having to choose what I do, so I make sure everything aligns. Resiliency is another key value. I have been through some things in my life where I had to really show up for myself, so just being resilient is important. I like to surround myself with people who are also resilient and don't get caught in a pity party. Like, okay, we had our moment, we cried, now it's time to get up and begin. And then, honesty and authenticity. I know people throw the word authenticity around a lot, but you can tell when a person is genuine. You heard the passion in my voice for what I do, and that wasn't made up. Authentic people are drawn to me because they really like me and my energy, not people who like the titles and what they think I can do for them.