The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted lives in a way unlike any other in modern times.
From careers to restaurants to social settings, the virus touched daily life across America.
That includes primary and secondary education in North Carolina. Learning losses caused by the pandemic have become profound — leading to declines in reading and math scores since 2019.
It’s something the 2025 Cumberland County Schools Teacher of the Year Ali Sigler said she could see when students returned to the classroom after remote learning.
“There were definitely some gaps post-pandemic in math and reading,” Sigler said. “That comes from the fact that a lot of the strategies and the different learning styles that students have require a lot of hands on in manipulatives, especially at the lower ages.”
Sigler is passionate about teaching.
“We take all of our face-to-face time very seriously and try to make the most impact with the time that we have from opening of the day to close with the day,” she said.
She teaches children with social and emotional challenges at Elizabeth Cashwell Elementary School in Fayetteville.
“A big part of our day is spent on SEL: social and emotional learning skills,” Sigler said.
Imagine developing social skills without daily face-to-face interactions. She said development suffered because dinner tables were turned into classrooms through smart devices and computers for learning caused by the novel coronavirus.
An Education Recovery Scorecard released by Stanford and Harvard universities showed 82% of students in North Carolina attend districts where average math achievement levels in 2024 were below 2019 levels.
Statewide reading levels are even worse, with 97% of students at below-average levels.
No matter what the data says, Sigler said these children are far more resilient than some may realize.
“I could speak about these children that I teach forever,” she said. “The growth that I have seen some of these students make from first grade to third grade or from kindergarten to second grade. It's an opportunity that not many educators get.”
Current academic standards put students with behavioral, emotional and social roadblocks in tiers 1-3. A tier 1 student requires the least amount of intervention. A tier 2 student requires more hands-on devotion in smaller group settings. A tier 3 student needs the highest level of intervention through extra lessons and support given in small groups.
A little more than 20 minutes away in Spring Lake, W.T. Brown Elementary School Principal Shanessa Fenner is putting her best foot forward, as well.
“Education runs in the family,” she said.
Fenner said her mother was a teacher, her sister is a principal and her cousin is a teacher.
“I love the babies. I want to be a part of their foundation, making sure that they get that good solid education. Instill morals and values in them. Hard work. Learning how to get along with one another and being that productive citizen who’s very independent and will do very well in society,” Fenner said.
Fenner, the 2025 Cumberland County Principal of the Year, said many students fell behind because you can’t teach those you cannot reach.
“It changed a lot because of course we were at home and we had virtual learning,” Fenner said. “We had to make sure our babies had computers to log onto. We had to make sure that they actually logged on.”
Their internet capacity factored into the equation as well.
Fenner said finding innovative ways to engage children enough to keep them from falling asleep was one of the most problematic tasks of her at least 19 years of experience running schools.
The scorecard compiled by Harvard and Stanford revealed the average American student remained nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic math and reading levels.
“It was a very hard pill to swallow because I want the best for my babies and our teachers do too, and the parents do as well,” Fenner said. “We meet them where they are, and we gradually bring them up to where they want to be. So the greatest success is seeing our babies grow. And then at the end of the year, they've grown so much.”
She said there’s always a push for more parental involvement.
“I want people to know that it still takes a village to educate our future babies, our future leaders," she said. "Parents, we need your support. I need you at curriculum night, math night, reading night. I need you to communicate with the teacher on a consistent basis. I need for you to ask questions for further clarification and understanding.”
One of the ideas Fenner and her staff came up with is a theme called "Cub Bucks." She said Cub Bucks, named after the W.T. Brown Elementary mascot, is a points-based currency to reward academic achievement. Students can build points over time for prizes they want, such as toys, or pick something from the book vending machine.
Both Fenner and Sigler hold out hope.
“We just do what we do every day: teach and love our babies,” Fenner said.“We just do what we do every day: teach and love our babies,” Fenner said.
Sigler believes student growth will always be possible.
“We’re ready to meet the needs of our students no matter what comes down the pipe,” Sigler said.
She says they have to keep rolling with the punches.
“I think that overall the pandemic just impacted education for the better,” Sigler said. “It kind of comes back to you as a gift sometimes when they show you the things that you have been trying so hard to teach them.”
The report card lists absenteeism as another major cause for lags in learning.
The report card suggested greater community involvement could lead to more classroom success, along with higher reading and math scores.
Johnston County Public Schools was mentioned in the report card as a beacon of light across the country for public school systems doing a good job in the post-pandemic era.
