As a full-time public school teacher and single mother, I am grateful for my paid sick days. But day after day, I see my own students struggle through a school day when they should be home in bed sick, not at a school desk, but their parents must be at work, because they don’t have paid sick days. We are also talking about a serious public health issue as well –– flu viruses spreading rampantly when sick employees have to go to work sick and sick kids come to school because their parents have no other choice.