Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1518807
" I had two children during my work in the school district. My wife is also an educator. My children are adults now, but we remember vividly how difficult it was for my wife to return to work after only six weeks maternity [leave]. This should not happen in this country. Mothers should not have to choose between work and their children." — Ariel Tellez, teacher, United Teachers Los Angeles " I worked for a charter school for eight years and paid into state disability; I had access to pregnancy disability and baby bonding, and then took my paid time off. I was able to have three-to-five months off because of how my benefits worked. I now work for a traditional school district and am appalled with how they do leave here." — E. Reyes, Associated Teachers of Pomona " My family and I had to endure several weeks of no pay not long after I gave birth. It created a lot of extra stress [on us] physically and emotionally. With my second child I had to go back to work sooner than I had hoped and then took a week off because I got shingles. My doctor attributed my case to the fact that my body was worn down from birth and having to go back to work before I was physically ready." — Kelly Earlywine, teacher, San Carlos Teachers Association " My family and I shouldn't have to struggle because I had a baby and I shouldn't have to put off having a baby because of a lack of paid maternity leave. I feel like I have to choose between being a teacher or a mom." — Kayla, Modesto Teachers Association Chelsea Jones, Rocklin Teachers Professional Association, and her daughter in their last Zoom class of the 2021 school year. "I returned to teaching via Zoom when Charlotte was six weeks old and she frequently napped on my chest while I balanced the workload of teaching remotely." — Chelsea Jones, Rocklin Teachers Professional Association " As an educator, I had a hard time paying my bills on maternity leave. I had to get rental assistance and go on food stamps to make ends meet while I was out bonding with my baby and waiting for her to be old enough to start daycare. I didn't qualify for disability insurance to cover me during this time because I had just found out the day before that I was pregnant and no longer qualified due to my 'pre-existing condition.'" — Victoria Kim, teacher, Folsom Cordova Education Association " As union president, I see how difficult it is for new mothers to navigate the disability system and figure out how to manage compensation during their leave. Many members have spent their first days with their baby on the phone with insurance providers, district officials and state agencies trying to figure out how they 'll support their families and substitute their lost income. Women should not be penalized for having children." — Hayden Gore, teacher, High Tech Education Collective " Coming out of working for the hospital and experiencing traditional paid maternity leave, the experience in the schools was awful. I was forced to pay for my sub, one was never found but my pay was still docked, and I had incredible financial hardship postpartum." — Amanda Deardorff, school nurse, San Juan Teachers Association " During both of my pregnancies, I was floored at my lack of options. This is a concrete reason that we are facing teacher shortages. I personally would not advise other women to go into teaching at the community college system here in California under the current conditions." — Emily Lohorn Carpenter, adjunct faculty, Southwestern College Educators Association " I'm currently pregnant and would like more people to understand the challenges and concerns teachers face just in deciding to try to get pregnant all because of the lack of paid disability/parental leave. We make so many sacrifices to teach the children of other families, but this system doesn't honor or respect our own decision to have children by not guaranteeing paid disability/parental leave." — Liz Martinez, teacher, United Teachers Los Angeles 27 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 24