How are North Carolina’s children responding after the pandemic? A member of the Department of Public Instruction says, overall, teens are progressing well. But things could be better. More North Carolina students are eating breakfast, exercising regularly, and feeling better emotionally. However, students aren’t doing as well as they were ten years ago. Ellen Essick, a section chief with the Department of Public Instruction, made a presentation to the State Board of Education. She joined Jeff Hamlin on the WPTF Afternoon News to discuss the progress that students have made.