Erika Musgrove
Special Education Teacher, East Baton Rouge

I’m a Louisiana teacher. I don’t believe I should have had to choose between my baby and my paycheck.

Last August, I gave birth to my youngest son, Matthew. He arrived four weeks early. I held him only for a brief moment before nurses rushed him to the NICU.

It should have been a time when I could focus fully on my baby, his health, and our family. Instead, like too many teachers in Louisiana, I was forced to think almost immediately about finances, leave time, and how soon I would have to go back to work.

I am a special education teacher in East Baton Rouge. I care for children every day. I believe deeply in what I do. But when I had my own child, the system did not care for me the same way. My school district, like many in Louisiana, does not offer fully paid parental leave. That meant the 12 weeks I spent at home with my son cost me more than $4,000 in lost wages. Even under the current system, which allows teachers to take extended sick leave at partial pay, the financial hit was burdensome. And the stress did not end there.

My husband and I struggled with decisions about daycare for Matthew. He was still so tiny that his daycare teachers even noted he seemed too little and young to be away from me and in their care. At the same time, I was dealing with the physical toll from birth and the pressure of knowing I would have to return to work before I felt ready. There was so much stress trying to make sure my baby would be okay.

No parent should have to go through that. And no teacher should have to choose between being there for a newborn and earning a paycheck, but that is exactly what many teachers in Louisiana face.

Most of us get 10 leave days each year. We are required to expend those days first. After that, many of us have to accept reduced pay or take unpaid time. Some teachers spend years saving every sick day in case they want to have a child. Some take out disability insurance. Some depend on coworkers to donate leave days. We piece together whatever we can and hope it is enough. That is not a real solution.

I was fortunate that coworkers donated over 10 of their own unused sick days so I could stay home with Matthew through Thanksgiving break. Their kindness and generosity gave me more time with my son when I needed it most. I will always be grateful. But teachers should not have to rely on the generosity of other teachers to recover from childbirth and care for a new baby. That should be something our state values enough to support.

What made it even harder was knowing that while I was on leave, I still felt obligated to do parts of my job. Because he was premature, I left before I felt that my classroom or materials were ready. I knew that while I was out a backlog of lesson plans, student paperwork, and student progress report and data collection grew. I remember feeling that if I spent time doing anything work-related, I was violating my leave policy and wasting the little time I had with my baby. But if I did not do it, I felt like I was falling behind. It felt like I was failing no matter what decision I made. We hear a lot about how much teachers matter. We hear that Louisiana wants to recruit and retain educators.

We hear leaders talk about supporting families. But support has to be more than words. It has to show up in policy.

Right now, Louisiana is behind other states. Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and others now offer some form of paid family leave for educators. Meanwhile, teachers here are still patching together sick days, partial pay, and unpaid leave during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.

When teachers feel unsupported, some start thinking about leaving the profession. I did. Others may leave Louisiana for states that offer better support. At a time when our state is already struggling with teacher shortages, that should concern all of us.

Paid parental leave is not a luxury. It is not asking for special treatment. It is a practical way to support teachers, families, and children. It gives parents time to recover, bond with a newborn, and handle the realities of early parenthood without being pushed into financial strain. It tells teachers that the work they do matters and that their families matter, too.

We care for other people’s children every day. We should not be forced to sacrifice our own families to keep doing that work.

If Louisiana truly values teachers and wants us to stay, then it is time to give us the support we deserve when our own children need us most