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The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board recently approved a resolution to enhance support for teachers who are parents. This move aims to address the gap in California's paid family leave benefits, which currently do not extend to teachers. Many educators in the state have historically planned pregnancies to coincide with summer breaks due to the lack of paid leave.
The resolution, titled "Parental Package: LAUSD as an Equitable Employer of Choice for Thriving Families," seeks to make LAUSD an attractive employer for teachers by providing comprehensive support throughout various stages of parenthood. It covers family planning, pregnancy, parental leave, and childcare, aiming to boost employee retention in a predominantly female workforce.
During the board meeting, several teachers and community members expressed their struggles with the existing parental support system. Board member Ortiz Franklin, who introduced the resolution alongside Karla Griego and Kelly Gonez, emphasized the importance of supporting staff to ensure high student achievement. "We have a big vision in this district for our kids to achieve at really high levels," Franklin said. "And we know that our staff needs to be well to be able to do that — and this is going to support them in their journey, to support our kids."
According to EdSource, the resolution aims to position LAUSD as a model for other districts nationwide. Past efforts to provide paid leave for teachers at the state level have been vetoed, making this district-level initiative particularly significant.