NYC schools first deputy chancellor reflects on 5 years since COVID shutdowns

WNYC News | Mar 14, 2025

On March 15th, 2020, the largest school district in the country closed its doors to students. Cases of the new COVID-19 virus were beginning to soar, and New York City Public Schools made the call to send students home.

Within a week, kids were learning remotely from kitchen tables and beds and living rooms — marking the start of a new era for education in the boroughs and across the country.

Dan Weisberg is First Deputy Chancellor at the New York City Department of Education. He joined WNYC's Michael Hill to reflect on that time and how the pandemic changed education in New York City.

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