Chante Brooks is the Hudson City School District’s new Executive Director of Human Resources. She rejoined the district after serving as a substitute administrator at Hudson Junior High School in 2023 – and after serving in numerous classroom and administrative roles in New York City and Hudson Valley school districts.
“I am honored to be here,” Brooks said. “This is for the kids. We have to give students what they need. I’m looking forward to helping advance a culture of belonging – a culture that makes students feel that they belong in our schools and that teachers and staff are represented in the highest light.”
Brooks started in her role on Oct. 1, 2024 after the Board of Education approved her appointment. The position, previously called the Human Resources Manager, had been vacant since 2022. The salary was included in the 2023-2024 school district annual budget, and it is funded in the current 2024-2025 district budget.
“Chante Brooks is an important addition to the Hudson City School District because her broad-based track record has cultivated excellent institutional knowledge and strategic vision,” said Superintendent Dr. Juliette Pennyman. “Her roles as a principal, assistant principal, assistant director of special education, mentor teacher and teacher – all of which required collaboration with Human Resources experts – blend with her ability to listen, learn and empathize. These attributes provide an excellent groundwork for success here in Hudson.”
From March 2023 through December 2023, Brooks served as a substitute administrator at Hudson Junior and Senior High Schools, providing leadership and supervision while supporting students. Earlier, she was Committee for Special Education chair for New York City’s Department of Education. She also has been a principal and assistant principal in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District in Orange County, an assistant principal and assistant director of special education for the Wappingers Central School District in Dutchess County and has served as a school crisis interventionalist and teaching assistant at youth residential centers. She most recently has been an adjunct professor and mentor at SUNY New Paltz.
Brooks holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice from the College of New Rochelle, and master’s degrees in Urban Teaching of General and Special Education from Mercy College. She also earned a District Leadership Certification from SUNY Plattsburgh.
Brooks, a native of Mount Vernon in Westchester County, felt at home while working in Hudson in 2023. “I was attracted to Hudson due to its demographics, location and people. It’s more like home here, similar to where I grew up. When I was asked to come on board (for the Human Resources role), there was never a second thought. I knew it was time to challenge myself in an executive role. I knew I could come in and help motivate and retain our school district’s most qualified employees.”
She is particularly proud of her success as a principal and assistant principal in Newburgh, where her initiatives substantially reduced the absentee rate to the lowest across the district. She credited nurturing a welcoming culture and, in Hudson, she already is deploying an important strategy.
“One-on-one conversations are where I was most successful,” she said, explaining that she sometimes did not receive such time and attention as a student. “I wanted to be the teacher who helped kids by meeting them where they are and exposing them to helpful strategies, whether academic or social-emotional. I want to be the human resources director who is approachable and helpful and not perceived to be the person that only responds to bad situations.”
Brooks’ duties are wide-ranging: Hiring, motivating and retaining the most qualified individuals; ensuring compensation and benefits equity; providing professional development opportunities; managing tenure-related issues; overseeing compliance with New York State regulations and certification requirements; and cultivating respect at every turn.
“My goal is to make everyone feel like family the first time they walk through the door,” she said. “It’s so important to keep the ‘personal’ piece in everything we do.”