Outrage as US teacher forced to pay for substitute

LOS ANGELES: Parents at an elementary school in San Francisco have expressed outrage after learning that a teacher suffering from cancer and on sick leave is having to pay the school district for her substitute.

The teacher at Glen Park Elementary is off sick with breast cancer for the rest of the year, and has been paying nearly US$200 (RM820) a day for her replacement, in accordance with state

law, local news reports said.

“Parents were outraged and incredulous — like, this can’t be,” Amanda Fried, who has a daughter in kindergarten and another in third grade, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

“This is not unique to San Francisco. This is not a district-only rule,” said Laura Dudnick, a school district spokesman.

Dudnick explained that teachers in the district get 10 days of sick leave a year and can carry over those sick days year after year if they don’t use them.

Once those sick days are exhausted, teachers are then eligible for 100 days of extended sick leave, during which they are entitled to their full pay, minus the cost of a substitute.

On learning about the littleknown provision in the state’s education code, horrified parents last month began raising money for the popular teacher.

A GoFundMe campaign has raised nearly US$14,000 and some of the children are planning bake sales to raise more funds.

“I just feel sad that from what I heard, she is a very good teacher and I just feel sad what’s going on (with) her,” said Narciso FloresDiaz, a parent.

“Our school is pulling together to help her and to make her feel that she’s not alone.”

The GoFundMe page says parents are supporting the 17-year veteran teacher as “she has nurtured our children and now it is time for us to take care of her”.

“Just a few days after her surgery, she took the time to write out 22 personalised notes to the students in the class thanking them for support, telling them she missed them dearly and encouraging them to continue working hard,” the campaign said.