(BBC)
A San Francisco teacher on extended sick leave due to breast cancer has had to pay for her own substitute, sparking a nationwide outcry over the policy.
The average cost for a substitute in the city is $200 (£150) per day, which gets deducted from the sick teacher's salary, thanks to a 1976 state law.
Parents have responded by raising over $13,000 to help the teacher pay her medical bills, local media report.
Lawmakers and the city teacher's union are now considering changing the rule.
The Glen Park primary school teacher battling cancer has asked not to be named to protect her privacy.
Local parents were shocked to learn of the law when the well-loved teacher fell ill.
"Parents were outraged and incredulous - like, this can't be, there must be some mistake," Amanda Fried, whose children go to the Glen Park School, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Ms Fried added that the school's other teachers were unsurprised by the situation. Read more