OUR COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

We believe any Cadence Education teacher, staff, or student can change the world.


We are stronger together. At Cadence Education, we firmly believe this to be true. That means valuing people for who they are, no matter their race, gender, age, sexual orientation, cultural experiences and backgrounds. And using those differing perspectives to learn. As an employer, we have a responsibility to create a welcoming environment that attracts and retains the best teachers and staff. As it is these teachers who deliver on our most important responsibility – to impact and help shape young learners and start them early on the path of kindness, appreciation of diversity, and respect for others.

WHO WE ARE

At every Cadence Education school and office, we know that our greatest strengths come from the people who make up our team. So, for us, we value diversity of life experiences, culture, and perspectives; foster a welcoming environment that attracts and retains the best talent and engages the full potential of each employee; and champions diversity, kindness, and respect for all of our employees and students. But our work is far from over.

Cadence Education is a member of an industry advocacy group called the Early Care and Education Consortium. The ECEC Leaders Statement affirms our industry’s commitment to incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into our programs. 

 

WHAT WE DO

We foster a culture that is unconditionally inclusive for students, teachers, and staff. We believe in and value the principles of inclusion, diversity, respect for all people, and kindness. We stand firmly opposed to racism, discrimination, and violence. And we expect our employees to act in accordance with these beliefs.

We have policies in place requiring that everyone is treated equally with fairness and respect and articulating our commitment to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran’s status, genetic information, or any other status protected by law.  We are committed to that policy and to having no tolerance for actions inconsistent with that policy. Some excerpts from our policies can be found below.

WHY IT MATTERS

Our Programs Thrive on Differences

Inclusion and job performance go hand in hand: when people feel they belong in our community and in our schools, the work they do is even better. It’s that simple. We provide our people with training and tools to help increase their awareness and understanding of differences, bias, and why they matter to the Cadence Education workplace culture. Our communities around the US are diverse, our teams and teachers should be too.

The Children in Our Care Deserve Our All

We bring our best selves to work each and every day. Our full power lies in our ability to be our full selves and respect each other’s differences. Our competitive advantage comes from truly being passionate about centering diversity and inclusion in all conversations. It takes listening, empathy and understanding that we strive together.

We provide equitable opportunities to recruit, retain, and develop best talent across all departments and functions at Cadence Education

Our schools are unconditionally inclusive and celebrate individual uniqueness in our students, their families, and our staff

We align our curriculum across all schools to always embody our Kind Child commitments. Our Ascend curriculum and our Kind Child program are important teaching tools that reflect our beliefs.

“Our vision for inclusion at Cadence Education is resolute. We work every day to create a workplace that values diversity and contributes positively to the lives of our students, teachers, and communities. We have a great responsibility – more than most. We do not take that task lightly. It drives us to achieve our promise to provide peace of mind by giving children an exceptional education every fun-filled day in a place as nurturing as home.”

Children are naturally inclusive, non-discriminatory, and mostly kind to each other.  While we usually teach children, in this regard we can also learn from them.

Fair Treatment Policy

Every employee, regardless of position, will be treated with respect, dignity, and in a fair and just manner at all times. This is the meaning of our Fair Treatment Policy. It is of the utmost importance that you maintain a friendly, courteous, and cooperative attitude while working. Also, in keeping with this policy, all persons will be considered for employment, promotion, or training on the basis of qualifications and experience.  We want to ensure that you work in an environment free from discrimination and harassment.  We can achieve this by your prompt use of the Fair Treatment Policy. We recognize, that being human, mistakes may be made despite our best efforts.  We want to correct such mistakes as soon as they happen.  The only way we can do this is to know your problems and complaints.  No member of management is too busy to hear problems or complaints from any employee.  If you have a problem or complaint, this is what you should do:

  1. A written complaint must be filed with your supervisor.  Your supervisor or his/her designee will investigate the allegations of your complaint.  The investigation may include meeting separately with you and with others who either are named in your complaint or who may have knowledge of the facts set forth in your complaint.  The Company will attempt to treat all internal complaints and their investigation as confidential, recognizing, however, that in the course of investigating and resolving internal complaints some dissemination to others may be appropriate.  At the conclusion of the investigation, your supervisor will meet with you to discuss your complaint.
  2. If you do not get your problems resolved with your supervisor, you may submit a written request for review of your complaint to the Regional Director, who will investigate the matter and try to settle your problem in a fair and equitable manner.  This decision will be final.

