I got the jury duty notice to call or check website at 5 the day before (actually Friday, for Monday service) and it says no jurors needed for 9:00 am, but to call between 11 and 12 Monday. Now I don't know if I should put in for a sub. I left my classroom all ready for one, but I don't really want to be absent so soon in the year. I'd rather just work, but would I need to leave school mid-day? Any of you have experience with being told to report in the afternoon?
My P has told us to tell the city that we teach for BCPS and they will allow us to postpone; she doesn't like people using jury duty as a reason to be absent. You might want to call the Court on Monday morning to see if you can postpone, but I guess you should let your Admin know this weekend about this.
That seems like a ridiculous system. I would have notified my principal in advance and ask for his/her opinion.
And for the record, I'm all for postponing jury duty to avoid serving during the first week of classes. But I won't postpone so I can serve during my school breaks. ESPECIALLY if my principal tells me to!
I'll add that in our system, there are two rounds of jury duty. Some people get called for the morning session, and other people get called for the afternoon session. You have to call an automated system within a couple of weeks before your service date and it will tell you when you need to report. Either way, teachers are excused for the whole day, because most of the school day will be taken up with jury duty even if it's just a half-day on a regular 9-5 courthouse schedule, if that makes sense.
I guess I'd put in for a sub just in case. The last time I had to report I knew the night before. I think I'd be pretty annoyed if I didn't know until halfway through the day. I actually got a letter in June but put in for a postponement so they will be bugging me again in December I think.
A bit of a tangent, but I'd be a bit bothered by this attitude. I get it, but "using jury duty as a reason to be absent" is perfectly legitimate and not to mention it's illegal to punish an employee or not allow them to take time off for jury duty...this seems on the verge to me (of course I don't know the attitude/expression behind it, but still).
It's too late to postpone it, and I wouldn't object to serving it, I'm just having trouble with the middle of the day part. This happened to me once before--I checked the previous day, was told to call in at 11, so I got a sub and stayed home but then when I called at 11, I was told I wasn't needed. The district paid for the sub and I felt a little guilty!
I would just get the sub. Getting one and not needing it is better than going to school and then realizing you need to leave in the middle of the day.
We used to get "Jury Duty Days" that paid us and covered the substitute without a raised eyebrow. We still have that available, but they push us to schedule our jury duty during OUR summer vacation. They'll even call the court and tell them that we're "Indispensable" (which certainly isn't how they treat us....we're just that when it directly benefits the district itself.). If that doesn't work THEN and only then will they apply the "Jury Duty Days."
