Hemachandra taught at public schools in New York City. In 1940, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia recognized her for her "distinguished service" in the schools, and she was named one of the city's 25 best teachers. In 1942 she served on a committee of "prominent citizens" of Harlem, including Countee Cullen and Shelton Hale Bishop, to judge auditions for young singers. She was outspoken on the topic of juvenile delinquency, which she preferred to label "parental delinquency". In the 1940s, she taught Black history classes for teachers.
