David Chia

Principal

Year Honored: 2000

Wheaton Woods Elementary School
Rockville, MD

At the time of the Award, David Chia was:

Staff Development Teacher
Broad Acres Elementary School
Silver Spring, MD

http://web.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rcforestes/

Biographical Information

David Chia is principal of Rock Creek Forest Elementary School in Chevy Chase. Previously, he was the English director at the New Generation Bilingual Christian Academy in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where he developed and coordinated the English department and worked as a staff developer with all bilingual teachers. Chia then returned to Maryland, where he served as assistant principal at Weller Road Elementary School and principal intern at Burning Tree Elementary School. Before becoming an administrator, Chia taught third and fourth graders as a "looping" teacher at Georgian Forest Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland. Highlights as a classroom teacher included encouraging students to demonstrate a commitment to learning by developing a class pledge, which was printed on cards, each with a student's photo and signature. Chia also taught mathematics and developed a classroom economics program in which students earned imaginary "Chia" dollars, which they used to pay for everything from the "rent" on their desks to "purchasing" extra school supplies and "investing" in the stock market. As a staff development teacher at Broad Acres Elementary School in Silver Spring, Chia planned and facilitated professional growth opportunities for staff in all content areas. He has been a mentor teacher, technology trainer, Maryland Technology Academy Fellow and Fulbright Memorial Fund Fellow, and has written and received numerous grants. Honors include the Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award and Montgomery County Teacher of the Year.

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