* NEA has created a "task force" to "coordinate the multiple levels of our response" to "right wing attacks." For those readers who may be new to teacher union-watching, NEA and its affiliates have various permanent departments, groups, task forces and cadres dedicated to investigating, infiltrating and reporting on "extremists," by which they mean opponents. If all the affiliates are taken into account, the budget for these activities runs into tens of millions of dollars. Here is a portion of a report from this particular board meeting:

"Many of these various attacks are being orchestrated nationally, by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, and the National Right to Work Foundation. There are also common funding sources: The Golden Rule Foundation, the Bradley Foundation and the Institute for the Study of Popular Culture."

* The board defeated a motion to poll all members regarding the proposed merger and affiliation with AFL-CIO.

* The board approved the expenditure of $500,000 from NEA’s contingency fund to assist the California Teachers Association in fighting the payroll protection initiative. Since CTA is flush with money (class size reduction led to a membership boom in California), a grant of this size so early in the campaign can only mean the unions will spend a record amount, if necessary, to defeat the measure.

* NEA is very concerned about growing African American support for school choice programs. Both NEA President Bob Chase and Vice President Reg Weaver have been crossing the country, meeting with African American politicians and community groups. One director reported the gist of Weaver’s report as "We must find ways to improve schools in urban areas or the disconnect with the black community will widen."

* NEA dues will rise by at least $3 next year. This planned increase will place the national portion of dues at $112. NEA projects the average teacher salary to exceed $40,000 this year.

+ Organized opposition to the NEA/AFT merger has yet to arise, though this may come from union staff rather than members. The biggest worry appears to be how the merger will affect staff contracts and seniority. Noises about AFT’s "equal partner" treatment have also been heard, because NEA outnumbers AFT by almost 3 to 1.

There is mostly silence about what state affiliates will do. The Minnesota affiliates of NEA and AFT have already merged. The Montana Education Association and the Montana Federation of Teachers just completed a draft constitution for a merged union and will vote on its governing structure in the next three months. On the other side, the West Virginia NEA and AFT affiliates are expressing doubt that they will ever merge.

+ Joseph Doherty, the Pennsylvania teacher charged with the indecent assault of a 12-year-old boy, resigned last week. The Avonworth Education Association, an NEA local affiliate, filed a grievance on Doherty’s behalf because the school installed a hidden camera in his room and captured the assault on videotape. "The reason for my resignation is not that I am guilty," said Doherty’s resignation letter, according to published reports. "I am satisfied that I did nothing illegal, immoral or wrong. I certainly contend that I never touched that student’s buttocks or genitalia during the course of the wrestling."

The Pennsylvania Education Association had contended that Doherty was innocent and was being targeted because of his union activities. Upon word of Doherty’s resignation, PSEA withdrew its grievance. "A union only represents employees," explained PSEA representative Arleen Richardson.

+ A survey conducted by UCLA and the American Council on Education concluded that the academic self-confidence of college freshmen outweighs their performance. A majority of freshmen reported their high school grades as B- or higher and rated themselves above average in academics. However, a majority also reported needing remedial course work in math, English, science and foreign languages.

+ In more news from the Aloha State, Principal Norma Barroga of Lanai High and Elementary School is suing Husted, HSTA President June Motokawa and four teachers for defamation. The HSTA charged that Barroga "had failed to honor grievance settlements, shared confidential information about teachers with other employees, solicited negative comments about teachers, made terroristic threats against an employee and interfered with a teacher’s right to file for workers’ compensation." Thirty-five of the 40 teachers at Lanai School signed a resolution supporting Barroga and claimed that the HSTA allegations were false.

+ Massachusetts taxpayers will subsidize teachers’ home Internet use for at least the next three years — to the tune of $3.7 million. Through September, teachers will have free Internet access, after which they will pay $25 per year. "I envisioned teachers using the Internet to access the Red Sox web page," said State Education Commissioner Robert V. Antonucci (no relation). "But teachers consistently told me that the Internet adds another teaching tool in an educator’s bag of tricks."

Question: Isn’t this particular "bag of tricks" utilizing public money for the private benefit of a few? Shouldn’t this taxpayer subsidy wait until all teachers can afford home computers? Couldn’t some teachers use the Internet to access Bible study web-sites, thus violating the separation of church and state? Just wondering.

+ The following item appeared in the February NEA Today: "McGraw-Hill, the textbook publishing giant, saw profits jump 30 percent earlier this year, then forced over 100 employees to become Kelly Girl temps. The employees were fired a month later — and denied severance because of their temp status."