Sami West
Education Reporter
About
Sami West is a reporter covering schools in Seattle and across the Puget Sound region. She’s been on the education beat for over five years and has reported extensively on the countless ways COVID has impacted schools, students, and families. Her coverage has also focused on school finances, special education issues, the importance of early childhood education, and the growing youth mental health crisis.
Before joining KUOW in 2023, 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.
When she’s not attending school board meetings or chasing other education news, Sami enjoys exploring the beautiful trails and abundant breweries of the Pacific Northwest with her husband and dog.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: Education Writers Association
Stories
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Homelessness is soaring among Seattle students. School support workers are on the front lines
Homelessness among Seattle Public Schools students has been on the rise over the last two years, affecting roughly 2,200 students. KUOW takes an inside look at how a district staffer goes above and beyond to help these students – and their families – in one southeast Seattle elementary school.
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U.S. Department of Education investigates Tumwater School District over transgender student athlete
The U.S. Department of Education has launched a Title IX investigation into the Tumwater School District after a transgender girl from Shelton played in a high school girls’ basketball game last month.
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University of Washington freezes non-essential hiring, travel
The University of Washington has frozen non-essential hiring and travel, effective immediately, amid federal and state funding uncertainty.
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Washington state joins lawsuit against Trump's mass Department of Education cuts
Washington state has joined a coalition of 20 other states in a lawsuit seeking to stop President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
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Seattle Public Schools delays sunset of highly-capable cohort program
Seattle Public Schools has changed course on its gifted education program, announcing plans to keep dedicated schools open for at least three more years.
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Seattle Public Schools to hunt for new leader as Superintendent Jones steps down
After "much reflection and heartfelt conversations," Superintendent Brent Jones announced he's leaving the top job at Washington's largest public school district.
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Washington schools chief blasts 'cruel chaos' of Trump's order to eliminate the Department of Education
Washington state’s top education official is speaking out against President Donald Trump’s long-awaited executive order calling for the dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education.
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Politics and change: Why Seattle Public Schools' superintendent is stepping down
When Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Brent Jones announced he’s leaving the district this fall, he said the decision came from a desire to spend time with family.
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Transgender sports policies at heart of federal complaint from Washington school district
The Kennewick School Board has lodged a federal Title IX complaint against Washington state officials. At issue: the state’s current policies that allow transgender students to compete on sports teams consistent with their gender identity.
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Proposal to limit transgender athletes' participation in sports blocked in Washington state
Washington state’s governing body for middle and high school athletics has determined proposed rule changes limiting how transgender students can participate in sports would violate state laws.
