TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION Page 2
Statement of Nondiscrimination Page 2
Compliance with Anti-Discrimination Law Page 2
Contacts for Inquiries Page 2
Complaint Procedures Page 3
DISSEMINATION PROCEDURES – NOTICE & POSTINGS Page 3
General Notices and Postings
Annual Notice of Employee Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy/Complaint Procedure
Posting on Sexual Harassment and Employee Discrimination
Copies of the Affirmative Action Plan Available
TRAINING Page 3
Gender Equity Training
Sexual Harassment Training
RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION Page 4
ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT WORKFORCE: UTILIZATION ANALYSIS Page 5
GOALS, PROCEDURES AND TIMETABLES Page 5
Recruitment Page 5
Selection Page 5
Wage and Salary Standards Page 6
Complaint Procedure Page 6
Reasonable Accommodations for Disabled Applicants & Employees Page 6
RECRUITING AND HIRING OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF PROCEDURE Page 6
Job Description Development/Review Page 6
Recruitment Page 7
Screening Page 7
Interviewing Page 7
Recommendation Page 8
Selection/Employment Page 8
Notification Page 8
Orientation and Support Page 8
Recordkeeping Page 8
APPENDIX A Page 9
AC - NONDISCRIMINATION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
AC-R - NONDISCRIMINATION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
ACAD - HAZING
ACE - NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP / DISABILITY
APPENDIX B Page 16
ACAA – HARASSMENT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF STUDENTS
ACAA-R – HARASSMENT COMPLAINT PROCEDURE
ACAB – HARASSMENT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
ACAB-R – SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF EMPLOYEE FORM
INTRODUCTION
Statement of Nondiscrimination
The Acton School Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color ancestry or national origin, religion, sex or physical or mental disability in admission to, access to, treatment in or employment in its programs and activities. In order to prevent discrimination, the School Committee has adopted a series of nondiscrimination policies, that are in Appendix A, and that have informed this affirmative action plan.
Compliance with Anti-Discrimination Laws
The Acton School Committee 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 USC 2000 et seq.); Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 USC et seq); the Maine Human Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352); the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 USC 621 et seq.); the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 USC 6101 et seq), as amended; the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (29 USC 206); the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 31 et seq.); and the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 USC 12131), Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA).
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:
Affirmative Action Officer/Director of Human Resources
Acton School Department
700 Milton Mills Road
Acton, ME 04001
Telephone: 207-636-2100
504 Coordinator/Special Education Director
Acton School Department
700 Milton Mills Road
Acton, ME 04001
Telephone: 207-636-2100
Office for Civil Rights
Regional Director
U.S. Department of Education
S.W. McCormack Post Office & Courthouse, Rm 222
Boston, MA 02109-4557
Telephone: (617) 223-9662
Maine Human Rights Commission
State House Station 51
Augusta, ME 04333
Telephone: (207) 624-6050
Complaint Procedures
Employee and student complaint procedures (outlined in Appendix B) 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 or physical or mental disability. Copies of the complaint procedures will be made available to any interested person upon request at the Principal, Guidance, Superintendent or Affirmative Action Officer’s Office.
DISSEMINATION PROCEDURES: NOTICE AND POSTING
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 chosen by the Superintendent.
Notice of the Acton School Department’s compliance with anti-discrimination laws shall be:
Posted in a conspicuous and accessible place in Acton School Department.
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.
Distributed to all personnel responsible for recruiting and screening applicants, and selecting, hiring and promoting employees;
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 Department employees.
Posting on Sexual Harassment and Employment Discrimination
Workplace posters on sexual harassment and employment discrimination shall be posted in conspicuous and accessible places in the Acton School Department where notices to employees are customarily posted.
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 Acton School offices of the Principal, Guidance, Superintendent or Affirmative Action Officer.
TRAINING
Gender Equity Training
The Acton School Department is responsible for developing plans for in-service training programs on gender equity for teachers, administrators and the School Committee.
Sexual Harassment Training
The Acton School Department 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.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION
The Superintendent holds ultimate responsibility for the operation, oversight and success of the Acton School Department’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.
