Maternity leave is an ongoing problem in the United States. 40% of women do not even qualify for FMLA which protects their job for up to 12 weeks. Imagine not being able to keep your job because you had a child. Only 12% of women in a private sector have any sort of access to paid maternity leave. Twenty-five percent of women are forced to return to work within two weeks of having their child. Paid maternity leave is guaranteed in 178 other countries and the United States is not one of them. 

This has to change. 

I know affecting the federal maternity leave policy is unlikely. What I would like to affect is the Columbus City Schools maternity leave policy. With a profession that is 75% women in the state of Ohio, it is saddening to see that we do not have more in place to help our fellow teachers. 

Please sign the petition so we can make a change. 

Proposals to Change Maternity Leave for Columbus City Schools

1. Teachers should receive a minimum of 30 paid school days of maternity leave. 
2. Teachers should be allowed to use additional sick days or personal days if they need to cover days past the 30 paid school days. 
3. Other teachers should be allowed to donate sick days to parental leave