Jim Christensen

Superintendent

August 24, 2009

Colleagues,

First, thank you to all of you for your efforts in getting the 2009-2010 school year off to a
great start! The beginning of the year was executed exceptionally well within our schools.
The recently released academic indicators display the performance of our kids on CSAP,
ACT, AP exams, early literacy and thinking. I beam with pride on what you continue to
accomplish and your work has left me nothing short of emotional. You are leaders in
academic performance in our state and leaders in purpose for our community.

We have worked through the hard times and kept our focus on kids and learning. We
have balanced our local budget and made the necessary corrections to be back on an even
keel. I know the future state budget may pose more challenges, but I want to thank you
for the personal and professional focus, resilience on ensuring improved learning, and the
manner in which you have conducted yourselves during these challenging reductions.

This is my 25th year in education and I cannot think of a more important profession in
which to be working. That said, an opportunity has come my way that I have chosen to
pursue and accept. In the near future, I will be joining an education team that will focus
on ensuring every child has a chance to learn and graduate from high school even when
facing or living in situations that point to the contrary. Within the most challenging
environments, all students can make a responsible contribution to our society and live a
purposeful life. I have a chance to make a contribution with this population and I see it as
the biggest challenge in public education.

I have asked the BOE to allow me to pursue this opportunity and resign my position as
Superintendent effective October 1, 2009.

I want to thank all of the staff and supporting community teams that are associated with
DCSD. Your contribution to the progress we have made the past six years has been
profound and humbling. You choose to be a part of a profession and organization of
which I am proud and one that should be honored everyday. Simply stated, you are the
best I have ever been around.

I want to thank the Board of Education and their unwavering support and commitment to
kids during my tenure in DCSD. The three Boards that I worked for, chaired by John
Sheehan, Tim White and Kristine Turner, always kept the focus and mission on kids.
This is too often not the case. Our community is very lucky to have balanced thinkers
who are relentless in their volunteer time to our mission. They strive to improve our
system everyday with dignity and respect for the students, educators and constituents.
I also want to thank the twenty thousand students who graduated from DCSD during my
tenure. I leave thrilled that kids are being taught a strong core curriculum with 21st
century connectivity, learning to be critical thinkers and plans to be leaders for future
generations.

For future graduates, challenge yourself to continuously improve as stated by one of our
core values, constantly check your moral compass and do what's right and give more of
yourself than you get in return and you will be happy.

And finally, please give your unconditional support to Steve Herzog and the leadership
team. Steve will step into the interim role of Superintendent as defined by the succession
planning policy and will lead DCSD while the BOE defines the process to select a new
Superintendent. He is an educator with a great heart; strong work ethic; and a keen
intelligence that will take DCSD into the next level of continued success and make us
better than ever.

Respectfully,

Jim Christensen

620 Wilcox St. | Castle Rock, CO 80104 | 303.387.0123 ph | 303.387.0107 fax | www.dcsdk12.org