Teachers in California Grapple with Lack of Paid Family Leave
Teachers commonly schedule pregnancies during the summer, but a potential LAUSD policy adjustment may disrupt this pattern.
In the heart of California, a pressing issue unfolds as teachers struggle to balance their personal and professional lives due to the absence of paid family leave benefits. This situation leaves many teachers, especially women, with complex sets of benefits that require them to utilize their accrued sick days, often forcing them to return to work shortly after giving birth.
A new resolution by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board intends to redress this issue and make the district an attractive employer for teachers amid a statewide teacher shortage.
For years, teacher lounges across California have echoed the same advice: plan for babies during summer vacation. Unlike their private sector counterparts, teachers and other public employees are ineligible for the state's paid family leave or state disability insurance programs. This reality demands educators to deplete all of their sick days, despite their jobs being protected for 12 weeks.
"It's absurd to time a reproductive choice around your work schedule," said Maya Suzuki Daniels, an English teacher at San Pedro High School. Daniels, lucky to have given birth in July, was compelled to return to work just two weeks after school began, leaving her son only a few weeks old.
Now, the LAUSD resolution, spearheaded by school board members Tanya Ortiz Franklin, Kelly Gonez, and Karla Griego, intends to enhance support for paid family leave and improve the overall well-being of teachers. The resolution, aptly named "Parental Package: LAUSD as an Equitable Employer of Choice for Thriving Families," covers a spectrum of parents' needs, including infertility support services, lactation spaces, child care, among others.
The resolution requires the district to investigate the reproductive health and parenting needs of employees, determine the cost of providing 12 weeks of paid family leave, and examine possibilities for the state to foot the bill. Additionally, the resolution suggests immediate actions, such as improving lactation spaces, designating site liaisons to help employees navigate benefits, and finding affordable childcare solutions.
Incorporating these measures aims to enhance staff retention and recruitment, a critical challenge given the expensive cost of living in California.
While California offers paid family leave for private sector employees through the state disability insurance and paid family leave programs, public sector employees, such as teachers, are exempt from these benefits. Consequently, teachers are vulnerable to financially precarious situations after the birth of a child, compounding the hardships for many new families.
Recent research demonstrates that women who have access to paid leave are more likely to return to work after having a baby. However, the California Legislature's previous endeavors to extend paid family leave to teachers have failed, including a 2019 bill vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Presently, AB 65 is making its way through the Assembly, aiming to provide 14 weeks of fully paid leave to school and community college employees. This bill, projected to cost about $120 million annually, would be funded through Proposition 98 general funds and enjoys the backing of the teachers' unions.
Nevertheless, opposition remains, with groups such as the Assn. of California School Administrators and the California School Boards Assn., arguing that the bill would be financially burdensome for districts due to a lack of dedicated funding sources, potentially intensifying staffing concerns. The ongoing debate highlights the urgent need for a equitable solution that prioritizes the well-being of teachers while maintaining the integrity and prosperity of California's education system.
- The ongoing debates about education in California include the need for paid family leave benefits for teachers, considering their current struggles to balance work and family due to the absence of such benefits.
- The lack of paid family leave benefits for teachers in California affects the health and well-being of educators, with many forced to deplete their sick days and return to work soon after giving birth.
- To address this issue, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has proposed a resolution, the "Parental Package: LAUSD as an Equitable Employer of Choice for Thriving Families," which aims to improve support for paid family leave and enhance the overall well-being of teachers.
- The opinion of Maya Suzuki Daniels, an English teacher at San Pedro High School, is that it's absurd to time a reproductive choice around a work schedule, a sentiment shared by many teachers in California.
- The General News in California often covers discussions around the need for paid family leave for teachers, given the financial precariousness after the birth of a child, and the potential impact on staff retention and recruitment in the education sector.
