Paycheck Fail

As many teachers who do not have direct deposit in DCPS are aware, our checks were not put in the mail last week and were instead delivered to our schools at the end of the day on Friday. We were all alerted to this fact via an email sent out on Thursday of last week. The email starts thusly:

"You are receiving this email because our records show that you have failed
to sign up for direct deposit and currently receive a paper check for your
payroll. Due to the inclement weather and resulting District closure for
business, payroll checks for Friday, February 12, 2010 (Group 2) did not
print on Wednesday and subsequently did not get to the US Post Office."

Now, I have no problem with the fact that the checks were not put in the mail. Snowly Cow (as I've taken to calling it) was a hardcore storm, and record snowfall means that some things just don't work perfectly. I get it, and I have no complaints. I was able to get my paycheck this morning, and all is well.

Some of you may be wondering, "Harry, why didn't you just sign up for direct deposit? It's so easy." Well, reader, allow me to tell you. When I first began working DCPS, signing up for direct deposit involved going to the bank, having something notarized, and physically bringing it down to 825. It was a major hassle -- a hassle I nevertheless endured because I wanted direct deposit. 825, in turn, mis-handled my paperwork. I never got direct deposit, but my paychecks stopped coming. I dealt with this issue, which took multiple weeks to get resolved, and determined that I would simply cash my own checks, thankyouverymuch.

So now I come to the main point of this post: I did not FAIL to sign up for direct deposit, DCPS did. How, in comparison to that, can I be said to have "failed" to do anything? Let me reiterate -- I have no problem with the delay in getting my paycheck. Snow happens. I bristle only at the assertion that this inconvenience resulted from my personal failure.

You'll all be relieved, I'm sure, to learn that I have just this moment signed up for direct deposit using the new PeopleSoft online program. It was, indeed, quite easy. Now we just have to see if it works...

Harry Potter and the Robocall of Fury!

I've kind of been M.I.A. from this blog for a little while, but I couldn't let George Parker's Robodrama call tonight pass without giving it appropriate mockery. Did he not call anyone before sending that out? In case anyone is not aware, schools are closed tomorrow, a decision that was announced after initially declaring a two-hour delay. But this didn't stop Parker from sending out a robocall with belligerently inaccurate information. My personal favorite part was this little monument to run-on sentences:

"To all teachers who feel the mayor's decision not to close schools is ridiculous, I encourage you to put your safety first by staying home and calling in to your school to let them know you won't be in because you have the right to take leave and put your safety first."

Oh well. Can't be too pissed -- snow day!

UPDATE: Apparently we can be too pissed.

Somehow, commenters have interpreted my post as meaning that I don't think schools should be closed today. I do. It's too dangerous to get to school, and many teachers and students are still snowed in their homes. Schools should be closed. Schools are closed, so I'm not mad.

I wrote what I wrote because I thought the robocall from George Parker was ridiculous -- especially considering the fact that I received it more than an hour after I learned that schools were closed. I agree with his point -- schools should be (and are) closed today. But an angry call to action sounds silly once the other side has capitulated. If you'd like to be furious at Michelle Rhee for keeping schools open (which, incidentally, she didn't), then have at it. Personally, I'm going sledding.