Do local school systems require teachers to pay for their own subs while on mat leave?

[Anonymous]

Was just reading this NPR article and was struck by the bolded. Do DC area schools system’s require teachers to pay for their sub if they are on maternity leave? You are on unpaid leave AND have to pay for your sub?

“In many places, that leaves a teacher who wants to have a baby with few options: take limited unpaid leave, save up sick leave, hope for colleagues to share their sick leave, pay for their own substitute teacher, or try to time the birth for summer break.”

https://www.npr.org/2023/06/26/1183570525/paid-family-leave-teachers-summer-babies?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-npr&utm_content=later-36178652&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkin.bio

[Anonymous]

That’s absurd and I have to believe it’s factually wrong. No one is paying for their own sub.

[Anonymous]

Other than paying for your own sub, which isn’t a thing, those are of course the options any employee has when they don’t have maternity leave. I had to save up my sick leave to take time off after I had a baby, and then my employer let me take the rest off unpaid.

I’m not saying that’s ok. It’s HORRIBLE that not everyone has paid maternity leave. But this isn’t unique to teachers in some way.

[Anonymous]

No, this sounds illegal.

[Anonymous]

I texted my mom and aunt as both are retired teachers and neither encountered that during their careers. Most common was teachers going without pay.

[Anonymous]

Yep, this is a real thing in some places.

https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/sick-teachers-paying-for-substitutes-where-and-why-its-happening/2019/05

[Anonymous]

Certainly I think everyone should get paid family leave (and no one should have to pay for their replacement!) But why do teachers need paid maternity leave more than any other profession?

[Anonymous]

I understand college is different, but FWIW my sister teaches at a SLAC and has to pay her own sub.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep, this is a real thing in some places.

https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/sick-teachers-paying-for-substitutes-where-and-why-its-happening/2019/05

Wow. I know that article states it’s because school systems can’t afford dual pay, but given the rules date back to the 1970s, seems more like it was to force women to leave the workforce.

[Anonymous]

I have heard of it in the South, Texas, Oklahoma, etc.

Not coming in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Other than paying for your own sub, which isn’t a thing, those are of course the options any employee has when they don’t have maternity leave. I had to save up my sick leave to take time off after I had a baby, and then my employer let me take the rest off unpaid.

I’m not saying that’s ok. It’s HORRIBLE that not everyone has paid maternity leave. But this isn’t unique to teachers in some way.

You didn’t have any annual leave to save up? Then you are like a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand college is different, but FWIW my sister teaches at a SLAC and has to pay her own sub.

Is she getting paid during that time?

As a teacher who took almost unpaid leave, I would have taken that deal happily. Especially in college where you only have to have a sub for the actual instruction hours.

[Anonymous]

My friend teaches in a catholic school in dc and has to pay for her subs.

[Anonymous]

In Fairfax County, an employee would get short term disability after the birth of a child (6 wks or 8wks depending on type of delivery). With any short term disability, the employee uses the first 20 work days out with their own sick leave. Once the 20 days are up, the STD kicks in. If the staff member wants to stay out beyond the 6 or 8 wks and they want to get paid, they can use their own accumulated sick leave to pay themself. Or they can take leave without pay if they don’t have it. They can do this up until 12 weeks from the delivery.

The staff member does not pay for the substitute teacher, nor does the school. It’s paid for out of a central fund.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Certainly I think everyone should get paid family leave (and no one should have to pay for their replacement!) But why do teachers need paid maternity leave more than any other profession?

the average age and gender of teachers means that a higher than normal % of the workforce would utilize the family and medical leave benefit, making it overall much more expensive than in a typical company.