Natasha Gilliard recognized for trauma-informed education leadership

By AI, Created 12:10 PM UTC, May 22, 2026, /AGP/ – Natasha Gilliard, M.Ed., is being highlighted for her work in alternative education, educator coaching, and trauma-informed leadership in South Carolina. Her profile with Influential Women underscores how she is using school leadership, consulting, and media to support at-risk students and strengthen teachers.

Why it matters: - Natasha Gilliard’s work sits at the intersection of student support, teacher development, and school culture in alternative education. - Her focus on trauma-informed leadership is aimed at improving how schools respond to students’ lived experiences and long-term needs. - Her profile through Influential Women puts a spotlight on women leaders shaping education through advocacy and community-centered practice.

What happened: - Influential Women recognized Natasha Gilliard, M.Ed., for her work in education leadership and student support. - Gilliard serves as Dean of Academics & Culture at Liberty Hill Academy in Ladson, South Carolina. - Gilliard also founded R.OY.A.L. Experiences Educational Coaching & Consulting LLC. - Gilliard is the host of the weekly radio show It’s Just a Test on WDRBmedia. - The profile links to Natasha Gilliard’s Influential Women page.

The details: - Liberty Hill Academy is an alternative K–12 setting, and Gilliard supports both academic achievement and students’ social-emotional development there. - Gilliard began her career as a mathematics teacher in Charleston County School District and Dorchester School District 2. - Her early work earned her Rookie Teacher of the Year and Teacher of the Year honors. - R.OY.A.L. Experiences stands for Rigorous, Objective, Yielding, Effective, and Lasting. - The consulting firm offers a New Teacher Academy, educator mentoring, and classroom management systems built on trauma-informed principles. - Gilliard is pursuing a Doctor of Education in Community Care & Counseling with an emphasis in Traumatology at Liberty University. - Her radio show covers alternative education, educational leadership, student advocacy, and system transformation. - Gilliard says the show pushes back on the idea that being different means being deficient.

Between the lines: - Gilliard’s message centers on a broader push to treat student behavior and school performance as issues that can be shaped by support systems, not just discipline. - Her emphasis on authenticity, spirituality, and lived experience reflects a leadership style that blends professional practice with personal identity. - The profile also positions Black women entering education as essential contributors to school transformation, not just participants in it.

What’s next: - Gilliard is continuing her doctoral studies while expanding her work in coaching, consulting, and alternative education. - Her ongoing media presence and school leadership suggest a continued platform for advocating trauma-aware, student-centered practice. - The Influential Women profile indicates she will keep using public storytelling to amplify educator and student voices.

The bottom line: - Natasha Gilliard is building a career around one core idea: schools work better when leaders pair structure with empathy.