Q: Where is the section in the contract for maternity leave?
A: There is not a specific maternity leave. This leave is handled as a combination of sick leave and family medical leave.
Q: How long can I take for maternity leave?
A: You are allowed to take up to 12 weeks in a school year for maternity leave. While this leave is limited to 12 weeks, most doctors recommend 6 weeks for a normal delivery and 8 weeks for a caesarian.
Q: Will I get paid while on maternity leave?
A: Yes, provided that you have accumulated enough sick days to be eligible for a paid leave. If you should exhaust your sick days, your remaining leave will be unpaid unless you are eligible to borrow from sick bank.
Q: Can I borrow from sick bank in order to have more paid days?
A: You are eligible for sick bank after all your accumulated days have been exhausted. If you are a first year teacher, you are only allowed one day; if you are a second year teacher, you are only allowed two days. All other teachers may apply to use the sick bank for a total of 180 days over the lifetime of your career. Sick bank can only be used for yourself, not the baby. See the sick bank bylaws on p. 142 of the contract.
PLEASE NOTE- Even if you think that you have enough days, you might want to apply for sick bank days before your maternity leave, just in case of some unforeseeable event.
Q: What if I need to take time off before my baby is born for medical purposes?
A: Days that are taken off before the birth of a child will be counted against your sick days.
Q: What if I need to take off more time following the birth of my child for his/her illness?
A: Once the child is born, any time that you take off will fall under the family medical leave for the child’s illness. You will have 12 weeks total for time off including any sick leave prior to the birth, postpartum leave, and any leave for the child’s illness.
Q: Will I have health insurance while I am on maternity leave?
A: If your leave is paid, yes. If your leave is unpaid, you will have group benefits for a total of 12 weeks.
Q: Who do I have to notify?
A: You have to give the district personnel office and your principal reasonable notice, usually greater than 30 days. This must include the substantiation of your eligibility for leave.