DOE Leadership and Offices

Meet the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellors who lead the New York City Department of Education

David C. Banks, Chancellor

David C. Banks is Chancellor of New York City Public Schools, the largest school system in the nation. Appointed by Mayor Eric Adams on January 1, 2022, Chancellor Banks is reimagining the school experience to build bright starts and bold futures for all New York City children. He is the former President and CEO of the Eagle Academy Foundation and the founding principal of The Eagle Academy for Young Men, the first in a network of innovative all-boys public schools in New York City and Newark, N.J. After a year working as a school safety officer, Chancellor Banks began his first teaching job at P.S. 167. He served as an assistant principal at P.S. 191 before becoming a founding principal at the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice and later at Eagle Academy. Chancellor Banks is a nationally recognized author and thought leader, known throughout his career as a defining voice on empowering young men of color. He earned his Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law and holds an honorary doctorate in education from Wheelock College. He is also a native New Yorker and a proud graduate of New York City Public Schools.

Daniel Weisberg, First Deputy Chancellor

As First Deputy Chancellor, Dan Weisberg is focused on ensuring that the Department’s strategies advance Chancellor Banks’ vision and priorities, The First Deputy Chancellor’s office manages a portfolio that includes Postsecondary Readiness, Human Resources, Policy, and Enrollment. 

For over a decade Dan helped lead TNTP, one of the premier education non-profit organizations in the country, serving as its Chief Executive Officer for the past seven years. The organization supports approximately 300 school systems across the country on talent, academics, community engagement and policy, reaching over 12 million students a year. 

Prior to joining TNTP, Weisberg served as Chief Executive of Labor Policy and Implementation for the NYC Department of Education under Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel Klein. In this role he was responsible for leading the DOE’s relationships with its union partners, including negotiating groundbreaking collective bargaining agreements covering teachers and principals. Additionally, Dan played a key role in establishing a rigorous tenure system for teachers, incentive pay for principals aligned to student outcomes, and creating after-school intervention and enrichment time for underserved students. 

Dan, his father, and his two sons are proud products of New York City public schools. Weisberg has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College and is a graduate of New York University Law School.

Kenita D. Lloyd, Deputy Chancellor of Family and Community Engagement + External Affairs 

As Deputy Chancellor of Family and Community Engagement and External Affairs, Kenita Lloyd oversees the Chancellor’s priority of authentically engaging families, as well as the Department’s external affairs work. 

Kenita most recently served as Chief Operations Officer at The Eagle Academy Foundation, where she was instrumental in the foundation’s growth and ability to support the Eagle Academy for Young Men schools, overseeing the foundation’s budget, day-to-day operations and marketing, and communications and development efforts. 

Prior to joining The Eagle Academy Foundation, Lloyd was appointed Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs in the Office of New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. There she managed policy initiatives escalated to the Governor’s office and was responsible for ensuring community voices were heard and prioritized, facilitating high-level relationships with local leaders and constituent groups on issues including the Specialized High School Admissions Test and the launch of a targeted K-2 education campaign. Kenita has also held leadership roles at the Museum for African Art, the National Action Network, and the New York City Mission Society (Minisink Townhouse). 

Kenita holds both a BA and MPA from New York University.

Kara Ahmed, Ed.D., Deputy Chancellor of Early Childhood Education 

As Deputy Chancellor of Early Childhood Education, Dr. Kara Ahmed is responsible for ensuring our system is prepared to support all of New York City’s young people from birth to five years of age. 

For the past 14 years, Kara was the Principal for the Department of Education’s Living for the Young Family Through Education (LYFE) program, which she transformed into a nationally recognized, city-wide, early childhood education program. Under her leadership, LYFE now models a three-generation strategy supporting student parents, their children, and their families. Kara began her career as an early childhood educator and then became the Early Childhood Supervisor for New Brunswick Public Schools. There she led all operational and programmatic aspects related to the public school and private provider preschool programs. Kara also led the implementation of preschool inclusion to guarantee children with identified disabilities were naturally integrated into general education preschool classrooms. Kara went on to work with William Patterson University to support the New Jersey DOE’s implementation of preschool across the state, and she taught graduate courses at Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Kara has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University. She has a Master of Arts degree in Education Leadership and a Doctor of Education in Education Policy, both from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Emma Vadehra, Chief Operating Officer / Deputy Chancellor for Operations and Finance

As Chief Operating Officer, Emma Vadehra oversees finance and budget, procurement, the division of instructional and information technology (DIIT), school health, and school operations, which includes facilities, transportation, school food, emergency planning, and space management.

Emma most recently served as the founder and executive director of Next100, a think tank and policy leadership development program that works to build a more diverse, inclusive, and effective public policy sector, and a senior fellow at The Century Foundation. Emma previously served as chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Education during the Obama administration, where she worked closely with the White House and across the department to develop, execute, and oversee the administration’s pre-K-through-workforce education agenda.

Until recently, Emma proudly served on the boards of Blue Engine and Govern For America, and on the Federal Advisory Committee of Results for America, and as a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. She has a JD from Yale Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University. Emma is a native New Yorker.

Danika Rux, Ed.D, Deputy Chancellor of School Leadership 

As Deputy Chancellor of School Leadership, Dr. Danika Rux oversees the work of Community District Superintendents and High School Superintendents, which in turn provide schools with coordinated strategic support, resources, and guidance. She also oversees the Department’s student wellness and school climate work.

Danika Rux is an instructional leader with over 27 years of experience in the areas of speech pathology, literacy instruction, special education, school leadership, district leadership, and systems level educational administration. Most recently, Danika served as Chief of School Support. Prior, Danika served as Executive Superintendent, Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, Field Support Liaison and Principal. 

Danika holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Sage College, Albany, NY. She earned her M.S. Ed. and B.S. from Long Island University and Advanced Certificates from Baruch College, Mercer University, Georgia State University.

View the DOE's Organization chart.