The second-most senior official at New York City’s public school system is stepping down from his post, Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos announced Tuesday night.
First Deputy Chancellor Dan Weisberg, whose involvement in major education initiatives earned him the nickname of “shadow chancellor,” joined the Adams administration at the start of the mayor’s tenure. His last day is in August.
“Dan was at the center of all our critical work,” Aviles-Ramos said in a statement, focusing on his roles in standardizing curriculum and expanding college and career programs. “On behalf of our staff, students, and families, we offer him our deepest thanks and wish him all the best in his next chapter.”
Weisberg was credited by the former chancellor, David Banks — who was pushed out of the administration amid a federal investigation ensnaring City Hall — with having pushed for Aviles-Ramos to be his successor. A couple of years beforehand, Weisberg had tapped her to lead the system’s response to tens of thousands of newly enrolled migrant students.
Weisberg previously served as the school system’s chief executive on labor issues under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who often clashed with the city’s powerful teachers union. He left city government to work at TNTP, a well-known education nonprofit, which he eventually led as CEO.
The city’s Department of Education did not immediately name Weisberg’s replacement.