Kimberly Papa is one of many public school teachers who struggle due to lack of access to adequate parental leave. When Papa, based in Ohio, gave birth to her daughter Margot, she had to rely on colleagues donating their sick days to take some time off work. Despite the financial hardship that not being paid during her leave would cause, Papa could only take 12 weeks off under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which ensured job security but did not guarantee pay.

In her district, a teacher can get paid for 12 weeks if they have sufficient accrued sick days, but as a career changer, Papa had only four weeks. Even with individual generosity of her colleagues, the process was stressful and uncertain. Many teachers, especially the ones early in their career, fall into similar predicaments where they cannot afford to take an unpaid leave after giving birth or other family emergencies.

Being able to access paid leave should be a basic right for all employees, according to AFT President Randi Weingarten. Paid parental leave is also beneficial for the school and students, as frequent turnover of teachers can be disruptive. Despite the clear benefits outlined, only 18% of the largest districts in the U.S. offered paid parental leave beyond sick days to public school teachers, concluded a National Council on Teacher Quality report in 2022.

Teachers need a more reliable system to access paid parental leave to allow them to focus on their recuperation or family matters without having to worry about the financial strain or additional burden on colleagues. Paid family leave is not only a matter of compassion but a sensible policy that can attract and keep talent, enhancing the stability of teaching staff and the schooling environment.

The conditions and access to paid parental leave are in many cases determined by the state level legislation and employee regulations by the departments like Employment Development Department (EDD) in California. To discuss or clarify these regulations, it is essential for the employees to contact the relevant agency or reach out to relevant customer service. If you are a California resident, you may need to understand how to get through to EDD. This information and guidance can be found on online platforms such as eddcaller.com.