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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Bellevue’s first Asian American superintendent reflects on his family’s 120-year US journey
Despite budget cuts and change, Kelly Aramaki, Bellevue's first Asian American superintendent, has an ambitious vision for the place he grew up.
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Seattle Public Schools narrowly averts strike, allowing kids to return to classes
Seattle Public Schools averted a strike, allowing the district’s nearly 50,000 students to return to classrooms on time for the first day Wednesday.
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Only half of WA students are reading at grade level, new test scores show
Just 50% of students across Washington state are reading at grade level, according to the state’s latest standardized test results. Literacy rates declined during the pandemic and have yet to rebound.
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Here's when Seattle Public Schools will announce possible school closures
The timeline to potentially close some Seattle schools is getting clearer.
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Bellevue closed two elementary schools. Are middle schools next?
The Bellevue School District is considering more school consolidations — this time at the middle school level.
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Many Seattle area schools have stopped publicly tracking Covid cases, despite imminent fall surge
School districts across King County have changed how they're reporting Covid cases this year, following updated guidance from the state. Meanwhile, Covid, RSV, and flu combined are expected to cause a surge in infections this fall and winter.
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All clear at Seattle's Garfield High after gunfire reported near school grounds
A Seattle Public Schools spokesperson later clarified Garfield was under a shelter in place order, which happens when there’s a threat in the area, but not on or near school grounds.
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Washington state child care providers are struggling to survive. Sen. Murray calls for feds to help
Sen. Patty Murray is calling for the federal government to renew its historic investment in the child care industry.
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Seattle elementary one of two in Washington state named Blue Ribbon school
For the first time in 12 years, a Seattle Public school has won a national award for academic achievement.
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'Please don't break our hearts.' Seattle parents, teachers protest widespread classroom shuffles
Seattle parents and teachers flooded a Wednesday school board meeting to protest recent class size adjustments at about half of the district’s elementary and K-8 schools.
