Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is the childcare leave people are talking about. Parents have been unable to work because teachers aren't back in person. Teachers and school districts have no sympathy- they said to hire childcare. And now teachers are saying they can't work because of daycare and childcare issues.

Yes, this.

Yes, the issue is teachers saying they can't work because they have kids at home. It's mindblowing.

"Parental leave" is generally related to birth or adoption of a newborn. Is that what OP is talking about? Because I don't see anyone in the schools debate talking about preventing people from taking leave related to a newborn.

+1

People are not mad that a teacher gave birth and wants to stay home and bond with their 5 week old. They are mad for the hypocritical reasons listed above- they have a 3 year old and didn't secure childcare and now say they can't go back in person.

maybe they should also be mad that there's a lot of shortages of daycare spaces at the moment due to reduce staffing and a lot of people weren't able to secure spots specially at the last minute?

In Maryland and VA, daycares have been back to regular capacity for several months.

It's weird that teachers don't have the abilities of other humans to find and secure childcare.

I support teachers, I want them vaccinated before returning and I think they are working hard during DL, BUT the childcare excuse is BS. But even I know the real reason many are not using child care is because they have enjoyed the savings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is the childcare leave people are talking about. Parents have been unable to work because teachers aren't back in person. Teachers and school districts have no sympathy- they said to hire childcare. And now teachers are saying they can't work because of daycare and childcare issues.

Yes, this.

Yes, the issue is teachers saying they can't work because they have kids at home. It's mindblowing.

"Parental leave" is generally related to birth or adoption of a newborn. Is that what OP is talking about? Because I don't see anyone in the schools debate talking about preventing people from taking leave related to a newborn.

+1

People are not mad that a teacher gave birth and wants to stay home and bond with their 5 week old. They are mad for the hypocritical reasons listed above- they have a 3 year old and didn't secure childcare and now say they can't go back in person.

maybe they should also be mad that there's a lot of shortages of daycare spaces at the moment due to reduce staffing and a lot of people weren't able to secure spots specially at the last minute?

In Maryland and VA, daycares have been back to regular capacity for several months.

It's weird that teachers don't have the abilities of other humans to find and secure childcare.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is the childcare leave people are talking about. Parents have been unable to work because teachers aren't back in person. Teachers and school districts have no sympathy- they said to hire childcare. And now teachers are saying they can't work because of daycare and childcare issues.

Yes, this.

Yes, the issue is teachers saying they can't work because they have kids at home. It's mindblowing.

"Parental leave" is generally related to birth or adoption of a newborn. Is that what OP is talking about? Because I don't see anyone in the schools debate talking about preventing people from taking leave related to a newborn.

+1

People are not mad that a teacher gave birth and wants to stay home and bond with their 5 week old. They are mad for the hypocritical reasons listed above- they have a 3 year old and didn't secure childcare and now say they can't go back in person.

maybe they should also be mad that there's a lot of shortages of daycare spaces at the moment due to reduce staffing and a lot of people weren't able to secure spots specially at the last minute?

In Maryland and VA, daycares have been back to regular capacity for several months.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is the childcare leave people are talking about. Parents have been unable to work because teachers aren't back in person. Teachers and school districts have no sympathy- they said to hire childcare. And now teachers are saying they can't work because of daycare and childcare issues.

Yes, this.

Yes, the issue is teachers saying they can't work because they have kids at home. It's mindblowing.

"Parental leave" is generally related to birth or adoption of a newborn. Is that what OP is talking about? Because I don't see anyone in the schools debate talking about preventing people from taking leave related to a newborn.

+1

People are not mad that a teacher gave birth and wants to stay home and bond with their 5 week old. They are mad for the hypocritical reasons listed above- they have a 3 year old and didn't secure childcare and now say they can't go back in person.

maybe they should also be mad that there's a lot of shortages of daycare spaces at the moment due to reduce staffing and a lot of people weren't able to secure spots specially at the last minute?

And you think there wasn't a shortage of care providers for elementary aged children when schools decided to stay closed in August?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is the childcare leave people are talking about. Parents have been unable to work because teachers aren't back in person. Teachers and school districts have no sympathy- they said to hire childcare. And now teachers are saying they can't work because of daycare and childcare issues.

Yes, this.

Yes, the issue is teachers saying they can't work because they have kids at home. It's mindblowing.

"Parental leave" is generally related to birth or adoption of a newborn. Is that what OP is talking about? Because I don't see anyone in the schools debate talking about preventing people from taking leave related to a newborn.

+1

People are not mad that a teacher gave birth and wants to stay home and bond with their 5 week old. They are mad for the hypocritical reasons listed above- they have a 3 year old and didn't secure childcare and now say they can't go back in person.

maybe they should also be mad that there's a lot of shortages of daycare spaces at the moment due to reduce staffing and a lot of people weren't able to secure spots specially at the last minute?

Is this thread for real? Only a complete moron would try to equate women taking a few weeks of leave after giving birth with teachers now demanding money/leave for childcare during covid because they can't possibly work while having kids at home... after telling all the other parents that it's totally NBD having kids at home for the past year and that they should be able to look after kids all day and work just fine while teachers sit at home and collect full pay.

Surreal.

Since pandemic, we have paid daycare full price for a few months when childcare was closed, partial price for a few months to do virtual learning when daycare was opened only to essential personnel all for the reasons to secure our spots. Once daycare was opened to us, we put kids in immediately in person to secure our spots even though we have been working from home since pandemic & also worried about covid. We were concerned that we might get called in office in person to work one day without any childcare. We are still working from home as of now, and kids are in childcare in person.

School teachers should have thought of securing childcare all along these time because they should have known that they might have to come in person one day. School reopening hav3 been a hot topic since last year.

