School Board Elects Cristina Diaz-Torres as Chair

David Priddy named Vice Chair

The Arlington School Board held its annual organizational meeting for the 2023-24 school year and elected Cristina Diaz-Torres as Chair and David Priddy as Vice Chair. The terms for the new Chair and Vice Chair begin immediately and will continue until June 30, 2024.

Diaz-Torres thanked past chair Reid Goldstein for his leadership and looked back at some of the challenges the Board faced, and the progress made over the past year:

• Prioritized instruction and support for all students, as well as engagement strategies to be more responsive to students, staff, and community members.
• Shifted literacy curriculum in grades PreK-12 and have introduced consistent, rigorous curriculum across the division.
• Introduced substantive changes to better address student behavior, while keeping them engaged in learning.
• Invested in student well-being and mental health, as well as school safety and security.

“My two and a half years so far, have been focused on looking back. Now, entering this year, it is time to really lean into looking forward,” Diaz-Torres said during her remarks.

Diaz-Torres addressed decisions the Board will make to lay the foundation for years to come:

• The renewal of our strategic plan for the next six years to guide all decision-making.
• A long-term vision for academics that includes high-quality offerings and pathways our students need to graduate prepared for college, career and life.
• A full inventory of APS facilities needs to support operational excellence and student learning.
• Boundary adjustments and planning changes to rebalance enrollment across APS.

“This is also going to be one of those years where we’re going to make a big difference,” Diaz-Torres said. “The challenge before us this year is to stay focused on the long game, and on the goal of becoming a division where educational equity is the reality for all students.”

About Cristina Diaz-Torres
Cristina Diaz-Torres joined the Arlington School Board on January 1, 2021. She is a former teacher and education policy specialist with experience in the classroom. She is a longtime advocate for students in Arlington and has previously served on several key Arlington School Board and County Board commissions including the Budget Advisory Council, Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission, and the Joint Facilities Advisory Commission.

Before being elected to the School Board, Cristina was a preschool assistant teacher in New York City and a high school math teacher in Las Vegas, where she experienced firsthand how policy plays out in schools. She later became an education policy consultant supporting school districts, state education agencies, and education organizations across the country to improve student outcomes by creating evidence-based systems and policies. Her previous work also includes helping teachers in Puerto Rico get back to school in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and managing a grant program for teacher-leaders in Massachusetts dedicated to addressing inequity in their schools.

Cristina is a graduate of New York University with dual majors in Economics and History and holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas specializing in Secondary Mathematics. She is fluent in both English and Spanish and lives in Crystal City.

About Vice Chair David Priddy
David Priddy joined the School Board on January 1, 2021. A native Arlingtonian, he attended Arlington Public Schools: Long Branch Elementary, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and Wakefield High School. He graduated from James Madison University in 1996 with a degree in History. David and his wife Melanie have two boys in middle and High School. He has coached basketball, baseball, and soccer and, through this experience, has gained an appreciation of the rich sports programs available to our children.

As part of his commitment to all parents and children in Arlington, David has served on various local committees and organizations focused on education, giving him greater insight into the concerns of the whole Arlington community. David has served on the following committees and organizations: President of the Jefferson Middle School PTA, a member of the Advisory Council on Instruction, the NAACP Education Committee, the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on Equity and Excellence, the County Council of PTAs, and the Building Level Planning Committee for the Career Center Expansion, among others.

Next School Board Meeting:
The School Board will hold its next Regular Meeting (2110 Washington Blvd.) on Thu, July 20 at 7 p.m. The agenda will be posted one week before the meeting on BoardDocs.

For More Information:
Community members who want to comment on any items discussed at the School Board meeting should email the Board at school.board@apsva.us or call 703-228-6015. School Board meetings are also broadcast live on Comcast Cable Channel 70 and Verizon Fios Channel 41; live-streamed on the APS website, and re-broadcast on Fridays at 9 p.m. and Mondays at 7:30 p.m. immediately following the meeting. All materials and minutes will be posted to the website at www.apsva.us/schoolboard upon School Board approval at a subsequent meeting.