Jerry Cammarata was the first male teacher in the history of the New York City Board of Education to be granted paternity leave. I talk with Jerry about why he did it, what he learned, and what other men can get out of gaining more valuable time with their infant children. We’ll also talk about the reissue of Jerry’s book, The Fun Book of Fatherhood, A Paternity Leave Dad, Tale of a Pioneer, originally published in 1974.

Paternity leave is common around the world - but still, not so much in the US. In the 1970s, Jerry’s move blazed a trail for men. There were no human resources mechanisms in place, no procedures, and Jerry’s four-year leave was unpaid.