Lawmakers Hear Calls to Extend Paid Family and Medical Leave to Educators and Other Public Employees

Teachers, school staff and labor leaders urged the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development on the unequal application of Massachusetts’ paid family and medical leave program and asked the committee to extend eligibility to educators and other public employees. Testimony came from teachers, union officials and several legislators who said the current exclusion creates financial and career penalties, especially for early‑career educators and those with medical needs.

Committee members heard that Massachusetts’ PFML program, enacted in 2018 and active since 2021, provides weeks of paid, job‑protected leave for many private‑sector and state employees, but that local municipal and many public school employees are largely excluded because municipalities have not been required to participate. The Massachusetts Teachers Association and local union representatives said the result is inconsistent access: some districts have negotiated paid leave while many do not, leaving educators to “save up” sick days or take unpaid leave.

Those testifying described real examples. Kelly Powers, a Duxbury public school teacher, said her family’s experience with…