Earlier this month, teachers and legislators rallied at the Capitol steps to support a bill offering up to 14 weeks of paid pregnancy leave for public school employees. Erika Jones, a kindergarten teacher and member of the California Teachers Association, emphasized that currently, teachers have no access to paid pregnancy leave. The bill, AB 2901, has been authored by Assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and is co-authored by members of the Legislative Women’s Caucus. Aguiar-Curry pointed out that the current lack of paid pregnancy leave disproportionately harms women in the teaching sector. In California, 73% of educators were women as of 2018.

Aguiar-Curry stated, “There’s no sugarcoating this, friends, the law straight up discriminates against women. I have no doubt that if this was a situation that affected a male-dominated profession, it would have been solved decades ago. The proposed legislation is supported by California State Treasurer Fiona Ma and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. Both echo the urgency of implementing this policy for the sake of quality education.

Before her pregnancy, Jones had to save up her sick leave to get paid leave or accumulate enough hours for unpaid leave through the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). She emphasized that the bill would provide more options and dignity for teachers starting families. Jones, who is a Black woman working in diverse communities, added that teachers of color face even greater challenges due to lower pay and harsh conditions in their communities.

Paid pregnancy leave, Jones says, should be a basic right rather than a luxury. At present, only nine states in the US offer paid pregnancy leave to teachers. The proposed bill will be examined by Assembly committees during this legislative session.

If teachers are interested in understanding more about their rights or discussing concerns about paid pregnancy leave, it might be worth visiting eddcaller.com. The website allows individuals to learn more about employment development or seek customer service assistance when navigating employment challenges. They can guide you on how to get a hold of Paid Family Leave and provide much needed support in these times.