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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Why are so many Seattle kids leaving public school for private?
In the wake of the pandemic, enrollment in private and home schools has soared in Washington state and across the country. How much are those shifts contributing to Seattle Public Schools' declining enrollment — and the budget crisis that comes with it?
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Locking up students' cellphones? This Seattle school is about to try it
A Seattle middle school is launching a new program to crack down on students using cellphones in class.
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Dozens gather for unity walk honoring Garfield High School shooting victim
Dozens of people gathered to mourn a Garfield High School student killed last week and called for community-wide change during a unity walk through Seattle's Central District on Thursday.
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No off-campus lunch, more police: Seattle Schools considers safety changes amid gun violence concerns
Seattle school leaders are planning safety and security improvements for next school year, in the wake of a shooting at Garfield High School that left a student dead and the community reeling.
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Families won't know which Seattle schools may close until fall
Seattle Public Schools families have braced for a list to come out this month, naming 20 elementary schools that might close. But SPS leaders will not be releasing that list this summer after all.
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How will Seattle Public Schools leaders decide which elementary schools should close?
For months, Seattle Public Schools parents and community members have been asking district leaders to "show their work" to prove that shuttering 20 elementary schools is necessary.
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Seattle delays decision on which schools will close
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With school closures looming, Seattle Public Schools passes belt-tightening budget
Seattle Public Schools' newly-passed budget closes a nearly $105 million budget gap — and tees up likely school closures in the fall of 2025.
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Down, but not out: Seattle Public Library shuts the book on two-pronged tech challenge
Despite the one-two punch of a ransomware attack over Memorial Day weekend — then the Crowdstrike software outage last week — Seattle Public Library will be back to normal soon.
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Attention Washington college students: There's still time to apply for federal aid
Washington state education leaders want college-bound students to know it’s not too late to apply for federal financial aid.
