Leadership
The Crenshaw Academy is led by educators who are deeply invested in this school and the students it serves. Our leadership team brings decades of combined experience in private education, curriculum development, and student support, and they are present and accessible in ways that simply aren't possible at larger institutions. At The Crenshaw Academy, you will always know who is leading your child's school, and they will always know your child.
Brenda Crenshaw is the founder of The Crenshaw Academy. She developed innovative techniques and an out-of-the-box approach to teaching while working as a private instructor to Justin Timberlake and Lance Bass. During this time, she also privately tutored students from Lake Highland, TFA, and other top private and public schools. Through these experiences, she was exposed to curricula from all over the United States, and from that exposure and experience, she developed her own program.
In 1999, Brenda founded The Crenshaw School, which began with just five students but was so strong that it quickly grew to 25. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) took note of the exceptional program and accredited it through their international division, CITA.
The school began in two side rooms of a gym in order to work with elite gymnasts. Brenda's focus has always been on the children, and what is necessary and best for them. The school later moved into a small church in Orlando, and within three years had reached the building limit of 100 people. It expanded to the Windermere Community Church property, where enrollment climbed to 180, then 250 students and 30 staff members.
During COVID in 2020, Brenda gave up her majority ownership of The Crenshaw School. But because of her heartfelt love for children, she almost immediately opened The Crenshaw Academy, carrying forward every philosophy and principle that had defined her approach to education for more than two decades.
Brenda continues to reach students where they are rather than trying to put a round peg into a square hole. At The Crenshaw Academy, her academic program requires students to go beyond mastering basic traditional skills and become fully prepared for the challenges ahead. Students are asked to reflect critically, develop transferable skills, and above all to think, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate. In short, Brenda's educational process prepares students to thrive in college and in life within our global community.
She has set in motion a school that prides itself on a cohesive sense of community, a pervasive friendliness, a commitment to sensitivity and awareness, and academic excellence: never through teaching to a test, but through connection, inspiration, awe, and interaction.
"In a classroom, no matter the make-up of students, it's a daunting task to reach all levels and learning styles. Focus on students to identify their own learning style. This knowledge will help academically, but more importantly, it becomes an asset throughout all aspects of their life and career."
— Brenda Crenshaw
Brenda is also the author of Average Student to CEO, and carries both a Masters in Education from American Intercontinental University and a Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry with a minor in Biology at Louisiana State University.
Tanya Williams graduated cum laude from The College of New Rochelle with a double major in Chemistry and Math. Her path to education began during a PhD program in Chemistry, where she was assigned to teach Freshman Chemistry lab and discovered almost immediately that teaching was where she was meant to be. She left the doctoral program to pursue education full-time, bringing with her a deep love of learning and a commitment to students that has never wavered.
She went on to Boise State University, where she earned her Master's degree in Educational Technology with a perfect 4.0, and holds a Florida Professional Teaching License in Mathematics (grades 6–12). She has been working with students for 27 years.
Tanya began her career at The Crenshaw School in 2004 as a teacher, became Vice Principal in 2011, and was named Principal in 2012. She followed Brenda Crenshaw to The Crenshaw Academy, where she has since led the school according to Brenda's founding philosophies. Beyond running the school day to day, Tanya brings deep expertise across curriculum development, college counseling, transcripts, accreditations, and educational technology. She has served on multiple Cognia accreditation teams, evaluating other schools through the accreditation process, an experience that deepens her understanding of what educational excellence actually looks like in practice.
Her belief in the program runs deeper than professional commitment. Tanya enrolled her own daughters here: her older daughter attended K–12, and her younger daughter PK–12. The decision, she is clear, was not made for convenience.
"I chose this school for my kids for the small class sizes, strong academic expectations without being in a pressure cooker environment, access to leadership opportunities, a very community-oriented culture, and the confidence I have seen in students after they graduate. The decision to enroll them and keep them here was not based on convenience. It was based on seeing the difference our school made in students' lives."
— Tanya Williams
Tanya guides students through the college admissions process every year and stays connected with graduates long after they leave. She has attended baby showers and birthday parties for the children of alumni. Students come back to visit. That is not an accident. It is a reflection of what this community is.
"I believe every student deserves individualized support and high expectations."
— Tanya Williams
Schedule a Tour
Get to know our leadership team in person. We would love to show you what makes The Crenshaw Academy exceptional.
Schedule a Tour