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A teacher at Glen Park Elementary School in San Francisco is suffering from breast cancer due to this she will be out for the rest of the school year as she undergoes cancer treatment. Along with sky-high medical bills, the teacher will also have to pay for a substitute to take charge of the second-grade class.
The teacher, whose identity is not disclosed to protect her privacy, was diagnosed with breast cancer feeling exhausted in her sick days, according to a GoFundMe page set up for the woman. Now, she has to extend her leave time, the school announced to the teacher that she will have to bear the cost of a substitute deducted from her pay, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“Parents were outraged and incredulous — like, this can’t be,” Amanda Fried, whose daughter attends the school, told the Chronicle. “There must be some mistake.”
According to a very old policy stating that teachers who take leave for any physical injury or illness for five months have to pay the cost of a substitute pulled from their paychecks. Because teachers in the state don’t contribute to California’s disability insurance program, so they cannot take its benefits, according to the Chronicle. Substitute teachers can cost up to $240.26 a day.
The San Francisco Unified School District did not respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE, but spokesperson Laura Dudnick cleared to Buzzfeed News that the policy was not determined by the district.
“This is not unique to San Francisco,” Dudnick said. “It is in the [Education] Code. This is not a district-only rule.”
The policy is not new and around since the 70’s, it got highlighted since the Chronicle reported the teacher’s story and sparked outrage in the elementary school community.
“She’s an incredible teacher and that’s not fair. That’s crazy!” parent Elia Hernandez told KABC. Another parent, Abby Hipps, added: “She’s wonderful, she’s a beautiful lovely great teacher. She’s one of the best teachers. It’s terrible.”
A teacher shared her concern over this issue, telling KABC, “It makes me worry if that were to happen to me, I have to plan accordingly, and that’s not fair, you know.”
More than 130 people have donated $13,720 to the woman’s GoFundMe, exceeding its $10,000 goal.
“This will cover the cost of her substitute teacher for the rest of the school year, medical co-payments and deductibles, and additional lost income when her husband takes time off to care for [the teacher] and their two teenage children,” the page states, noting that the woman has undergone surgery and will have another before beginning standard cancer treatment.
“The students were deeply saddened to learn that Mrs. Ramirez would not return this academic year,” the campaign noted, “and they all promise to be on their best behavior for their substitute teacher.”
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