Sami West
Education Reporter
About
Sami West is a reporter for KUOW, where she covers education across the Puget Sound region. She’s been on the education beat for over four years, reporting extensively on the countless ways Covid has impacted K-12 schools. Sami’s reporting has also focused on child care deserts and workforce issues, the role early childhood education can play in improving literacy, and the challenges students, families, and educators face to provide special education services.
Previously, she wrote about education for Chalkbeat Tennessee in Memphis, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin in Appleton, Wis., and the Leader-Telegram in Eau Claire, Wis. While pursuing degrees in journalism and English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, she interned at The Washington Post and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
A native Minnesotan and seven-year Wisconsinite, Sami is passionate about tater tot hotdish (not casserole), lakeside sunsets, cheese, and the Green Bay Packers. When she’s not attending school board meetings or chasing other education news, Sami enjoys hitting the trails and exploring local breweries with her husband and dog.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: Education Writers Association
Stories
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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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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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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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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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Strike is 'looking more likely,' some Seattle school staff say
Days before the first day of school, one of the unions representing Seattle Public Schools staffers says a strike is becoming increasingly likely.
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Teacher strikes delay first day of school for 30k students in southwest WA
Teachers are striking in the Camas and Evergreen school districts near Vancouver. It affects over 30,000 students.
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Why does the US drug czar think WA schools should stock Narcan like fire extinguishers?
The United States’ top drug control official, Dr. Rahul Gupta, is in Washington state this week to sound the alarm on the threat of fentanyl — especially for kids this school year.
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Has summer school helped in the fight against pandemic learning loss?
One approach educators have taken to make up for pandemic learning loss is to send kids to summer school. But a new report finds expanded summer learning programs weren't as effective as they'd hoped.
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Why Dolly Parton is bringing children's books to Washington state
Dolly Parton visited Tacoma Tuesday to celebrate the statewide expansion of her Imagination Library in Washington state, which provides free books to kids.
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Why Dolly Parton is bringing children's books to Washington state
Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" Tuesday was a stop at Tacoma's Pantages Theater, where she celebrated the statewide expansion of her Imagination Library program.