Three questions with Hillcrest High School principal Terrence Florie

What was your journey to becoming principal like?

I’ve been in Dallas ISD my entire 20-year educational career. I started as a middle school math teacher at Thomas J. Rusk Middle School and Sam Tasby Middle School before becoming a Math Academic Facilitator. It was then that I had the desire to become a campus administrator. 

I transitioned to Benjamin Franklin International Exploratory Academy as an instructional coach, while I earned my principal certification. This will be the eighth year I have been at Hillcrest High School. The first six years I served as an assistant principal and my last year as an AP, I joined the Dallas ISD Leader Excellence, Advancement and Development (LEAD) Future Principals Leadership Institute, where I gained valuable knowledge and experience on leading a campus. I am now in my second year as principal of Hillcrest High School and love being a part of this wonderful community.

What do you love about being a panther?

The sense of community and family as a Panther is like no other. Our team members and community stand together to ensure the overall success and well-being for each student.  This is evident in all that we do with our panther pride. The best part is the strong sense of community that is prevalent across our entire vertical team. Unity amongst the Hillcrest schools are displayed through the support and alignment we share with each other. Being a part of the Hillcrest Panther family truly feels like home.

What is your main focus for your campus this year?

We are focusing on making sure all students have a great educational experience each day and hope to continue forging strong relationships with all our stakeholders within the Hillcrest community so we can continue to show up and be our best selves for future generations.