Harrison Peters
Superintendent of the Providence Public School District
As Chief of Schools for Hillsborough County, Peters works to impact kids the same way his teacher impacted him many years ago.
What challenges did you face early on in life?
After a family tragedy forced me to live with my grandmother, I struggled to find my place in the world. By the time I reached high school, I had made a name for myself as the class clown who was more interested in goofing off with friends than studying. I was labeled a lost cause by most of my teachers, but one teacher saw potential and eventually inspired me to enroll at the University of West Florida.
What did you study while attending UWF, and how did it impact your career?
After serving in the military, I came back home to Pensacola and enrolled at UWF. Through the mentorship of a friend and advisor at the University, Dezzie Peters, I found a passion for childhood development and education and graduated with my bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1999. Fast forward two decades later, and I’ve created a successful career working in challenging public school systems in Orlando, Charlotte, Chicago and Houston. Currently, I lead Tampa’s public school system as the Chief of Schools for Hillsborough County. In my time here I’ve increased the graduation rate by 14 points and got a 1.3 million tax referendum passed for school funding — a massive milestone since Hillsborough County had never passed a tax increase for school funding before.
Who was the most influential person in your career?
The person who influenced my decision to pursue education as a career the most was definitely the teacher who saw potential in me. She never gave up on me, understanding the challenges I faced and prescribing me with a dose of tough love so that I would shape up. Today, I serve as a champion for kids — helping them to achieve their full potential — just as that teacher did for me so many years ago.