Deputy Superintendent Chris Hender Hits the Ground Running

This has been a busy month for Christopher Hender, who was promoted and appointed to the position deputy superintendent at the June 3 Huntington School Board meeting. Beth McCoy was appointed district superintendent at the same meeting and the two veteran administrators have been working closely together over the past three weeks to both stabilize the district and move it forward.

Mr. Hender’s current position encompasses human resources, transportation, student registration and numerous other areas and aspects of district operations. Prior to his appointment as deputy superintendent, he had been an assistant superintendent.

Mr. Hender obtained undergraduate (child study with a concentration in speech) and graduate (literacy) degrees at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue in 2008 and 2012, respectively. He earned an advanced graduate certificate in educational leadership at Stony Brook University in August 2017. He obtained a second master’s degree in educational finance at Georgetown University in 2023.

“I look forward to working alongside our new Superintendent of Schools, Beth McCoy and the Board of Education in support of the Huntington community,” wrote Mr. Hender in letter to faculty and staff members sent via email immediately following his appointment. “As many of you know, I have been very fortunate to work in this district for the past 17 years. I have worked alongside many of you during my days as a teacher and in my capacity as assistant superintendent for human resources and general administration. I consider myself extremely lucky to work in a place with such dedicated and caring staff, who go above and beyond to ensure our students success. Building and maintaining positive relationships with our staff remains a top priority in my new role. I will continue to support each and every one of you as the head of human resources while assuming some additional supervisory responsibilities.”

A member of Huntington’s faculty corps since February 2008, Mr. Hender served as a fifth grade inclusion teacher at Woodhull Intermediate School. He also worked with third graders in the district’s special education summer program for many years.

A district delegate to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System for four years, Mr. Hender served for two years as the secretary of the Associated Teachers of Huntington, the professional organization of the district’s teachers. He was the ATH’s local action project coordinator for three years, helping to develop community events, among other responsibilities.

Woodhull School’s central treasurer for seven years, Mr. Hender managed the building’s extracurricular accounts, including the drafting and approval of all checks drawn and the depositing of all monies generated through fundraising activities.

During his teaching career in the district, Mr. Hender received grants from the Huntington Foundation and the Special Education PTA. He earned SEPTA’s Distinguished Service Award in 2016. He was a New York State United Teachers delegate for four years.

While a teacher at Woodhull School, Mr. Hender helped lead the planning and coordination of fifth grade educational field trips, served as faculty advisor for the newspaper club and organized community service projects for the student council.