From bus drivers to principals, more than 4,000 employees of the Boulder Valley School District gathered in one place on Aug. 13. Not only were they kicking off a new year, reuniting with the same faces and being introduced to new ones, they were celebrating the new leadership of Superintendent Dr. Christopher King.

When Dr. Garcia, the second longest-serving superintendent in BVSD history, announced his retirement last year after seven years of serving Boulder County School District, the board began their search.

As Board of Education President Dr. Helayne Jonesaddressed the crowd packed into the Broomfield Event Center on Aug. 13, she said, "Last spring, we went on a national search to find our new superintendent. We had applicants from all over the country and we found the best in our own backyard."

King, who prefers to go by "Chris," is a 14-year BVSD veteran. He started out as an English and journalism teacher at Broomfield High School in 1985 and quickly climbed his way up the district ladder. He is now leading more than 28,000 students in Colorado's eighth largest public school district.

As King addressed the audience, he said, "In a school district that covers 500 square miles, we need to remind ourselves that we are one interdependent, connected system. And that's really what today is all about - each of us reminding each other of our commitment to each other, to the district and to the kids we are hired to serve."

According to King, the future of BVSD is focused on equity and excellence. Numerous projects and experiments planned to take action this year will work in an attempt to fight "classism, sexism, racism and any other 'ism' plaguing our society," he said. The ongoing staff will undergo training through the BVSD Institutional Equity and Multicultural Education Office.

One particular program that the district will be tackling this year and into the future is the TIES program, which stands for Tools of Inquiry for Equitable Schools. In other words, TIES is a data-driven process created by the district that uses survey data and test results to identify learning needs, improve teaching effectiveness and resource allocation to better meet identified student needs.

According to Briggs Gamblin, Director of Communications for BVSD, "The TIES approach drives the goal of equity of educational opportunities by allocating resources proportionally to the students with the greatest academic challenges," he said.

An example of this is the Crayons to Calculators program -- an annually coordinated effort by BVSD's primary nonprofit partner Impact for Education and other local nonprofits. This year, 3,600 backpacks filled with school supplies will be distributed so no student will start school empty-handed. The district also will be implementing a free and reduced lunch program to cater to students of all socioeconomic levels.

King recognizes that although BVSD is the highest achieving school district in the state, there's an ethic that drives people to improve themselves every day. There also are many schools in the district that go unrecognized because of their scores and overall reputation.

"Many of our schools that are not rated excellent do amazing work at moving students from one category to another. These schools are extremely high performing, though the students that attend them are not necessarily high achieving when compared to students with more privileged backgrounds," King said during his speech.

When asked what school/s in particular he was speaking of, King made a strong note of Creekside Elementary in Boulder. This high performing school makes a special effort to cater to one kid at a time with special academic programs tailoring to each student's performance level.

Sandy Ripplinger, assistant superintendent for school leadership who oversees 18 elementary schools in the district, said, "Each teacher sits down with their class and works with each student. We've restructured the school schedule to cater to what we like to call 'interventions.' Sometimes a student may need a double-dose of literature or another may need a double-dose of math. Whatever is needed, we'll make happen - and this way kids get more one-on-one attention."

King claims that although the achievement gap between schools is wide and the dropout rate needs work, he sees it vital to take one day out of the year for everyone to gather and acknowledge what a special place Boulder Valley School District really is.

"Whether you want to be superintendent or the best teacher or the best bus driver or the best custodian out there - you won't make it unless you commit to being the best learner every day you come to work," King said in his closing statements. "The key to our continued excellence is your continued development. Keep learning and keep growing and we will continue to excel."