I. Equality and Access of Opportunity
1. General Policy
a) The Association strongly encourages all individuals involved in educational endeavours to reach the highest level of individual development; the Association will not condone discrimination which in any way limits human potential.
b) The Association promotes the ideas of democracy and self-worth.
c) The Association is opposed to discrimination in any form on the basis of gender, race, colour, creed, language, geographic location, socio-economic status, political affiliation, marital status, age, mental or physical challenge, or sexual orientation/expression.
d) The Association endorses programming which promotes equality and access of opportunity.
2. Specific Policy
a) The Association will endeavour to ensure equal opportunity and equitable treatment of all teachers within the profession.
b) There should be equal opportunity for all members of the Association to hold elected offices and appointed staff positions within the Association.
c) The Association will ensure that all teachers with similar qualifications and experience receive equal pay for work of equal value and responsibility.
d) The Association will provide professional development and information, upon request, to its members regarding the implications and effects of discrimination and stereotyping. [Feb/20/03] [2003 BGM]
e) The Association will ensure that all its communications and documentation are non-discriminatory and utilize non-discriminatory language.
f) The Association endorses the principles of equality and the use of non-discriminatory language and other forms of media in teachers’ instruction and assessment procedures.
g) Instructional materials used by teachers should recognize the contribution and value of each individual in society.
h) Teachers should monitor the curriculum materials for discriminatory or biased views.
i) All materials utilized in schools should be non-stereotypic, non-discriminatory, and unbiased.
j) Teachers should encourage participation of students in all subject areas, non-curricular and curricular activities.
k) The Association will support equality of access to and choice of curricular, noncurricular, and co-curricular activities for all students.
l) The Association will support the provision of unbiased, non-stereotypic guidance which reflects employment opportunities of contemporary society. This would include exposure to non-traditional occupations.
m) School boards should ensure equal access and opportunity for professional development to all teachers.
n) All school boards and board of director positions and the like, whether elected or appointed, should be equally accessible to all members of the general public and no individual will be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race, colour, creed, language, geographic location, socio-economic status, political affiliation, marital status, age, mental or physical challenge or sexual orientation/expression.
o) All school board communication and documentation should be non-discriminatory and utilize non-discriminatory language.
p) Teachers should report incidents or occurrences of discrimination or bias to the Association. [Mar/19/83] [1987 AGM]
Complete Policy Revised – [June/2/06] [JC Nov/06] [2007 BGM] [Oct/23&25/14] [2015 BGM]
