Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1518807
" I A M C U R R E N T L Y P R E G N A N T with my first child. Rather than being excited, my husband and I are trying to plan how to pay our bills and make sure we have food on the table even though I have a great job and benefits," says speech language pathologist Ashley ompson, a mem- ber of Menifee Teachers Association. "My child deserves a mom who is present, not one concerned about returning to work as soon as possible so I can receive my full pay." Countless educators in our union can relate to this story or a similar version of it. e lack of paid pregnancy leave for public school and community college employees has impacted generations of educators, deepening the widely documented gender wage gap well into retirement. With the backdrop of reproductive rights under attack across th e nation , CTA m emb ers are ri sing up togeth er to demand change. CTA's historic sponsored legislation — AB 2901 (Agu- iar-Curry) — will provide 14 weeks of paid pregnancy leave to educators and finally end the long-standing practice that unjustly punishes teachers for having children. e change is long overdue in a public education system where three-quarters of educators are women. In mid-March, the hallways of the State Capitol were filled with educators, as CTA members met with elected CTA members advocate to end long-standing inequity By Julian Peeples Pregnancy Leave for Educators PAID CTA board members, local presidents and members at the State Capitol during a two-day visit to legislators' offices, seeking support for AB 2901. Top row, from left: Chris Bushee, Paula Kondratko, Greg Abt, Gina Whipple, Shelly Gupton, Jesse Aguilar, Juleus Chapman, Robert Ellis, Wendy Brill-Wynkoop. Second row: Sherrie Starkie, Renata Sanchez, Sesar Carreno, Rachel Merino-Ott, MaryKay Scheid, Miska Pearson, Wendy Eccles, Charles Jones. Front row: Eva Ruiz, Susan Abt, Renee Pena, Luciano Ortiz, Mayra Alvarado, JoAnne Johnsen, Angela Der Ramos, Grant Schuster, Marina Santos. 20 cta.org Feature