Each time a teacher leaves, it can cost a school district an estimated $9,000. "I say you can't afford not to give teachers paid parental leave," Peske said.

A 2022 National Council on Teacher Quality analysis of 148 large districts across the nation in 2022 found that just 18 percent provided full or partially paid parental leave of some kind.

The time has come for Kentucky to embrace paid parental leave as fundamental, rather than a luxury. In 2019, President Trump signed into law 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees.

Paid leave during the first year is essential for bonding and parental identity development, and in the U.S., we need to come a long way in our leave policies for new parents.