When TRAF has completed a variance run for your School Division, we will advise you that there is a variance batch in Mocha for you to edit and approve. The Batch Type will indicate “Variance” and you can enter the batch using an “x” just the same way as you currently enter a Contribution batch.

There are various options for viewing data in the batch such as Display by Surname, Display by SIN, etc. Generally, the option you will most likely start with is Option (5) Display SD-Unapproved Teachers. Each teacher that you see in this option has to be reviewed, changes made if necessary to their record(s), and then the teacher must be approved. All teachers in Option 5 must be approved before the batch can be finalized.

Remember when Reviewing Information:

• Several school years may be displayed on the screen; however, you may be asked to only review certain periods. The information is grouped in years according to the retro periods.
• When checking to see if the salary is correct, keep in mind that retros may have been applied to the salaries, so it is the “after retro” salaries that we require.
• When checking the information, be sure to indicate what the information should be as there are often adjustments made at a later date.
  
  For example:  A teacher may have a contractual salary of $50,000 reported in the fall term. In March it is discovered that their classification increased retroactively to October. In this case, you must ensure that the September days are reported at the lower rate, and the October to March days are reported at the higher rate.
  
  
• Records that have the same salary/FTE in a particular term “merge” together in the TRAF system. Whenever there is a change in salary or POS, a new record is created.
  
  For example:  If a teacher worked from September 5, 2007 to November 10, 2007 at .50 and then increased to full-time effective November 13, 2007 they would have two records for that term. The first record would be dated 2007/11 and would include all the days from September 5 to November 10 that were at .50, and the next record would be dated 2007/12 and would include the days worked from November 13 to December 22, 2007 that were at full-time. Similarly, if a teacher's salary changed during the term there will be 2 records for that term.

Procedures for Editing and Approving Variance Batch:

• Select the variance batch with an “x”, and then enter Option (5) Display SD-Unapproved Teachers.
• Choose F8 to bring up teacher's information one at a time or enter an “x” on any line to go into their record(s).
• TRAF has entered a memo which will display at the bottom of the screen which will indicate the period(s) that need to be reviewed.
• If the information needs to be changed, enter a “C” at the beginning of the record to make the necessary changes. Two lines will be displayed. The first line is the information we have in records. The second line is the line where the changes will be made. Tab to the field that needs correcting; make the necessary change, and F7 to update. The corrected information will be displayed under the original line as “CHG—NEW” and the changed line will be highlighted.
• If a record needs to be split, entering an “S” at the beginning of the record will bring up the split screen. Changes can be made here in the same way as you would split a record in a contribution batch. Similar to the “Change” function, after you F7 to update the record will show “SPLT-CHG” and “SPLT-ADD”. The difference will also be displayed as “SPLT-DIFF”.
• If you would like to add a memo to let TRAF know something, F14 will take you to the memo screen. Enter F7 and the memo screen will pop up. Enter the memo and press F7 to add. F12 to get back to the teacher's record.

• Once the information displayed is correct, F7 to give the record your SD Approved “stamp”. Follow the same process as above until all teachers have been SD Approved.
• Once all records are approved, entering Option 31 will let you approve the batch. Send us a quick e-mail to let us know you have approved your variance batch, and then we will begin the process of checking the information and finalizing the batch.