The responsibilities of the Affirmative Action Officer include, but are not limited to, the following:
Managing the organization and implementation of the Affirmative Action Plan;
Disseminating the required notices, policies and information regarding Federal and State anti-discrimination laws to employees, applicants, students and parents and others, where applicable;
Maintaining records, reports and documents required to comply with Federal and State record keeping requirements;
Coordinating the Acton School Department’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);
Conducting and/or coordinating the investigation of discrimination complaints based on race, age, color, ancestry or national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental disability;
Reporting to the Superintendent when necessary any findings and recommendations for ensuring compliance with the Affirmative Action Plan;
Developing, coordinating and implementing plans for in-service gender equity training programs;
Developing, coordinating and implementing sexual harassment training programs for employees and supervisors.
Each person charged with recruiting, screening, selecting, hiring and/or promoting applicants or employees in the Acton School Department must adhere to the policy of nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity established in the Affirmative Action Plan.
ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT WORKFORCE: UTILIZATION ANALYSIS
The Acton School Department shall periodically assess the number of minorities, women and persons with disabilities in its workforce, and determine where imbalances exist. Such assessment will determine whether there is underutilization of a particular gender or minority of persons with disabilities in different job categories in the School Department.
The term “underutilization” is defined by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance as having fewer minorities or women in particular job classification than would reasonably be expected by their availability in the job market where an employer can reasonable expect to recruit new employees.
In determining whether underutilization in the workforce exists, the Acton School Department shall consider relevant local workforce statistics, the School Departments workforce profile, the nature and validity of its job classifications and the number, frequency and category of vacancies.
GOALS, PROCEDURES AND TIMETABLES
If an assessment determines that imbalances exist in the Acton School Department’s workforce with respect to the number of minorities, women and persons with disabilities, the School Department 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 handicapped at all levels and in all segments of the Acton School Department workforce where imbalances exist:
Recruitment:
It is the intent of the Acton School Department to ensure equal access to all employment opportunities.
Goal/Objective:
The Acton School Department will make continued efforts to recruit all segments of the population in the State of Maine, including women, minorities and disabled.
Responsibility: Affirmative Action Officer
Timetable: Ongoing
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 Acton Plan.
Goal/Objective:
When vacancies arise in job classifications where women, minorities or the disable are underrepresented, the Affirmative Action officer will review interview questions prior to contacting candidates to ensure that the School Department presents an equal employment opportunity.
Responsibility: Affirmative Action Officer
Timetable: Ongoing
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 classifications will be discussed with the Affirmative Action Officer prior to implementation.
Responsibility: Superintendent
Timetable: Ongoing
Complaint Procedure:
Internal and external complaints of discrimination will be treated seriously and promptly by the Acton School Department.
Goal/Objective:
All discrimination complaints shall be referred to the Affirmative Action Officer. The Affirmative Action Officer will attempt to settle informal complaints where appropriate and will pursue all other procedures necessary to effectively and appropriately address the complaint.
Responsibility: Affirmative Action Officer
Timetable: Ongoing
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabled Applicants and Employees:
It is the Acton School Department’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 implantation 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
RECRUITING AND HIRING OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF PROCEDURE
The procedures in the following section are designed to establish a non-discriminatory hiring practice for positions requiring administrative certification. The procedures are based upon the “Model Administrative Hiring Procedure” published by the Maine Department of Education in its “Final Report of the Equity Committee”, April 1991.
Job Description Development/Review
Written job descriptions shall be developed for each position requiring administrative certification. To ensure that each job description accurately represents the current functions and projected needs in the event of a vacancy, the Superintendent/designee shall:
Conduct a review of the job description with input from those people affected by the position to ensure that the information contained in it is relevant to the position;
Develop the criteria (skills, knowledge, abilities) required to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position, and review and revise such criteria, as necessary;
Determine the minimum qualifications (training, education and experience) for the position.
Recruitment
Except where special circumstances may warrant a departure from any or all of the following procedures, the Superintendent/designee shall:
Advertise to attract a wide pool of candidates;
Ensure wide media coverage with at least one statewide ad (e.g. an ad in the Maine Sunday Telegram newspaper) and with emphasis on media which targets underutilized classes as identified in the School Department’s Affirmative Action Plan;
Post notification of the job vacancy internally in accordance with standard School Department procedures.
