SCOTCH PLAINS/FANWOOD — The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Joan Mast, Ed.D., have announced that Warren Hynes, Ed.D., has been named the new Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (SPFHS) principal. He will begin his new role when David Heisey, Ed.D., the current principal, retires at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
Dr. Hynes brings two decades of teaching and leadership experience, including from his current position as the assistant principal at Westfield High School. Dr. Mast and the selection committee were highly impressed by his work ethic and thoughtfulness, as well as his commitment to student-centered learning and school and community involvement.
“We warmly welcome Dr. Hynes to Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public Schools and are excited to have found a leader who is talented, passionate, and ready to serve our high school community,” Dr. Mast said. “Throughout the selection process, we grew more and more confident that Dr. Hynes shares the values and vision that make our schools a special place for teachers, staff, students and their families.”
The board of education unanimously approved Dr. Hynes’hiring at its meeting on March 21. The search for a new principal began earlier this year when Dr. Heisey announced that he would retire after 25 years as principal of SPFHS.
“We are tremendously grateful to Dr. Heisey for dedicating his career to the students and families of Scotch Plains-Fanwood,” Dr. Mast said. “We wish him the best in retirement and will always remember and value his contributions to SPFHS.”
Dr. Hynes was selected from a pool of 42 applicants and went through a rigorous process of interviews with various district, school and community stakeholders, including parents, students, staff and teachers, who gave feedback on the qualities and characteristics they wanted to see in the next principal.
“It is my privilege and honor to join the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School community,” Dr. Hynes said. “I can’t wait to begin the exciting work of collaborating with students, teachers, staff, families, and the Scotch Plains and Fanwood communities to continue elevating the educational opportunities that the district is known for.”
Dr. Hynes holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree in American Studies from the University of Massachusetts Boston, a post-master’s degree in educational leadership from Montclair State University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Seton Hall University. In May 2023, he successfully defended his dissertation that explored how student-centered inquiry using media literacy tools can influence the conclusions students draw about race in the United States. Dr. Hynes began his career as a newspaper reporter/columnist. He also taught various English and journalism classes at Westfield High School, before moving into the assistant principal role in 2018. He also has served as acting supervisor of English Language Arts for Westfield’s two intermediate schools and high school.
As assistant principal, he took on multiple leadership roles and served on various committees, including the Curriculum Review Committee, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Environmental Committee, pandemic response team and Helping Hands Committee to support members of the school community in financial need. In addition to supporting the school’s day-to-day operations, Dr. Hynes led professional-development and school-wide dialogues on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and racial literacy. He supported and oversaw peer tutoring programs and community service initiatives. Dr. Hynes was awarded the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award in 2018.
Dr. Mast noted that Dr. Hynes places an emphasis on student-centered learning, is a strong communicator, is knowledgeable on ChatGPT and maintaining academic integrity in the world of artificial intelligence, and is cognizant of mental-health issues.
Dr. Hynes and his wife, Amy, have been married for 28 years and have two daughters, Katie, 22, and Chelsea, 19. They also have a golden retriever named Daisy and a mixed rescue dog named George.
In his free time, Dr. Hynes enjoys running and swimming, and he completed the 2013 New York City Marathon. For several years, he has volunteered with a refugee assistance program in Westfield and took part in dialogues on race and social-justice work in both Westfield and Summit.
