The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has a new Director of Child Development Services — Dr. Alice Chung.
The SMMUSD Board of Education approved Dr. Chung’s appointment at its Dec. 13 meeting.
Dr. Chung comes to school district from the Riverside County Office of Education, where she has been serving as the Early Reading First Grant Director (a program created by the No Child Left Behind Act) and ChildPlus Coordinator (Head Start software).
Prior to that, Dr. Chung served as the Quality Assurance Program Manager, Children Services Program Manager, Head Start Site Supervisor, and teacher for San Bernardino’s Preschool Services Department; a National Head Start Fellow with the Office of Head Start in Washington, DC; and Adjunct Professor at the Universities of Phoenix and La Verne.
As Grant Director and Coordinator, she planned, directed, and coordinated policy, evaluation, assessment, and research related to grant funding; created and implemented professional development to support new standards and assessments; and worked with school districts to align early child care standards, assessment, and accountability systems.
Dr. Chung has extensive knowledge of effective administrative practices as well as of curriculum and instructional techniques and methods appropriate for a child development program. She uses best-practices research and concrete data to meet program goals and objectives.
Dr. Chung views partnership and collaboration as a critical aspect of any organization and believes that respect and integrity are the foundations of a well-organized and productive agency.
She is strongly committed to providing excellent customer service, having created parenting workshops, ensured communication and procedures were consistent, and provided support and instruction to staff and parents to address the requirements of students with special needs.