Screening
To ensure that a non-discriminatory and efficient screen process will occur, the Superintendent/designee shall:
Eliminate all applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications;
Ensure that all applications are reviewed by more than one individual with attention given to perceived conflicts of interest;
Provide orientation on confidentiality and equity issues to screeners;
Conduct a preliminary reference check, if appropriate;
Select candidates for interview based on the degree to which they meet the criteria and demonstrate the skills, knowledge and abilities outlined in the job description.
Interviewing
The Superintendent/designee shall:
Appoint an interview panel with representation from various groups with whom the person selected for the position will work on a regular basis;
Provide orientation to the panel on the process, the weighing of criteria and the nomination/hiring procedure;
Conduct training to ensure that panel members are aware of the legal aspects of interviewing, including confidentiality and equity issues.
The interview panel shall:
Design interview questions that match the duties/responsibilities of the position and the criteria outlined in the job description;
Provide the opportunity for each candidate interviewed to respond to the same questions.
Recommendation
The interview panel shall:
Assess each candidate on the same basis, including the criteria outlined in the job description;
Submit a selection recommendation to the Superintendent.
Selection/Employment
The Superintendent shall;
Have references contacted (and site visits made if appropriate) to check perceived strengths and weaknesses of the candidate(s);
Review the material on the selected candidate (s) to determine whether additional information is needed;
Inform the interview panel of the final selection determination;
Nominate/employ the selected candidate(s) in accordance with established policies and procedures.
Notification
The Superintendent shall:
Offer the position to the selected candidate;
Ensure that unsuccessful candidates are notified once acceptance is assured.
Orientation and Support
To ensure that new administrators are provided with the proper information about the job expectations, the Superintendent/designee shall provide an orientation that includes expectations of the duties and responsibilities of the position and the policies and procedures of the Action School Department.
Record Keeping
To ensure that the confidentiality of employee and applicant records are properly maintained, the Superintendent shall provide for the maintenance in secure files of all applications and documentation for hiring, screening and interview process as well as hiring statistics for the School Department for a period of three (3) years.
Adopted: December 14, 1999
Revised: March 14, 2017
INTRODUCTION Page 2
Statement of Nondiscrimination Page 2
Compliance with Anti-Discrimination Law Page 2
Contacts for Inquiries Page 2
Complaint Procedures Page 3
DISSEMINATION PROCEDURES – NOTICE & POSTINGS Page 3
General Notices and Postings
Annual Notice of Employee Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy/Complaint Procedure
Posting on Sexual Harassment and Employee Discrimination
Copies of the Affirmative Action Plan Available
TRAINING Page 3
Gender Equity Training
Sexual Harassment Training
RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION Page 4
ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT WORKFORCE: UTILIZATION ANALYSIS Page 5
GOALS, PROCEDURES AND TIMETABLES Page 5
Recruitment Page 5
Selection Page 5
Wage and Salary Standards Page 6
Complaint Procedure Page 6
Reasonable Accommodations for Disabled Applicants & Employees Page 6
RECRUITING AND HIRING OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF PROCEDURE Page 6
Job Description Development/Review Page 6
Recruitment Page 7
Screening Page 7
Interviewing Page 7
Recommendation Page 8
Selection/Employment Page 8
Notification Page 8
Orientation and Support Page 8
Recordkeeping Page 8
APPENDIX A Page 9
AC - NONDISCRIMINATION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
AC-R - NONDISCRIMINATION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
ACAD - HAZING
ACE - NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP / DISABILITY
APPENDIX B Page 16
ACAA – HARASSMENT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF STUDENTS
ACAA-R – HARASSMENT COMPLAINT PROCEDURE
ACAB – HARASSMENT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
ACAB-R – SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF EMPLOYEE FORM
INTRODUCTION
Statement of Nondiscrimination
The Acton School Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color ancestry or national origin, religion, sex or physical or mental disability in admission to, access to, treatment in or employment in its programs and activities. In order to prevent discrimination, the School Committee has adopted a series of nondiscrimination policies, that are in Appendix A, and that have informed this affirmative action plan.
Compliance with Anti-Discrimination Laws
The Acton School Committee 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 USC 2000 et seq.); Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 USC et seq); the Maine Human Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352); the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 USC 621 et seq.); the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 USC 6101 et seq), as amended; the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (29 USC 206); the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 31 et seq.); and the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 USC 12131), Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA).
