McKay School of Education > CITES > Initiatives > Leaders Associates

Leaders Associates

Purpose and Participants

The purpose of the CITES Leaders Associates is to encourage dialogue and articulation between leaders of the five BYU-Public School Partnership districts and administrators at BYU, including both the McKay School of Education and the departments and colleges of arts and sciences, regarding the preparation of educators.

Participants include superintendents and designated staff from the participating school districts, deans and other administrators from the university units that prepare teachers, and personnel from CITES.

Event

The Leaders Associates meets twice a year for two days in a "retreat" setting,  typically during the fall and mid-winter. Participants usually prepare by reading assigned book chapters and articles. Meetings include short presentations by participants, lectures and activities led by national presenters, small group discussions followed by reports to the full group, along with a few full-group discussions and activities. Themes for past discussions have included ways to improve school access for the local Hispanic population, poverty and its implications for schools, the importance of the arts in public education, professional learning communities, and assessment of student learning.