Spokane, East Valley teachers staging walkout today

West Valley School District teachers will not join today’s walkout staged by teachers in Spokane Public Schools and the East Valley School District.

Last week teachers in several local school districts voted on whether to walk out in protest of the Legislature’s failure to meet a state Supreme Court demand to increase school funding.

Classes in the Spokane and East Valley districts are canceled today as a result of their unions’ votes to hold a one-day strike.

West Valley was reported last week to be considering a walkout at a meeting Tuesday. But the West Valley Education Association polled members last week. Results indicated that members were not in favor of walking out, said Cheri Osmuss, president of the association.

“We weren’t going to do a walkout, but we wanted to do something,” Osmuss said.

Members met on Tuesday to consider alternatives to a walkout. Osmuss said members likely will call and email legislators.

West Valley joins Cheney, Mead and Central Valley as local unions that opted against walkouts.