Bergeson, who is seeking a third four-year term as the state's highest education authority, has clashed with her old union over charter schools, the high-stakes Washington Assessment of Student Learning and other issues.

Payback time came Saturday, when the WEA's political action committee voted not to endorse anyone in the nonpartisan race. A little known rival, Juanita Doyon of Spanaway in Pierce County, actually outpolled Bergeson and "no endorsement" won the overall balloting.

Bergeson said she was wounded by the vote, but won't hold it against the union or teachers. She said she expects to be re-elected this fall.

The snub was part of the union's tough-nosed new strategy of withholding its blessings from longtime allies who don't toe the line on key issues.

Case in point: The WEA isn't backing a single state House member for re-election, including the Democrats who have sided with the union on most occasions, but voted to suspend the voter-approved initiative guaranteeing annual cost-of-living raises for teachers. Many longtime allies in the Senate also are persona non grata.

WEA President Charles Hasse said in an interview Monday that Bergeson is personally popular with many teachers and is expected to win again, but that the union activists wanted to send a message.

"This was an opportunity to express the frustration many school employees feel," Hasse said. "People have been impressed with Terry's confidence and optimism, but people are at a point where they are experiencing frustration about the expectations they feel.

"We keep hearing `Keep moving forward and all of this will work out,' but we know it (education reform) can't succeed unless we get serious about class size, early intervention" and financial resources.

Education budgets have been crimped on Bergeson's watch, including suspension of the teacher-pay and class-size initiatives, he noted. Bergeson also has championed the WASL test and supports charter schools, he said.

Mastery of the 10th grade WASL test will become a graduation requirement in 2008, and the University of Washington has announced that scores will be factored in granting scholarships.

A poll of WEA members in February showed that 77 percent oppose use of the WASL as a graduation requirement. Most want to keep the test, but not as a high-stakes measure of student achievement, Hasse said.

The WEA is backing a referendum to overturn recently passed legislation, supported by Bergeson and Gov. Gary Locke, to authorize charter schools.

Bergeson called the no-confidence vote "fairly discouraging. It makes me very sad. I know how hard I work for teachers every day. After I get my wounded pride out of the way, I understand that teachers are saying it's too hard for them out there, that they're scared of No Child Left Behind, that they don't have the resources.

"They know they can take a whack at me and that I will never turn against teachers in a million years."

She had no apologies for her defense of the WASL and charter schools.

Doyon, meanwhile, led a few dozen anti-WASL protesters Monday at the Capitol. She urged parents to opt their kids out of the test and dismissed the Legislature's recent changes as inadequate.

"Parents are upset about this takeover of our school system by high-stakes testing," Doyon said. "The test is still cruel."

Doyon, who drew more support in the WEA's endorsement vote than Bergeson, said she was hopeful that anti-WASL sentiment would help her.

"They almost endorsed me. I had very good feedback from the teachers."

The WEA also endorsed Democratic gubernatorial contender Christine Gregoire, and to succeed her as attorney general, Democrat Deborah Senn and Republican Mike Vaska in the primary.

Senn, the former state insurance commissioner, and fellow Democrat Mark Sidran, the former Seattle city attorney, both gave rousing speeches, but Senn was supported by over 80 percent of the delegates, Hasse said. Part of Sidran's "baggage," Hasse said, was his endorsement by the governor. "The name `Gary Locke' draws boos in this organization," Hasse said.

Vaska, a Seattle attorney who has sparred with tax rebel Tim Eyman, was seen as a talented and moderate alternative to King County Councilman Rob McKenna, who also seeks the GOP nod for attorney general, Hasse said.