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:
Affirmative Action Officer/Director of Human Resources
Acton School Department
700 Milton Mills Road
Acton, ME 04001
Telephone: 207-636-2100
504 Coordinator/Special Education Director
Acton School Department
700 Milton Mills Road
Acton, ME 04001
Telephone: 207-636-2100
Office for Civil Rights
Regional Director
U.S. Department of Education
S.W. McCormack Post Office & Courthouse, Rm 222
Boston, MA 02109-4557
Telephone: (617) 223-9662
Maine Human Rights Commission
State House Station 51
Augusta, ME 04333
Telephone: (207) 624-6050
Complaint Procedures
Employee and student complaint procedures (outlined in Appendix B) 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 or physical or mental disability. Copies of the complaint procedures will be made available to any interested person upon request at the Principal, Guidance, Superintendent or Affirmative Action Officer’s Office.
DISSEMINATION PROCEDURES: NOTICE AND POSTING
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 chosen by the Superintendent.
Notice of the Acton School Department’s compliance with anti-discrimination laws shall be:
Posted in a conspicuous and accessible place in Acton School Department.
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.
Distributed to all personnel responsible for recruiting and screening applicants, and selecting, hiring and promoting employees;
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 Department employees.
Posting on Sexual Harassment and Employment Discrimination
Workplace posters on sexual harassment and employment discrimination shall be posted in conspicuous and accessible places in the Acton School Department where notices to employees are customarily posted.
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 Acton School offices of the Principal, Guidance, Superintendent or Affirmative Action Officer.
TRAINING
Gender Equity Training
The Acton School Department is responsible for developing plans for in-service training programs on gender equity for teachers, administrators and the School Committee.
Sexual Harassment Training
The Acton School Department 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.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION
The Superintendent holds ultimate responsibility for the operation, oversight and success of the Acton School Department’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.
The responsibilities of the Affirmative Action Officer include, but are not limited to, the following:
Managing the organization and implementation of the Affirmative Action Plan;
Disseminating the required notices, policies and information regarding Federal and State anti-discrimination laws to employees, applicants, students and parents and others, where applicable;
Maintaining records, reports and documents required to comply with Federal and State record keeping requirements;
Coordinating the Acton School Department’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);
Conducting and/or coordinating the investigation of discrimination complaints based on race, age, color, ancestry or national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental disability;
Reporting to the Superintendent when necessary any findings and recommendations for ensuring compliance with the Affirmative Action Plan;
Developing, coordinating and implementing plans for in-service gender equity training programs;
Developing, coordinating and implementing sexual harassment training programs for employees and supervisors.
Each person charged with recruiting, screening, selecting, hiring and/or promoting applicants or employees in the Acton School Department must adhere to the policy of nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity established in the Affirmative Action Plan.
ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT WORKFORCE: UTILIZATION ANALYSIS
The Acton School Department shall periodically assess the number of minorities, women and persons with disabilities in its workforce, and determine where imbalances exist. Such assessment will determine whether there is underutilization of a particular gender or minority of persons with disabilities in different job categories in the School Department.
The term “underutilization” is defined by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance as having fewer minorities or women in particular job classification than would reasonably be expected by their availability in the job market where an employer can reasonable expect to recruit new employees.
In determining whether underutilization in the workforce exists, the Acton School Department shall consider relevant local workforce statistics, the School Departments workforce profile, the nature and validity of its job classifications and the number, frequency and category of vacancies.
GOALS, PROCEDURES AND TIMETABLES
If an assessment determines that imbalances exist in the Acton School Department’s workforce with respect to the number of minorities, women and persons with disabilities, the School Department 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 handicapped at all levels and in all segments of the Acton School Department workforce where imbalances exist:
Recruitment:
It is the intent of the Acton School Department to ensure equal access to all employment opportunities.
Goal/Objective:
The Acton School Department will make continued efforts to recruit all segments of the population in the State of Maine, including women, minorities and disabled.
Responsibility: Affirmative Action Officer
Timetable: Ongoing
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 Acton Plan.