Complaints of unlawful harassment or discrimination can be made under this policy or may be made using the process set forth in the Harassment in the Workplace Policy.  In all cases, it is the policy of the Company that all employee concerns and complaints shall be given full consideration. As stated earlier, there will be no discrimination or retaliation against any employee because they present a complaint or problem in good faith.  However, nothing in this policy (or any other policy, for that matter) alters the at‐will employment relationship between the Company and its employee.

Harassment-Free Work Environment Policy

We have a fundamental commitment to treating employees, customers and vendors with dignity and respect, and we are committed to providing a safe work environment free of unlawful harassment. Cadence Education policy prohibits sexual harassment and harassment on the basis of race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran’s status, genetic information, or any other class protected by applicable law.  Our anti‐harassment policy applies to all persons involved in the operation of the Company and prohibits unlawful harassment by any employee of the Company, including supervisors and co‐workers, as well as by any person doing business with or for the Company. Prohibited unlawful harassment includes, but is not limited to, the following behavior: 1.Verbal conduct such as epithets, derogatory jokes or comments, slurs or unwanted sexual advances, invitations or comments; 2.Visual conduct such as derogatory and/or sexually oriented posters, photography, cartoons, drawings or gestures; 3.Physical conduct such as assault, unwanted touching, blocking normal movement or interfering with work because of sex, race or any other protected basis; 4.Threats and demands to submit to sexual requests as a condition of continued employment, or to avoid some other loss, and offers of employment benefits in return for sexual favors; and 5.Retaliation for having reported or threatened to report harassment. As a matter of law and Company policy, each employee is entitled to pursue his or her employment free of discrimination and harassment. Violation of the Company’s harassment/discrimination policies will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. If you believe that you have been unlawfully harassed, inform your Supervisor, Director/ School Principal, Regional Director, the Human Resource Department, or an appropriate member of management as soon as possible after the incident.  Your complaint should include details of the incident(s), names of the individuals involved, and names of any witnesses. The Company will immediately undertake an objective investigation of the harassment allegations.

To the extent possible, any investigation will be handled in confidence.  We cannot promise anonymity to persons who report harassment or participate in any investigation, but we will not tolerate retaliation against any individual who brings a harassment complaint.  Filing a false or bad‐faith complaint, however, is prohibited and may result in discipline up to and including termination.   If the Company determines that unlawful harassment has occurred, effective remedial action will be taken in accordance with the circumstances involved.  Any employee determined by the Company to be responsible for unlawful harassment will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination.  After the investigation is completed, a determination regarding the reported harassment will be made and communicated to the employee who filed the complaint and the accused harasser(s).  The Company will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint and will not tolerate or permit retaliation by management, employees, or co‐workers. The Company encourages all employees to report any incidents of harassment forbidden by this policy immediately so that complaints can be quickly and fairly resolved.  You should also be aware that the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as well as state agencies investigate and prosecute complaints of prohibited harassment in employment.  If you think you have been harassed or that you have been retaliated against for resisting or complaining, you may file a complaint with the appropriate agency.   Any employee, including a supervisor, who is found to have engaged in prohibited harassment, will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. A supervisor who knew about harassment and took no action to stop it or failed to report the harassment to an appropriate company official may also be subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment.  The Company does not consider conduct in violation of this policy to be within the course and scope of employment or the direct consequence of the discharge of one’s duties.  Accordingly, to the extent permitted by law, the Company reserves the right not to provide defense or pay damages assessed against employees for conduct in violation of this policy.   If you have any questions concerning this guideline, you should contact your Human Resources Department at 480‐607‐7552.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

We believe that the best working environment is one where everyone is treated equally with fairness and respect.  Therefore, the Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran’s status, genetic information, or any other status protected by law.  This policy applies to applicants and employees in regard to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to hiring, placement, promotion, training, discipline, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, and compensation.  The Company will not tolerate any form of unlawful discrimination in hiring or in the terms and conditions of employment and strictly prohibits retaliation against an employee who makes a complaint of unlawful discrimination or harassment.   

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act, the Company will make reasonable accommodations, including but not limited to modification of internal policies, practices, and procedures in appropriate cases, for qualified individuals with a disability as long as it can do so without creating an undue hardship to the Company and without resulting in a direct threat to the employee or others in the workplace, when such threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation.  All requested accommodations are considered on a case‐by‐case basis and should be directed to your immediate supervisor or to Human Resources.  Inquiries regarding Cadence Education’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy may be directed to Human Resources.