+  I spent an illuminating weekend at the California Teachers Association's Equity and Human Rights Conference in Los Angeles. EIA's eyewitness report has already been disseminated to California readers, but if those of you in other states have an interest in how CTA will be fighting payroll protection and English immersion initiatives in June, send an e-mail reply for the report. 

+  Copies of EIA's report, "One Yard Below: Education Statistics from a Different Angle," are sailing out of here as fast as they can be packed and shipped. Among the multitudes of you who requested a copy were 35 daily newspaper reporters from 23 states. Please keep an eye open for press coverage. Copies are still available (free!) for those of you who would like one. 

+  Major news from Washington state is the settlement of the Attorney General's charges against the Washington Education Association and NEA. All charges against the union were dropped in exchange for $20,000 in attorney and legal fees, an $80,000 fine for reporting violations ($37,000 will be paid by NEA for its violations), and a $330,000 reimbursement to teachers. The $430,000 settlement amounts to the largest penalty in state history. 

Different players had wildly different reactions to the settlement. "The settlement bears out what we've been saying all along, that WEA never intentionally violated any law," read the WEA statement. 

"[WEA] denied voters their right to a complete and accurate disclosure of the union's campaign funding activities," said Attorney General Christine Gregoire. 

But the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, whose yeoman work uncovered all these violations, is angry and disappointed. "The penalties, which sound steep at $430,000, do not make up for the fact that the decision guts the intent of campaign finance law in our state," said EFF President Bob Williams. EFF's own lawsuit against WEA was unaffected by the settlement. "Our legal action may provide the only opportunity for the court to correct the reinterpretation of the law by the Public Disclosure Commission and the Attorney General," said Williams. 
 
+  Misuse of education spending may have hit its extreme in Chicago. Reports in the Chicago Sun-Times and the findings of a state legislative committee indicate that as much as $1 million in state funds for low- income Clemente High School students may have been directed to the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional Puertoriqueño (MLN), reportedly the political arm of terrorist FALN Puerto Rican independence movement. According to state witness Rafael Marrero, MLN's agenda "was to take over the local school council, control the hiring of the school principal and take over the Chapter 1 funds." The money was used to underwrite fund-raisers and political events to free convicted FALN terrorists. 

+  The EIA communiqué of Feb. 16 noted that the NEA local affiliates who are pioneering "new unionism" tended to be those who represent teachers in high-paying districts. An examination of NEA membership statistics also reveals that they tend to be among the largest locals in the country. Four locals known for innovative contracts and programs (Montgomery County EA in Maryland, Columbus EA in Ohio, Pinellas County TA in Florida, and Seattle in EA in Washington) are in top 15 (of 12,000 locals) in total membership. 

+  Speaking of new unionism, remember NEA President Bob Chase citing the Saturn-UAW contract as a model of new unionism, and leading a pack of teacher union officials to Spring Hill, Tennessee for the factory tour? Well, tomorrow and Wednesday those happy, laughing, dancing auto workers will vote on whether to ask General Motors to jettison their collaborative contract in favor of a more traditional contract. Why the discontent? Saturn's sales are plunging and, unlike school districts, auto makers are ruled by market forces. Workers are concerned that layoffs may soon follow. Unlike traditional UAW contracts, the Saturn contract contains no explicit protections for laid-off workers. The vote is expected to be close. 

+  David Denholm, president of the Public Service Research Foundation, called to let EIA know that of the top ten education schools ranked by U.S. News & World Report, only one is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). So why is there such a big move to require all schools of education to obtain NCATE credentials? 

+  Quotes of the Week: "When education is not public, we no longer have the ability to control what is taught and what is not taught." — Lee Berg, of NEA's Center for the Revitalization of Urban Education. 

"We are not going to use the word ‘union'." — NEA's Victor DeLeon, describing union strategy for defeating California's payroll protection initiative. 

"Don't even try to defend bilingual education." — David Sanchez, member of the CTA board of directors, describing union strategy for defeating the English for the Children initiative. 

"We can't win a debate about the virtues of bilingual education." — Richie Ross, campaign manager for the anti-immersion coalition. 

"It's the people who have the most free time in our society who get the most legislation passed." — unidentified representative of the California Association for Bilingual Education.