Where I live, there are not many daycares, some daycares are full of essential worker's kids only, or they are exorbitant in price. There literally are 2 daycares and 2 preschools, 1 that has been shut down for a while. There are a few home daycares but many of those are parents dealing with their own kids and taking in one or two. I looked for a bit at childcare options when my daughter's preschool closed but we just did a split shift at our house and made it work. I am not a teacher but return to work soon but my middle schooler will stay home until the end of April all on her own. I am trusting her to do all the right things. My preschooler will go back at the end of March when I go. Thank Grid I do not have a 4-8 yo as it would be a really tough time. Childcare is not easy to find.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just looked at the teachers' contract in the county I live in. It actually provides that teachers may be given a leave of absence, without pay, for up to two years for "child rearing." The leave being granted might be a matter of contract that is a benefit that teachers receive, but that other professions do not receive.

Does it say they can take it at any time? Anyway, I'm fine with it, particularly the "without pay" part.

Ditto. You've got a benefit that you are entitled to take. I haven't seen anyone mad about teachers taking benefits allowed to them.

Certainly does put the lie to the idea that teachers are the most put-upon profession. Good salaries, good benefits, 10 month employment, etc.

Perhaps posters here should step back, stop whining, and think why this is included in a teacher's contract.

Women go into the teaching profession, work a few years, get married and start having kids. They take maternity leave and when it's time to come back, ultimately decide they want to stay home with their child then go back to a job that is hard, stressful, and thankless. I know so many former teachers who did this. And they were all great teachers and are wonderful parents.

Contracts like the above help keep those women in the workforce, especially when there is a shortage. If parents want great teachers then these are the kind of benefits they need to demand for teachers. And if you want them for yourself, no one is stopping from making it happen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just looked at the teachers' contract in the county I live in. It actually provides that teachers may be given a leave of absence, without pay, for up to two years for "child rearing." The leave being granted might be a matter of contract that is a benefit that teachers receive, but that other professions do not receive.

So negotiate for it. We should have more options like unpaid leave.

And who would do the work when people take advantage of this unpaid leave? Just curious. It makes sense in teaching where someone can do the job and fill in for a year or two, but extended absences from the the workforce in other professions aren't as easy to address.

That would be specific to your employment Internet stranger. But we do have to push back in order to have the culture change. There should be more allowance for unpaid leave.

This isn't a problem an individual can solve by self-advocating at her own company (or even attempting to unionize). It needs to be a federal thing. For example, Canada (and multiple other first world countries) has long maternity / childcare leave of 18 months (not fully paid). Companies hire out these positions as long term temp maternity positions. Rather than the US style, where the whole team coasts along for a few months, picking up the most critical parts of the job throughout the team, while they wait for the new parent to return. It's not as ideal for the company, but it is not unsolvable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is the childcare leave people are talking about. Parents have been unable to work because teachers aren't back in person. Teachers and school districts have no sympathy- they said to hire childcare. And now teachers are saying they can't work because of daycare and childcare issues.

Yes, this.

Teachers had to hire childcare this whole time too. What did you think was happening?

Well, I know many who worked from home with their kids there, like a lot of people who couldn’t afford childcare or couldn’t find childcare that could assist with DL.

But also: then what is the OP on about? She’s suddenly having to get child care, it seems, which she didn’t before. And she’s a teacher.

It sounds like she's upset that the school told her she couldn't use FMLA simply to avoid exposure, rather than to specifically care for a family member with a serious health condition.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is the childcare leave people are talking about. Parents have been unable to work because teachers aren't back in person. Teachers and school districts have no sympathy- they said to hire childcare. And now teachers are saying they can't work because of daycare and childcare issues.

Yes, this.

Teachers had to hire childcare this whole time too. What did you think was happening?

Well, I know many who worked from home with their kids there, like a lot of people who couldn’t afford childcare or couldn’t find childcare that could assist with DL.

But also: then what is the OP on about? She’s suddenly having to get child care, it seems, which she didn’t before. And she’s a teacher.

Anonymous wrote:Can I ask. Is this a troll post?

This has to be

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is the childcare leave people are talking about. Parents have been unable to work because teachers aren't back in person. Teachers and school districts have no sympathy- they said to hire childcare. And now teachers are saying they can't work because of daycare and childcare issues.

Yes, this.

Teachers had to hire childcare this whole time too. What did you think was happening?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just looked at the teachers' contract in the county I live in. It actually provides that teachers may be given a leave of absence, without pay, for up to two years for "child rearing." The leave being granted might be a matter of contract that is a benefit that teachers receive, but that other professions do not receive.

So negotiate for it. We should have more options like unpaid leave.

And who would do the work when people take advantage of this unpaid leave? Just curious. It makes sense in teaching where someone can do the job and fill in for a year or two, but extended absences from the the workforce in other professions aren't as easy to address.

FMLA in the US covers employers with over 50 employees. Really regardless of size, but particularly as you move beyond tiny operations, businesses should not be completely reliant on any single employee. After all, any number of reasons could lead to that employee not working.

Have you really never seen what happens when someone goes on FMLA? Work gets reassigned. Temporary workers, or PRN workers, might fill in gaps, particularly for shift jobs. Non-critical tasks across the organization might get delayed. Yes, there may be a financial impact on the business, but a business would have to be in a pretty poor place for that to jeopardize the business as a whole.

Also, think about what would happen if there wasn't FMLA. Many people in the situation where FMLA can be invoked would instead be forced to quit. Then that temporary loss of a worker could become a permanent loss. Perhaps in some cases it might be less disruptive to hire someone new on a permanent basis rather than go through two employee transitions, but there are many, many cases where it is far better to be able to retain and bring back that original employee.

And, of course, that's in addition to the general notion of not treating people like crap.