AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN

AOS #47

Dedham/Orrington

& Airline CSD 8

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT

  1. STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION

AOS #47 and the Airline CSD 8 does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, ancestry or national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, or physical or mental disability in admission to, access to, treatment in or employment in its programs and activities.  The School Board has adopted a nondiscrimination policy (see Appendix A).

  1. COMPLIANCE WITH ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS

AOS #47 and the Airline CSD 8 recognizes its obligation to comply with the provisions of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-261), amending Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C § 2000e et seq.); Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C.§ 1681 et seq.); the Maine Human Rights Act 1972 as amended (5 M.R.S.A.§ 4551 et seq.); Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, (42 U.S.C.§ 2000d et seq.); the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 621 et seq.); the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 6101 et seq.); Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794 et seq.); the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.); the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (42 U.S.C.  § 2000ff); 20-A MRSA §6554 (Prohibition on Bullying); and MHR/MDOE Joint Rule Chapter 94-348 and 05-071, ch. 4 (Equal Educational Opportunity).  

  1. CONTACTS FOR INQUIRIES OR COMPLAINTS

To make an inquiry or file a complaint concerning the above statement, an individual may contact one of the following:

Rebecca Enman
Affirmative Action Officer
AOS #47
19 School Street, Orrington ME  04474
Telephone: (207)825-3364

Boston Office
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
8th Floor
5 Post Office Square
Boston, ME  02109-3921
Telephone: (617)289-0111; TDD: (877)521-2172

Maine Human Rights Commission
State House Station 51
Augusta, ME  04333
Telephone: (207)624-6290

  1. COMPLAINT PROCEDURES

Employee and student complaint procedures are available which provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging discrimination and harassment based on race, age, color, ancestry or national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, or physical or mental disability.  Copies of the complaint procedures will be made available to any interested person upon request at the Superintendent or Affirmative Action Officer’s office.  The complaint procedures can also be accessed from the schools website at: www.aos47.org/aap

  1. DISSEMINATION PROCEDURES:  NOTICE AND POSTING

    1. GENERAL NOTICE AND POSTING

Notice of the contents of the Affirmative Action Plan shall be provided to all employees and students at the beginning of each school year by means of the Superintendent.

Notice of AOS #47 and Airline CSD 8’s compliance with anti-discrimination laws shall be:

  1. Posted in a conspicuous and accessible place in all school buildings of the school unit;

  2. Included on job postings, advertisements and application forms which are made available to applicants and on enrollment forms made available to students and their parents;

  3. Distributed to all personnel responsible for recruiting and screening applicants, and selecting, hiring and promoting employees;

    1. ANNUAL NOTICE OF EMPLOYEE HARASSMENT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY/COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

A copy of the Employee Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy and Complaint Procedure in Appendix B shall be distributed annually to all school unit employees.

  1. POSTING ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION

Workplace posters on sexual harassment and employment discrimination shall be posted in conspicuous and accessible places in school buildings where notices to employees are customarily posted.

  1. COPIES OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN AVAILABLE

A copy of this Affirmative Action Plan, including all appendices, shall be made available to any interested person upon request at the office of the Superintendent or Affirmative Action Officer.  The Plan can also be accessed from the school’s website:  www.aos47.org/aap

  1. TRAINING

    1. GENDER EQUITY TRAINING

AOS #47 and Airline CSD 8 are responsible for developing plans for in-service training programs on gender equity for teachers, administrators and the School Board.

  1. SEXUAL HARASSMENT TRAINING

AOS #47 and Airline CSD 8 shall conduct education and training programs on sexual harassment: (1) for all new employees within one year of commencement of employment, and (2) for supervisory and managerial employees within one year of commencement of supervisory or managerial employment status.

  1. RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

    1. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS HOLDS ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE OPERATION, OVERSIGHT AND SUCCESS OF AOS #47 AND AIRLINE CSD 8’S AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN AND NONDISCRIMINATION POLICIES.  THESE RESPONSIBILITIES WILL BE DELEGATED IN WHOLE OR IN PART TO AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION OFFICER WHO IS APPOINTED BY AND REPORTS DIRECTLY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

    2. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION OFFICER INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING:

      1.  MANAGING THE ORGANIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN;

      2.  DISSEMINATING THE REQUIRED NOTICES, POLICIES AND INFORMATION REGARDING FEDERAL AND STATE ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS TO EMPLOYEES, APPLICANTS, STUDENTS AND PARENTS, AND OTHERS, WHERE APPLICABLE;

      3.  MAINTAINING RECORDS, REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL AND STATE RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS;

