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Good morning! It’s Tony. We all have vague memories of kindergarten, and possibly old photos of cringe-worthy hair and outfits. Today, Lindsey Banks takes a closer-look at modern-day kindergarten, with some parents advocating for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to restore play-based learning. Plus, Ashley Fahey explains why mandatory restrictions on water use in Charlotte seem likely, Lawrence Toppman reviews The Mint Museum’s new Caravaggio exhibit, experts share college application tips, stats show local apartment construction sagging … and more!
Today's Charlotte Ledger is sponsored by Parker Poe. Businesses and local institutions turn to Parker Poe to structure transactions, navigate regulations, and resolve disputes. Learn more about the law firm's deep regional knowledge and collaborative, client-centered approach.
A growing number of parents say CMS leaves little time for hands-on learning in kindergarten; are 5-year-olds ready to spend the day at a desk?
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools stopped providing resources to kindergarten teachers for play-based learning centers around 2010, according to parents and teachers advocating for the district to bring it back. (Photo from Unsplash)
by Lindsey Banks
When Mollie Whalen Auerbach walked into a kindergarten classroom on a recent tour of her neighborhood’s elementary school, she thought she might’ve stepped into the wrong room.
A former kindergarten teacher and mother to a 4-year-old, she expected to see the classic signs of an early childhood classroom, complete with blocks, easels, play kitchens and sand and water tables. Instead, she saw no semblance of playtime.
“When do the kids get to do play-based centers?” Auerbach asked the teacher on the tour. “When do they get to do choice time?”
The answer: “Oh, unfortunately, we just don't have time for that anymore.”
It’s a concern many parents of rising kindergarteners share across Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The district began phasing out structured play in kindergarten classrooms about 15 years ago, when schedule requirements changed and there just wasn’t enough time in the school day for it, according to parents and teachers who spoke to The Ledger.
So, two months ago, Auerbach started an online petition and campaign called “K Needs Play” to push CMS to reinstate at least an hour of structured, play-based learning in kindergarten classrooms.
Play-based learning centers are hands-on, screen-free spaces where children can choose activities that still align with academic goals. For example, during a science unit on solids and liquids, children could test objects in a sink-or-float station. Students could learn communication and problem-solving skills by acting out dramatic play scenarios, or they could build early literacy skills in a message-writing center. All the while, teachers would observe and guide students, taking notes on each student’s progress.
Studies show that play-based learning can boost literacy and language development, strengthen social-emotional and motor skills and even help close achievement gaps for children ages 3 to 6, particularly in underserved communities.
CMS does not explicitly ban play, but the district’s curriculum daily time requirements leave little to no room for it. Right now, kindergarten teachers’ schedules include:
Two hours of literacy instruction broken up throughout the day
90 minutes of math
30 minutes of science or social studies (typically rotates each week)
30 minutes of recess
45 minutes in a special area like art, music or P.E.
25 minutes for lunch
An additional 30 minutes dedicated to social-emotional learning such as morning meetings
(The Ledger asked to speak with someone from CMS about kindergarten curriculum on April 22, but the district was unable to provide more information or a statement about the issue as of Friday morning.)
The need and interest are there
Some educators say it’s not impossible to sprinkle in some play time. One CMS kindergarten teacher, who asked not to be named so she could speak freely about her classroom, told The Ledger that she, with the support of her school’s administration, has figured out a way to make time for 30 minutes of play-based learning centers. However, the materials and ideas for the activities are her responsibility, which means she’s spending her own money and personal time to make sure her students are getting what she says is critical developmental instruction.
“It would be so wonderful to have the district that I've given my life's work to come back and say, ‘Yes, we know this is developmentally what's best for children,’ and research shows — because CMS likes to follow research — but for whatever reason that got lost, the play got lost, and that's a very, very important part of early childhood development,” the teacher said.
“Kindergarten should be that bridge between preschool and first grade,” the teacher said, but the way it is now, the classrooms resemble first grade.
Drought deepens: Mandatory water-usage restrictions could come as soon as today
◼️ Washing cars, watering lawns could face cutbacks
◼️ The drought is upgraded to ‘exceptional’ in parts of Charlotte region
Most of Mecklenburg County remains in an extreme drought, with some parts of the region even this week entering into “exceptional” drought conditions, the worst rating from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Portions of Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus and Stanly counties were newly classified on Thursday as being in an exceptional drought.
And although the Charlotte market has received some rain in recent days, it hasn't been enough to relieve the drought conditions or status.
The Catawba Wateree Water Management Group — a partnership of public utilities, including Duke Energy and Charlotte Water, and federal and state resource agencies — twice a month (on the 1st and the 16th) measures what are called “Low Inflow Protocol” triggers. Amid a drought, the group will make recommendations about what “stage” water levels are in now, factoring in:
how much water is in the reservoirs
how much water is flowing into the reservoirs
and the aforementioned U.S. Drought Monitor
When the Catawba Wateree Water Management Group last met, it moved the region into “stage one” drought, which triggered the voluntary water restrictions that Charlotte Water imposed on April 16.
Today, the group is widely expected to move the region into “stage two,” which will almost certainly mean mandatory water restrictions because it aims to reduce overall water usage by 5% to 10%. But restrictions will be up to Charlotte Water and other utilities to decide.
