Sami West
Online Editor/Reporter
About
Sami West joined KUOW’s web team as an Online Editor/Reporter in 2025.
Before that, she spent over two years covering education at KUOW, reporting extensively on mounting financial challenges in Seattle Public Schools and districts across Washington state. Her coverage also focused on growing concerns about violence in and around schools, teacher shortages, the youth mental health crisis, and the countless ways Covid continues to affect schools and families, among other topics.
Previously, she wrote about education for Chalkbeat in Memphis, Tennessee, and two newspapers in Wisconsin.
A Midwesterner at heart, Sami originally hails from Minnesota and holds degrees in journalism and English from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: Education Writers Association
Stories
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Tensions flare at Seattle school closure meeting
Seattle Public Schools’ community meetings on proposed school closures got off to a bumpy start.
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Will closing schools really balance the budget for Seattle Public Schools? Parents have their doubts
Seattle Public Schools parents will get more details next week on the district's proposal to close up to 20 elementary schools by the fall of 2025.
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UW student employees win big pay boost, improved benefits in tentative deal
After a one-day strike, 6,000 University of Washington teaching and research assistants have reached a tentative new labor agreement with school officials.
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University of Washington academic student employees strike for better pay
Thousands of University of Washington student employees walked off the job this morning. The strike comes just a few weeks before final exams — and it could have big impacts on students.
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20 Seattle elementary schools could be closed due to budget crisis
District officials have not said which schools will be on the chopping block — a list is expected to be released in June — but they say K-5 students would be better accommodated if the district downsized to 50 elementary schools, down from more than 70 schools.
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AI should be used in class, not feared. That’s the message of these Seattle area teachers
Earlier this year, Washington became the fifth state in the country to issue guidance on using AI in school. Some teachers had already started using artificial intelligence to improve their assignments, engage students, and save time.
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Demand for electricity in the Pacific Northwest expected to jump 30%
Electricity demand in the Pacific Northwest is expected to rise dramatically over the next decade, and the region’s power sources may not be able to keep up.
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Paraeducators strike in Port Angeles. But can strapped school districts afford to pay them more?
The Port Angeles School District's more than 3,500 students are getting an extended spring break, as schools remained closed as of Thursday afternoon because of a paraeducator strike.
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A food union officer and district alumna: Meet Seattle schools' newest board members
The Seattle School Board has chosen two new members to join their ranks.
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After receiving racist hate mail, UW students call for action
Some University of Washington students are calling on school officials to take action in the wake of a string of Islamophobic incidents on campus.