School Board Member Cristina Diaz-Torres will host virtual Open Office Hours on Mon, Jan. 25

School Board Member Cristina Diaz-Torres will host virtual Open Office Hours on Mon, Jan. 25 from 6-8 p.m.

The School Board appreciates the community’s patience as we work to come up with a format that works best while Open Office Hours are hosted virtually. The Board acknowledges some of the frustrations associated with participating in Open Office Hours and has been taking into consideration the feedback that has been received. Based on the high demand by the community to address the Board, Open Office Hours will be utilized as a forum for Board members to listen to comments and concerns. Each Board member will provide a report of comments shared during Open Office Hours to the entire Board and the Superintendent.

To provide as many community members as possible the opportunity to share comments and concerns with the Board during Open Office Hours, Ms. Diaz-Torres will hold an “Open Meeting” using Microsoft Teams. However, in order to participate, individuals must sign up ahead of time using the Sign Up Genius link below. The sign-up link will be available until 3 p.m. on Jan. 25.  This is the process the Board will follow for Open Office Hours moving forward.

Before Open Office Hours:

• To participate in Open Office Hours on Jan. 25 you must sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F44ADAF29A7FA7-school16 (link was inactivated as of 3 p.m. on Jan. 25)
• There are 55 slots to accommodate participants during the Open Office Hours timeframe
  • The order of the Sign Up Genius slots is not correlated to the order in which you will be called to speak
• Staff will send an invitation for a Microsoft Teams meeting two hours before the meeting
• For assistance using Microsoft Teams, visit https://aps2016.apsva.us/digital-learning/digital-learning-device-help/teams/

During Open Office Hours:

• Participants will be called on to share their comments on a first-come, first-served basis; meaning in the order in which they log in to the meeting
  • Only the people who pre-register using the Sign Up Genius link above will have the opportunity to speak
  • Please do not share the Teams meeting link to avoid confusion
• Participants will have 2 minutes to address the Board member
  • Please note, using the “raise hand” feature will not move up participants in the queue
• Participants are expected to be courteous and respectful of others’ views and time. If any participant is disruptive, it may be necessary to remove them from the meeting.
• The meeting will end once the last registered speaker online has had a chance to address the Board member. The meeting may end before 8 p.m. if there are no more speakers who log into the meeting.

After Open Office Hours:

• Participants are welcome to share their comments in writing by sending them to board@apsva.us. A copy of remarks will be distributed to all Board members.

If a community member prefers a private conversation with Ms. Diaz-Torres regarding a confidential matter, please call 703-228-6015 or email school.board@apsva.us and include your name, phone number, and reference Open Office Hours. The School Board Office staff will help to schedule a meeting.

The upcoming schedule for Open Office Hours is posted on the Open Office Hours web page. Please contact the School Board Office at 703-228-6015 or school.board@apsva.us if you have any questions.