      4.  COORDINATING AOS #47 AND AIRLINE CSD 8’S EFFORTS TO COMPLY WITH AND CARRY OUT ITS RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL AND STATE ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS (INCLUDING SERVING AS THE TITLE IX/ADA/SECTION 504/AGE DISCRIMINATION COORDINATOR AS REQUIRED BY THOSE LAWS);

      5.  CONDUCTING AND/OR COORDINATING THE INVESTIGATION OF DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS BASED ON RACE, AGE, COLOR, ANCESTRY OR NATIONAL ORIGIN, RELIGION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, SEX, GENETIC INFORMATION, OR PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISABILITY;

      6.  REPORTING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT WHEN NECESSARY ANY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN;

      7.  DEVELOPING, COORDINATING AND IMPLEMENTING PLANS FOR IN-SERVICE GENDER EQUITY TRAINING PROGRAMS;

      8.  DEVELOPING, COORDINATING AND IMPLEMENTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR EMPLOYEES AND SUPERVISORS.

    3.  EACH PERSON CHARGED WITH RECRUITING, SCREENING, SELECTING, HIRING AND/OR PROMOTING APPLICANTS OR EMPLOYEES IN THE AOS #47 AND AIRLINE CSD 8 SCHOOL UNITS MUST ADHERE TO THE POLICY OF NONDISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY ESTABLISHED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN.

  1. ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT WORKFORCE:  UTILIZATION ANALYSIS

AOS #47 and Airline CSD 8 shall periodically assess the numbers of minorities, women and persons with disabilities in its workforce, and determining whether there is underutilization of a particular gender or minority or of persons with disabilities in different job categories in the school unit.  The term “underutilization”  is defined by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance as having fewer minorities or women in a particular job classification than would reasonably be expected by their availability in the job market where an employer can reasonably expect to recruit new employees.  In determining whether underutilization in the workforce exists, the school unit shall consider relevant local workforce statistics, the school unit’s workforce profile, the nature and validity of its job classifications, and the number, frequency and category of vacancies.

  1. GOALS, PROCEDURES AND TIMETABLES

If an assessment determines that imbalances exist in the AOS #47 schools or the Airline CSD 8’s workforce with respect to numbers of minorities, women and persons with disabilities, the school unit will develop realistic goals for necessary action and related procedures and timetables for correcting such imbalances.

The following goals, procedures and timetables have been adopted to increase the representation of minorities, women and persons with disabilities at all levels and in all segments of AOS #47 and Airline CSD 8’s workforce where imbalances exist:

  1.  RECRUITMENT:

It is the intent of AOS #47 and Airline CSD 8 to ensure equal access to all employment opportunities.

                        GOAL/OBJECTIVE:  

AOS #47 and Airline CSD 8 will make continued efforts to recruit all segments of the population in the State of Maine, including women, minorities and persons with disabilities.

                        Responsibility:

                        Affirmative Action Officer

                        TimeTable:

                        Ongoing

  1. SELECTION: 

Hiring of personnel is done through established policies and procedures, with interviews being monitored by the Affirmative Action Officer for compliance with the Affirmative Action Plan.

Goal/Objective:

When vacancies arise in job classifications where women, minorities or persons with disabilities are underrepresented, the Affirmative Action Officer will review interview questions prior to contacting candidates to ensure that the school unit presents an equal employment opportunity.

Responsibility:

Affirmative Action Officer.

Timetable:

Ongoing

  1.  WAGE AND SALARY STANDARDS:

Job classifications and wage and salary standards are based solely upon the knowledge, skills, and abilities required by the position.

Goal/Objective:

Creation of new or upgrading of existing job classification will be discussed with the Affirmative Action Officer prior to implementation.

Responsibility:

Superintendent

Timetable:

Ongoing

  1. COMPLAINT PROCEDURE:

Internal and external complaints of discrimination will be treated seriously and promptly by AOS #47 and Airline CSD 8.

Goal/Objective:

All discrimination complaints shall be processed in accordance with established complaint procedures.

Responsibility:

Affirmative Action Officer.

Timetable:

Ongoing

  1.  REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR APPLICANTS AND EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES:

It is AOS #47 and Airline CSD 8’s intent to provide reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees with disabilities consistent with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Maine Human Rights Act.

Goal/Objective:

Periodically review and assess hiring procedures and implementation of employee leave policies for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Maine Human Rights Act.

Responsibility:

Affirmative Action Officer and Superintendent.

Timetable:

Ongoing

  1. RECRUITING AND HIRING OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF PROCEDURE

The School Board has adopted a policy and procedure concerning the recruitment and hiring of administrative staff.  The procedures are based upon the “Model Administrative Hiring Procedure” published by the Maine Department of Education in its “Final Report of the Equity Board,” April 1991 (see Appendix E).