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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Asian American history isn't required in WA schools. A new group wants to change that
A group of teachers and students want Washington state to pass legislation mandating all students learn Asian American history in K-12 schools.
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What can be done to prevent further gun violence in or near Seattle schools?
They met at the school Monday to talk about community safety.
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Renton grants help high school grads who can’t afford college
Called the Renton Program, the new partnership’s goal is to create a new pathway to higher education for students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend.
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Seattle schools approves budget plan, but hard choices remain ahead
Seattle Public Schools officials are celebrating having a solution in place for next year. But they're also quick to caution that Washington's largest school district isn't out of the weeds yet.
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How bad was the pandemic on WA students? It depends on where you live, study says
Learning loss varied vary widely from district to district — even neighboring ones — largely depending on poverty.
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Do WA schools need air conditioning? Some teachers think so amid the heatwave
The unusually early heat wave is causing stifling temperatures in some western Washington classrooms without air conditioning.
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As expected, WA student learning suffered during Covid. Should we be doing more to fix the problem?
A new state report confirms that standardized test scores declined across the board during the pandemic, and it suggests state education officials should launch a tracking system for how districts are helping kids recover.
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Seattle Schools plan would drain rainy day fund to help cover $131M shortfall
Seattle Public Schools leaders unveiled their most detailed plan yet to stabilize the district’s precarious financial situation, including a $131 million budget gap next year.
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A tearful vigil and demand for change: Family and friends gather to honor Ingraham shooting victim
Seattle Public Schools continues work on a safety initiative launched in response to his death.
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As many WA districts lose students, this small-town district faces overcrowding
Across the country, declining enrollment in public schools is forcing many districts to make severe budget cuts. But in Orting, the district has seen a near 20% spike in enrollment over the last three years — an indicator of how the education landscape is shifting in the aftermath of the pandemic.