BJ Price

I’m a former teacher, coach, and school principal with over 25 years in education.  My passion is to support school leaders and teachers in creating schools and classrooms where students can thrive, and educators feel empowered.  Our district is in our second year of our partnership with Instructional Empowerment and I’m happy to share our experiences and offer insights to help others grow in their practice.

Clarita Thompson

Clarita Thompson is a School Leadership Coach with Instructional Empowerment.  Clarita works with district and school leaders to provide professional learning and coaching to school leaders to drive change in teacher practices, student achievement and instructional effectiveness.  She also coaches the school leadership team to successfully lead the implementation of the Model of Instruction as evidenced through trend data of successful MOI implementation and its impact on achievement gap data.

Prior to joining IE, Clarita served as a public-school teacher, Instructional Coach, Assistant Principal, Academic Dean, and Principal in Texas.  While serving in these roles, Clarita established systems enhancements, improved the climate and culture for students and staff, and systematically and continuously, monitored instructional and managerial processes to ensure that program activities were related to program outcomes and used these findings to target areas of improvement.

Clarita earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Business Administration from The University of Alabama, a Master of Education in Education Administration from Grand Canyon University, and a Principal Certification from Lamar University.

Christina Andrus

Christina Andrus is a dedicated educator and instructional leader with a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of West Florida. With over a decade of classroom experience and several years as a District Mentor Coach in Santa Rosa County Schools, Christina specializes in designing and delivering high-quality, standards-aligned professional learning that drives teacher growth and student outcomes.

As Coordinator for Professional Learning, she conducts needs assessments, develops customized training and online courses, and leads coaching cycles that include goal-setting, planning, observation, and feedback. Christina partners with school and district leadership to analyze learning needs, create action plans, and ensure course materials comply with Florida statutes and standards. She has led district-wide initiatives—MOI101 and Rigor Walk trainings and calibrations, training educators on learning progressions, aligned tasks, Marzano practices, and technology integration—and coordinated new-employee orientation and teacher induction programs.
Her prior classroom roles include first- and fifth-grade teacher positions where she used data to identify learning gaps, designed engaging lessons, and supported students in mastering grade-level standards. Christina has supervised and mentored university practicum and student teachers through partnerships with the University of West Florida.

Active in professional learning communities and state forums, Christina has facilitated numerous district and state-level trainings (including PLCP, Canvas facilitation, and Clinical Education development) and participated in national conferences on educational leadership and instructional technology. She has served in leadership roles such as UWF Advisory Council, Professional Development Advisory Council Chair, SPARK Coordinator, Marzano Learning Progression and Targets trainer, and contributed to district curriculum and support committees.

Recognized as West Navarre Primary School Teacher of the Year (2017–2018) and a Santa Rosa County Teacher of the Year semi-finalist in 2018, Christina combines strong relationship-building, coaching, and communication skills with a practical focus on empowering educators to improve practice and student learning.