Beloved New York City elementary teacher Sandra Santos-Vizcaino succumbed to Covid-19 on March 30.

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of several beloved educators. One of these is Sandra Santos-Vizcaino, a beloved elementary school teacher from New York City.

Sandra was born November 1, 1965, in Cotui, Dominican Republic. Her father, Antonio Santos, was an aviation mechanic and her mother, Natividad Brito, was employed as a seamstress and cake-baker. The family transplanted to New York City when Sandra was 11.

As a young woman, Sandra earned her Bachelor’s degree from Bard College, with a double major in Biology and Latin American Literature. Next, she attended Long Island University, Brooklyn campus, where she earned two Master’s degrees, one in Science and the second in Science Education. She also earned a degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York.

Sandra inaugurated her career as an educator in 1995. She taught for four years at PS 9 in the Prospect Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn. There she taught third grade in the dual-language program, with instruction in both English and Spanish. She had a reputation for her heartwarming hugs and her generous soul.  But she was also known for her seriousness, for her rigor, and for pushing her students to read. In all, she taught 25 years.

Sandra was a member of the Association of Dominican American Supervisors and Administrators. She was awarded the Outstanding Education Leader Award in the Dominican Republic for her work in education on the island.

Sadly, Sandra passed away on March 31, 2020, from Covid-19. She was 54 years old. “The notion that we’ve lost a teacher, it’s very painful,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “These are people who devote their lives to our kids, and losing someone who is that good a person, who is giving that much, is just very very painful.”

To read more about this amazing educator, see her obituary at the New York Times.