33-7. FMLA Leave

Bargaining unit employees who have been employed for at least twelve months and who have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours of service during the previous twelve-month period shall be entitled to unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as set forth in Appendix G.

33-7.1. Parental Leave. 

  1. A teacher may request leave for the purpose of caring for his or her newborn child. Maternity leave benefits are provided through the short-term disability plan. Paternity leave benefits shall be established and modeled after the City of Chicago’s paternity leave plan and shall be incorporated into this Agreement.
  2. In case of absence exceeding ten consecutive school days due to the birth of his or her child or adoption of his or her child less than five years of age, a teacher, including a domestic partner, may apply for and secure child-rearing leave by filing a written application. The Chief Executive Officer shall have the authority, subject to the approval of the BOARD, to grant child-rearing leave. A child-rearing leave taken subsequent to the effective date of this Agreement shall be for a period of not more than four years from the date on which such leave becomes effective. Continuous child-rearing leaves shall not exceed eight years. The teacher’s position shall be held open during the first period of ten successive school months of child-rearing leave or to the end of the semester immediately following said ten months upon the written request of the teacher for such extension, subject to the approval of the BOARD. Upon the expiration of such period of time, if the teacher thereafter does not return, the teacher’s position shall be declared vacant, provided, however, that upon reporting for duty at the expiration of the child-rearing leave, the teacher shall be eligible for immediate assignment. Child-rearing leave may be terminated before the expiration of ten successive school months upon the written request of the teacher.
  3. PSRP Parental Leave. PSRPs may take a parental leave of up to five school months provided that they are eligible for a parental leave under the BOARD’s policies on family and medical leaves. PSRPs’ benefits shall be maintained in accordance with Board Rule 4-12.

33-7.2.

The provisions of Board Rule 4-12 pertaining to adoption shall be amended to provide that teachers shall be eligible to apply for child-rearing leave if they accept for adoption a child less than five years of age

33-7.3.

A teacher on child-rearing leave may be permitted to serve as a day-to-day substitute at the daily rate paid such a teacher, except when a teacher granted such a leave shall be eligible for sick pay

A teacher so employed as a day-to-day substitute will not be permitted to count such employment to extend the leave nor for purposes of salary adjustment.