Goal/Objective:
When vacancies arise in job classifications where women, minorities or the disable are underrepresented, the Affirmative Action officer will review interview questions prior to contacting candidates to ensure that the School Department presents an equal employment opportunity.
Responsibility: Affirmative Action Officer
Timetable: Ongoing
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 classifications will be discussed with the Affirmative Action Officer prior to implementation.
Responsibility: Superintendent
Timetable: Ongoing
Complaint Procedure:
Internal and external complaints of discrimination will be treated seriously and promptly by the Acton School Department.
Goal/Objective:
All discrimination complaints shall be referred to the Affirmative Action Officer. The Affirmative Action Officer will attempt to settle informal complaints where appropriate and will pursue all other procedures necessary to effectively and appropriately address the complaint.
Responsibility: Affirmative Action Officer
Timetable: Ongoing
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabled Applicants and Employees:
It is the Acton School Department’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 implantation 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
RECRUITING AND HIRING OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF PROCEDURE
The procedures in the following section are designed to establish a non-discriminatory hiring practice for positions requiring administrative certification. The procedures are based upon the “Model Administrative Hiring Procedure” published by the Maine Department of Education in its “Final Report of the Equity Committee”, April 1991.
Job Description Development/Review
Written job descriptions shall be developed for each position requiring administrative certification. To ensure that each job description accurately represents the current functions and projected needs in the event of a vacancy, the Superintendent/designee shall:
Conduct a review of the job description with input from those people affected by the position to ensure that the information contained in it is relevant to the position;
Develop the criteria (skills, knowledge, abilities) required to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position, and review and revise such criteria, as necessary;
Determine the minimum qualifications (training, education and experience) for the position.
Recruitment
Except where special circumstances may warrant a departure from any or all of the following procedures, the Superintendent/designee shall:
Advertise to attract a wide pool of candidates;
Ensure wide media coverage with at least one statewide ad (e.g. an ad in the Maine Sunday Telegram newspaper) and with emphasis on media which targets underutilized classes as identified in the School Department’s Affirmative Action Plan;
Post notification of the job vacancy internally in accordance with standard School Department procedures.
Screening
To ensure that a non-discriminatory and efficient screen process will occur, the Superintendent/designee shall:
Eliminate all applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications;
Ensure that all applications are reviewed by more than one individual with attention given to perceived conflicts of interest;
Provide orientation on confidentiality and equity issues to screeners;
Conduct a preliminary reference check, if appropriate;
Select candidates for interview based on the degree to which they meet the criteria and demonstrate the skills, knowledge and abilities outlined in the job description.
Interviewing
The Superintendent/designee shall:
Appoint an interview panel with representation from various groups with whom the person selected for the position will work on a regular basis;
Provide orientation to the panel on the process, the weighing of criteria and the nomination/hiring procedure;
Conduct training to ensure that panel members are aware of the legal aspects of interviewing, including confidentiality and equity issues.
The interview panel shall:
Design interview questions that match the duties/responsibilities of the position and the criteria outlined in the job description;
Provide the opportunity for each candidate interviewed to respond to the same questions.
Recommendation
The interview panel shall:
Assess each candidate on the same basis, including the criteria outlined in the job description;
Submit a selection recommendation to the Superintendent.
Selection/Employment
The Superintendent shall;
Have references contacted (and site visits made if appropriate) to check perceived strengths and weaknesses of the candidate(s);
Review the material on the selected candidate (s) to determine whether additional information is needed;
Inform the interview panel of the final selection determination;
Nominate/employ the selected candidate(s) in accordance with established policies and procedures.
Notification
The Superintendent shall:
Offer the position to the selected candidate;
Ensure that unsuccessful candidates are notified once acceptance is assured.
Orientation and Support
To ensure that new administrators are provided with the proper information about the job expectations, the Superintendent/designee shall provide an orientation that includes expectations of the duties and responsibilities of the position and the policies and procedures of the Action School Department.
Record Keeping
To ensure that the confidentiality of employee and applicant records are properly maintained, the Superintendent shall provide for the maintenance in secure files of all applications and documentation for hiring, screening and interview process as well as hiring statistics for the School Department for a period of three (3) years.
Adopted: December 14, 1999
Revised: March 14, 2017