When they became moms, these teachers were left with few options. Some quit.

Josette Cordell, 33, gave birth to her daughter Colette in April of 2023.

As an elementary school music teacher, she didn't have access to paid maternity leave. She used about a month's worth of sick days after Colette was born, and then took two weeks of unpaid leave in May before summer break kicked in.

"I used all of my sick days," Cordell said. "When I came back the next August, I didn't have any days that transferred over. I had to start over."

Cordell lives in Arkansas. Until recently, Arkansas was like most states in the United States and did not guarantee paid parental leave for teachers. In fact, only 15 states and Washington, DC require districts to offer paid parental leave for educators, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Washington.

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