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Hoverman’s new role will give her ‘real-world experience’ in her doctorate studies.

As she begins working on her doctorate in curriculum and instruction through Kansas State University’s online program, Christina Hoverman will bring much real-world experience to her studies.

Hoverman was recently named Worthington Christian School’s Director of Teaching and Learning.

“We were talking about how great it is going to be. The course requires analyzing data, and I will be looking at a lot of data in this role,” said Hoverman, who taught English at Worthington Christian’s Upper School for five years and served as the head of the English department for the last three years.

“I can use what we’re doing in this role in my coursework, and my coursework can help form a vision of the best practice in education to move Worthington Christian forward.”

Hoverman replaces Tom Burns, who stepped down after two decades of service at Worthington Christian. A search committee of Dr. Erica Van Dop, the Assistant Head of School and Dean of Student Life, Lower School Principal Nanci Griffith, Upper School Principal Tim Kraynak, and Director of Human Resources Brigitte Wrobbel recommended Hoverman to Dr. Mike Hayes, Head of School.

“I am thrilled to have Christina stepping into this role and am confident her robust teaching experience and continual learning will support the academic programs and professional growth at WC,” Van Dop said. “Christina is a passionate educator committed to following Jesus, supporting students and teachers to thrive in the classroom, and engaging in lifelong learning.”

As Director of Teaching and Learning, Hoverman will lead the school in academic and instructional improvement and design. The director supervises the development of the curriculum, analyzes student performance data, and leads or assists with other aspects of instructional improvement. One key role in the position is collaborating with the administration and the faculty in several areas, including professional development, biblical integration, and faculty evaluation. 

After two years teaching in Delaware City Schools, Hoverman left to raise her two children, Owen (WC ’29) and Lucy (WC ’31), with her husband, Trent. She returned to teaching English 11 at Worthington Christian in 2018. In addition to teaching an AP course, creative writing, and running the senior writing lab, she served as the English Department Head and was the dean of Veritas in the Upper School’s house system. Noelle Mills, hired last year as an English 12 teacher, will take over Hoverman’s 11th-grade teaching duties.

By moving into an administrative role, Hoverman is following in the footsteps of her parents, Sam and Toni Custer. Both started out as teachers but later moved into administrative roles. Toni was the director of a public preschool, and Sam was an assistant superintendent at a career center in Dayton.

“My parents modeled for me how to teach,” Hoverman said. “Growing up, I played school all the time. I’ve always been interested in and felt like I was gifted in it.”

Those who knew Hoverman when she attended Versailles High School would describe her as well-rounded. She was a three-sport athlete, the class valedictorian, and led several Bible studies.

Not surprisingly, one of her passions was reading. She said her parents nicknamed her “Chris Go” because of her habit of disappearing for hours to read a novel.

“They’d always say, ‘Where did Chris go?’” she laughed.

“Our high school offered an elective called ‘reading for enrichment.’ It was typically for the non-college-bound students, and you would read books and write a journal entry on what you had read. I took the class because I could get credit for reading many novels.”

Hoverman said she is looking forward to the challenges of her new position.

“It’s been a long-term goal for me to be in this role,” she said. “I am excited to start working with teachers to help them grow and make our curriculum more cohesive.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to help our school progress and improve holistically.”

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