It may be back to business for Irvine schools, the bulk of which resumed Wednesday, but this is no ordinary school year. In fact, 2012-13 marks an even 40 years for the Irvine Unified School District, which broke off from the larger San Joaquin School District back in 1972. To celebrate the milestone, IUSD is planning some modest tributes over the next 12 months, including a series of brief videos that will document the district's culture and share some of its noteworthy practices and accomplishments. The first video, a broader look titled “The Culture of IUSD,” was just released and can be found here. As you can see, the crew caught up with a number of current and former district leaders, who cited collaboration, empowerment and continuous improvement as enduring themes. But a real highlight is the presence of Stan Corey, who served as IUSD’s first superintendent from 1972 through 1987. Corey, now retired, established a set of progressive "Founding Principles" that are still observed to this day, and he's widely regarded as the single most influential figure in the history of IUSD. He was kind enough to participate in a lengthy interview at his home, and more of his insight -- and memories of the early days -- will be featured in future videos. Stay tuned.