Education Lab is a Seattle Times project that spotlights promising approaches to persistent challenges in public education. The Seattle Foundation serves as the fiscal sponsor for Education Lab, which is supported by grants from the Gates Foundation and Ballmer Group. Learn more about Ed Lab and subscribe to our weekly newsletter . Tens of thousands of students in Washington and around the country lost access Thursday to Canvas, an online course management platform, after a cybersecurity incident affecting the company behind the service escalated. In the wake of the attack, the University of Washington, Seattle Colleges, Washington State University and other institutions removed access to Canvas, the primary tool students and instructors use to communicate about courses, submit assignments and view grades. It’s unclear when access will be restored. In a statement, the University of Washington said it first became aware of the incident over the weekend, but the situation escalated around 1 p.m.…