NEA leader rallies striking teachers

RED WING (AP) -- The head of the country's largest teachers' union told striking Red Wing teachers Tuesday that they must stand up for their beliefs, so that they may teach others to do the same.

"You're not doing this just for you ... but for everybody who comes after you," National Education Association President Reg Weaver told about 200 teachers at a rally here.

Weaver, who spent more than three decades as a middle school teacher, told the teachers he came to "deputize" teachers, to send them forth in the community and advocate for a fair and long-overdue settlement. The teachers have been working without a contract since July 2001.