Ann Dornfeld
Reporter
About
Ann is a reporter on KUOW's Investigations Team. Previously, she covered education stories for KUOW for a decade, with a focus on investigations into racial and socioeconomic inequities.
Her ongoing series exposing Seattle Public Schools’ lenient discipline of staff who abused students has won investigative reporting awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Radio Television Digital News Association, and the Education Writers Association. She was also lauded for her years of work covering disparities in the amount of recess and P.E. time students received in low-income schools.
Previously, Ann worked at Alaska Public Radio Network, in Anchorage, and KLCC, in Eugene, Oregon. Her freelance work, focusing on science and environmental issues, has appeared on national outlets including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Marketplace and The World.
Ann’s marine and underwater photography has appeared in the American Museum of Natural History and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
She lives with her husband and two children in South Seattle.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: Member, Investigative Reporters and Editors
Stories
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KUOW Newsroom
Seattle teacher was fired for abusing kids. State says he can keep his teaching license
A former teacher found in a state investigation to have serially physically abused children at a North Seattle elementary school was allowed to keep his teaching license with a reprimand.
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KUOW Newsroom
Seattle teachers' strike halted after tentative contract reached with district
Seattle educators voted Tuesday afternoon to suspend a strike that has delayed the start of school by a week. The district has not announced which day school will begin, although it could be as early as tomorrow, Wednesday. The district promised an update Tuesday afternoon.
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Seattle teachers strike nears end as union, district reach tentative agreement
After four days of striking, Seattle teachers late on Monday evening came to a "tentative agreement" with the school district over the details of their contract. Teachers will likely vote to suspend the strike at an 8:30 a.m. vote, so that members may consider the proposed agreement. Seattle Public Schools said it would send a message to families later in the day on Tuesday with more information about when school might start.
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No school for Seattle kids Wednesday as teachers prepare to strike; union talks stall
Seattle Public Schools has delayed the first day of school as teachers and other staff threaten to strike.
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KUOW Blog
Kent teachers threaten strike if contract not reached Wednesday
Kent School District and its teachers union have until Wednesday night to reach a contract for school to start on time Thursday.
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KUOW Blog
Seattle Schools and its educators are in contract talks
Seattle Public Schools and its teachers union, Seattle Education Association, are hammering out a new contract this summer.
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KUOW Newsroom
WA charter school under audit for 'improper receipt' of state funding
The state’s charter school oversight agency said Impact Public Schools improperly received approximately $790,000 in state funds when it enrolled more than 60 four-year-olds in kindergarten. The agency referred the matter to the State Auditor’s Office for possible repayment.
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Broken promises
Legislator calls for fraud audit of state's largest charter school chain
State Rep. Gerry Pollet has called for fraud and performance audits of Impact Public Schools, Washington’s largest charter school chain, following a KUOW investigation that found scant services for students learning English and a lack of support for students with disabilities.
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KUOW Newsroom
Inquest begins into police shooting of Charleena Lyles
An inquest began today into the 2017 Seattle Police killing of Charleena Lyles, a 30-year-old with mental illness who was gunned down in front of her children. Lyles' killing sparked ongoing public outrage. The petite mother of four was pregnant when she called police to her apartment to investigate an alleged burglary.
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Broken promises
'Where is the accountability?' for WA's largest charter school chain, ask parents and staff
Although Washington state's charter schools are granted more flexibility and freedom than other public schools, charter school backers have pledged to keep the schools subject to strict oversight, including annual performance reviews. But that accountability is lacking for the state’s largest charter school chain, Impact Public Schools, staff and parents told KUOW, and the students most affected are also the schools’ most vulnerable.