“‘Those formative, foundational skills and those years were lost, and it’s going to take us some time to get it back,’ Kelley said. ‘Even though it was five years ago, we’re still behind.’
“Kansas educators say the pandemic’s stress and isolation affected children differently depending on their age and level of development. But students who began their schooling around 2020 are at greater risk of falling behind academically…
“It’s easy to say, ‘This was five years ago. The impact is over,’ and with some children that’s true, Bielefeld said. ‘But with other groups, I think the impact is still very, very real…’
“As Kansas districts celebrate the end of another school year, teachers say they’ll continue to monitor and address pandemic learning gaps and other challenges.
“‘It’s far from over,’ Junker said. ‘Luckily, we have amazing middle schools, and our sixth grade teams, they know the challenges. They are ready for them.’”
Originally posted to Facebook 5/27/25.