David George Nasaw was born on July 18, 1945 in Cortland, New York, the oldest son of lawyer Joshua J. Nasaw (August 13, 1909 September 1970) and Beatrice "Bea" Kaplan Nasaw (1917 January 17, 2010), an elementary school teacher [REF].
While studying at Columbia University, for more than two years from 1970 Nasaw was one of two full-time teachers in the Elizabeth Cleaners Street School,[REF][REF] a short-lived experimental alternative free high school founded in New York City.