As students, we frequently struggle with finding a balance between school and our personal lives, yet we’re not the only ones with this problem. The teachers that make our learning at school possible also have families of their own and other individual obligations which require attention and time away from work. However, ICSD teachers are not properly supported for these responsibilities outside of school as they receive no pay for extended personal leaves of absence. The personal leave of absence provided by ICSD is simply not enough for our teachers to maintain a healthy relationship between their professional and personal lives, which also negatively affects students’ educational quality. In order to create a healthy teaching and learning environment in ICSD, teachers need to be compensated during their personal days off.
Personal leaves of absence for teachers are when they take time away from school for reasons that concern their life outside of work, including parental and family obligations, cultural activities, and medical issues. Teachers accumulate a total of fifteen “sick days” throughout the school year that come with paid leave. They are also given three paid personal leaves of absence per year, each being one day long. United States law does not require school districts to provide paid parental leave to teachers—this decision is left up to individual states. The New York Family Medical Leave Act ensures residents of New York State to twelve weeks of paid maternity leave, but allows exemptions for government employees; ICSD decided to opt out. The ICSD Teachers Contract dictates that if a teacher wishes to take a “Child Bearing and/or Rearing Leave” and be paid during this absence, they are required to use their limited sick days—and even then, for only up to thirty days. If a teacher were to take additional time beyond the thirty sick days, that time would go unpaid. However, these thirty days only apply to the parent who gives birth—other caregivers are restricted to taking only fifteen sick days during this time. The period of time provided by ICSD is not nearly enough for a parent to spend with their child, but exceeding it would mean losing health insurance and pay, making it unmanageable to take any unpaid days off. Elizabeth Crawford, an English teacher at IHS, told The Tattler, “When I had Elwood, I used most of a decade’s worth of accumulated sick time for my leave. Thirty school days is not enough time for an infant to spend with their mother, but my family was unable to financially afford the loss of income that more time would have necessitated … [My family] can’t manage without my paycheck or my health insurance and I don’t have sufficient savings to manage an unpaid leave.”
Without enough sick days saved, the absence of financial support during parental leave places both mental and physical strain on teachers and potentially forces them to return to work prematurely. Teachers may also feel burnt out or stressed, leading to reduced productivity and ability to provide engaging lessons. Furthermore, returning to a work environment too soon also applies significant physical strain on an individual. Those who give birth generally require six to eight weeks of recovery, but an unavoidable early return leads to fatigue and exhaustion. The demands of work exacerbate physical discomfort and delay the healing process. This poses a safety risk for new parents and also limits their ability to care for their child. Since a parent who did not give birth can only take fifteen days of paid parental leaves, they’re unable to adequately care for their child and support the other caregiver. Matthew Fellman, a physics teacher at IHS and a representative for the Ithaca Teachers Association, recently took time off for parental care and stated, “children need care, and saddling the birth parent with this contract benefit option reduces the opportunity for non-birth parents to participate in the care of their child.” ICSD prides itself on diversity and inclusion, but limiting this right to parenthood to the parent who gave birth is a backwards policy based on a sex distinction.
Unpaid parental leave is not the only instance in which teachers are not being supported financially. ICSD educators also lack adequate compensation during extended medical absences. If a teacher has caught the flu or has a fever, they generally use a sick day or two. In contrast, if they contract a virus or require surgery for a health-related issue, teachers can take an extended leave of absence from the school. Such medical issues usually last for a longer period of time, and—similarly to parental leaves—will use up teachers’ limited sick days if they wish to receive compensation during their time out. Medical bills and anxiety about finances force teachers to continue working earlier than expected, which can worsen any medical conditions and pose a physical challenge. Teachers may take less time off for an illness or not use any sick days at all due to the few paid sick days allowed. This can cause teachers to not be their best self in the classroom. Fellman stated, “almost all of the interviews I have conducted had teachers stating work-life balance in ICSD is a large challenge relative to other fields and districts … We feel like our [administration] wants us to be amazing teachers, but is not willing to pay and/or compensate us for doing so.”
There are several steps that can be taken to help relieve this burden on teachers. The Tattler Editorial Board recommends that at least six weeks of paid leave be extended to all new parents, whether or not they give birth. While the US does not require paid maternity and health benefits by law, other similarly wealthy countries including the Czech Republic, Italy, and Canada all mandate at least sixteen weeks of maternity leave by law for all workers, which may also be extended to either parent. These countries are able to recognize the responsibility of all parents in taking care of their new child, while providing extra time for workers to ease into the balance of having a family alongside their obligations in a professional environment. Although such policies can be financially straining for the district, it’s important that we work towards bringing more equitable support to teachers. For the parent giving birth, the minimum of six weeks would provide them the recommended time for recovery before returning to work, and providing this as paid time off would lessen the financial burden of giving birth. If the six weeks aren’t enough, extended parental leave should also be made available upon written application. With a longer paid parental leave, teachers are supported in the financial impact that a child brings, while ensuring that they are well rested and ready for the classroom.
Although our district has expanded their recognition of religious and cultural observances, the contract does not explicitly contain any provisions addressing leaves related to religious or cultural reasons. If a teacher wants to take time off of work for a religious holiday, they need to use up one of their three personal leaves granted per year or take a sick day. ICSD should respect different cultural and religious responsibilities by providing more personal leave days in addition to the three teachers currently have. These policies would not only provide financial support and ensure job security, but also nurture a growing educational environment for students while enhancing the well-being of educators, and therefore is an important goal to work towards.
Teaching is an important and rewarding job, but it shouldn’t be a hindrance to a personal life. Unpaid leaves affect not only the well-being of staff and their families, but also our educational system as a whole. When teachers return to school before they are ready, this negatively affects the quality of education that students receive. By recognizing the intrinsic value of educators and enacting policies that prioritize their welfare, we can foster an environment where teachers are empowered to provide their best to students without compromising their own physical, emotional, and financial health. Paid parental leave is a simple but impactful step that would allow teachers to nurture a balance between their families and careers, providing everyone with an improved educational experience.