Teachers lack paid parental leave; two states lead

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free weekly newsletter to keep up with how education is changing across the U.S. Lori Sebastian had saved up years worth of sick days when she had her first baby in 2016. Her careful planning allowed the Delaware third-grade teacher to spend time with her newborn and still pay the bills. But after her husband Colin became a stay-at-home dad — the cost of child care would have eaten up his entire paycheck — the couple wondered how they could afford a second child. They had become dependent on Lori Sebastian’s income, and she no longer had a large bank of sick days. Without paid parental leave, they didn’t know how they would pay the bills. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Delaware were considering a paid leave bill, but their original version excluded teachers due to cost concerns. Sebastian joined other teachers from the Delaware State Education Association, the teachers union, to share their experiences and make the case to lawmakers that paid leave was an investment