Efforts to implement paid family leave for public school teachers are on the agenda again for California lawmakers in 2025. According to the supporters of this bill, this benefit will aid in attracting and retaining high-quality teachers as the profession faces rising shortage. Authored by Democratic Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, the union-backed bill would ensure teachers receive 14 weeks of fully paid leave after childbirth, funded by existing state funding funneled through school districts, should the new legislation pass. Five years earlier, Governor Gavin Newsom opposed a similar bill. The California Teachers Association announced plans to reintroduce the bill after it was marred by amendments that would defer its effect until 2028. Despite public expectation to the contrary, teachers in California currently have no paid leave after the birth of a child and have to finance their substitutes after childbirth. The majority of public employees besides teachers face the same situation, excluded by existing state law. Investigative data shows that over 70% of teachers are women and female teachers average almost $100,000 less in retirement than male counterparts due to forced utilization of accrued vacation and sick leave when they have children. The bill AB 2901: School and community college employees: paid disability and parental leave , currently boasts 17 co-authors, and though already passed by the Assembly, awaits a Senate vote.

California’s paid family leave is currently funded by a 1% disability tax on paychecks. However, due to existing state laws, public employees are excluded from the State Disability Insurance (SDI) they do not contribute to and thus cannot claim from it. Anyone who needs to talk to someone directly about their SDI eligibility or has any other questions can refer to the SDI phone number or visit eddcaller.com for more contact information.