Dr. Patricia Hilliard, Senior Director at SparkNC, brings to her role a depth of knowledge on educational equity, instructional design, and pedagogy, with experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, university instructor, and curriculum designer. She is delighted to be part of a team that strives to rethink, reimagine, and redesign public education.
Prior to joining SparkNC, Dr. Hilliard was a Professional Learning Specialist and Interim Director at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. At the Friday Institute, she built comprehensive professional learning programs on strategic planning and teacher leadership development for schools and districts. She has led several statewide initiatives, including the NC Conference for Educational Equity and Caminos: Building Pathways with Latinx Educators. She has been an invited speaker on cultural competence, brain-based learning, differentiation, and designing engaging professional learning at conferences across the United States.
Dr. Hillard holds a doctorate from UNC Charlotte in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in urban education. She is the co-author of book chapters on the impact of Brown versus Board of Education on Black principals, disproportionate discipline of Black girls, and cultural competence in higher education. She has written blogs for Edutopia, Digital Learning Collaborative, and EdNC.