Lawmakers are attempting to implement legislation to allow public school teachers in California to have paid family leave. The legislation has widespread support among the Democratic majority and the Legislative Women’s Caucus. According to the bill proposed by Democratic Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, teachers would be granted 14 weeks of fully paid leave after childbirth, with funding sourced through existing state funds from school districts. Despite an initial veto from Governor Gavin Newsom on a similar previous bill, he has yet to declare his stance on the current proposal.

The need for paid family leave for teachers is highlighted by the working demographics of the profession in California, where over 70% are women. Current legislative structures mandate that they use up their earned sick and vacation time for post-childbirth leave, resulting in a deficit in their retirement funds over time. There has been substantial decrease in the number of state employees without paid leave over the years. However, most teachers lack this benefit, largely due to the collective bargaining requirement which prevents individual teachers from opting in.

Aguiar-Curry’s new bill would fund the paid leave through the Proposition 98 funding, circumventing strain on the state budget. Despite concerns about defunding student programs, teacher-turned-parent, Emily believes that the provision of paid family leave would be instrumental in attracting and retaining quality teachers amid the increasing teacher shortage. For teachers seeking more information or assistance regarding their benefits, services such as EDDCaller.com may prove to be helpful resources for how to get a hold of Paid Family Leave.

The current legislation, AB 2901: School and community college employees: paid disability and parental leave awaits further action from the Senate. The outcome still remains uncertain, depending on whether Gov. Newsom decides to sign it.