Natasha Gilliard, M.Ed.
Natasha Gilliard, M.Ed., is an accomplished educational coach, consultant, and master educator based in Ladson, South Carolina. She currently serves as Dean of Academics & Culture (Instructional Coach) at Liberty Hill Academy, where she supports both the academic and social-emotional development of students in an alternative K–12 setting. With a career that began in the classroom as a mathematics teacher in Charleston County School District and Dorchester School District 2, Natasha has earned recognition as both Rookie Teacher of the Year and Teacher of the Year. Her professional journey reflects a deep commitment to championing at-risk students and equipping educators—especially those in their first five years—with the tools, mindset, and confidence to thrive.
In addition to her leadership role, Natasha is the founder of R.OY.A.L. Experiences Educational Coaching & Consulting LLC, an educational coaching and consulting practice grounded in the belief that education should be Rigorous, Objective, Yielding, Effective, and Lasting. She facilitates a New Teacher Academy, mentors educators through professional transitions, and designs classroom management systems rooted in trauma-informed principles. Currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Community Care & Counseling with an emphasis in Traumatology at Liberty University, she integrates research-based trauma awareness into her daily work—strengthening not only student outcomes but also the capacity of teachers and school leaders to respond with empathy and strategy. Beyond the school building, Natasha amplifies educator voices as the host of her weekly radio show, It’s Just a Test, on WDRBmedia. Through candid conversations about alternative education, leadership evolution, and student-centered decision-making, she challenges the narrative that difference is deficiency. Rooted in faith and shaped by her upbringing in rural South Carolina, Natasha views every professional milestone as an opportunity to open doors for others—particularly women and educators from underrepresented communities—ensuring that access, advocacy, and excellence remain at the heart of her work.
• Life Coaching Certification
• Concordia Portland Alumni & Friends - M.Ed.
• University of South Carolina-Upstate
• Rookie Teacher of the Year
• Teacher of the Year
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say my daughter and my spirituality, for sure. Just being able to stay grounded, being able to stay focused, even in those tough times. Those two things are what's holding me down and keeping me grounded.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
“Trust the process”. That's the best advice I've ever been given.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I have a deep love for education, a deep respect for education. I think that, if anything, I don't have advice as much as I have an invitation just to be change agents across this entire system that is education, and to know that there is power in who we are, and showing up as who we are, having the voices that we have, and that we should use them. And I say that even more so for young Black women coming into education and just understanding that we have presence that is necessary. We have understandings and knowledge that are necessary, and that we have to share in order to really watch transformation happen, both in our students and in our systems.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest opportunity is that any opening is an opportunity. And so anything that can be fulfilled, any position, any role, any support, that in and of itself is an opportunity to be a change agent and to move the needle for students and their families. And then I also think that any opening, because it is education, is also the same challenge. It's a position that some student, some family needs, a person, who was about the work of education, not the business of education, to fill that, and to make sure they show up to support that family.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My spirituality and my family are most important to me. Trust and honesty are core values that guide both my work and personal life. My spirituality keeps me grounded and focused, even in tough times, and my daughter is a major source of my motivation and success. I believe in showing up authentically as who I am and using my voice to support others.