About 9% of Mecklenburg County is in “exceptional drought” (maroon) this week, with the other 91% in “extreme drought” (red), according to the National Drought Mitigation Center. (Source: U.S. Drought Monitor)
In a statement to The Ledger on Thursday, Charlotte Water said that it will be issuing guidance along with the rest of the municipalities in the basin after the area moves to mandatory restrictions, adding that the data will be assessed today. Charlotte Water has also scheduled media availability beginning at 10:30 a.m. today.
What mandatory restrictions — and any penalties — could come into play are unknown, but they could involve tighter regulations on washing cars and watering lawns. Under the current stage, Charlotte Water has encouraged limiting water use.
Klaus Albertin, chair of the N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council, told The Ledger in an interview that most utilities will likely impose penalties gradually when moving into a higher stage of restriction. He was speaking generally, not about any specific utility or municipality. He said it’s ultimately up to individual utilities how they want to enforce restrictions or penalties.
Albertin said the Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group is a bit unique in that the utilities involved tend to work in lockstep as far as response and how stringent they are with restrictions.
He said recent rain in the Piedmont didn’t help the state’s drought much. The fact that the region will likely go from stage one to stage two in a matter of two weeks speaks to how dry the conditions are right now, he added.
“It should, typically, take longer than that,” Albertin said.
Even with the state’s drought measurements of “extreme,” Albertin said conditions remain manageable, but the amount of rain the region could receive in May before the hot summer months are critical. It’s normal for reservoirs to be 5 or 10 feet below normal during the summer, but not so much this time of year.
Lake Norman was measuring at 94.61 ft. as of 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, with 100 feet being normal full pond elevation. Lake Wylie was measuring similarly, at 94.8 ft. on Thursday evening (and 100 feet being normal).
Logan Stewart, a spokesperson for Duke Energy, told The Ledger this week that under a higher restriction level, the utility would modify its operations, especially reducing its hydrogeneration, which uses a ton of water.
“The lake system creates hydropower, but it’s a shared resource for the community, especially for drinking water,” she continued. “When we get into a situation like a drought, that becomes our primary focus.”
The utility would also likely stop recreational flows, which would affect lake levels, so boaters beware. Boat ramps may also close if they aren’t safe to operate because of water levels.
Stewart said it’s her understanding that, if the region moves into stage two today, it will likely be some time before stage three is triggered. Stage three would require mandatory water restrictions to achieve a 10% to 20% reduction in usage.
She added it’s everyone’s job to take steps to reduce their water usage, even simple things like turning off the water when brushing your teeth or reducing laundry loads to fewer days per week. It’s not advisable for everyone to have a “bread and milk” mentality for a drought, either, such as everyone rushing to water their lawn ahead of restrictions.
“Lawns may not look great, but it's not [stage] three, when you really get into some painful cutbacks,” Albertin said. —Ashley Fahey
Related Ledger article:
“Small businesses brace for water restrictions” (April 27)
REAL ESTATE WHISPERS
Real Estate Whispers is our weekly look at commercial real estate development, debates and debacles — with plenty of scoops and information you won’t find anywhere else.
◼️ Apartment construction hits an 11-year low — what it signals for the market
◼️ A leadership shakeup at Crescent Communities and what comes next
◼️ Averitt’s $200M expansion near the airport, bringing jobs and growth
◼️ The Charlotte region’s short-term rental boom
◼️ A new microunit project in South End is testing smaller, high-efficiency living
3 college admissions tips from The Ledger’s online discussion with experts
A lot of parents of high school students have felt the pangs of anxiety when the prospect of college applications comes up.
This week, The Charlotte Ledger hosted an online discussion with admissions experts to try to inject some helpful information and tips for getting through that process.
In an hour-long webinar, Lee Shulman Bierer of Bierer College Consulting and Ashley Ausman of The Essay Architect covered the full arc of college admissions, from course selection in middle school to writing essays as a senior, with an emphasis on reducing stress and helping students find the right fit.
Three quick tips that we learned:
Depth beats breadth. Colleges today are less interested in the well-rounded student who dabbles in everything and more interested in students who have gone deep on a passion or interest and shown genuine commitment and leadership.
The essay is a secret weapon. Once students have cleared the academic threshold — grades, test scores, course rigor — the essay becomes the most powerful tool they control. Authenticity and specificity matter far more than an impressive topic. (And they shouldn’t outsource the writing to AI.)
Don't wait until senior year. By the time senior year hits, the admissions process comes fast. Students who use their summers wisely, visit schools their junior year and complete essays the summer before senior year arrive at the fall in a much better place.
You can watch the full conversation on YouTube to hear more advice, including hidden gem schools in the Carolinas and how to help your student develop and tell their story. —Tony Mecia
🎭 TOPPMAN ON THE ARTS
Local arts criticism — from touring Broadway shows to community theater and museum exhibits — from longtime critic Lawrence Toppman
The “Caravaggio/Revolution" exhibit runs through Oct. 25 uptown. (Photo courtesy of The Mint Museum)
A stunning Caravaggio anchors a dramatic Mint Museum exhibit filled with haunting Baroque works — a mix of brilliance and brutality that’s worth a closer look.
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You might be interested in these Charlotte events
Events submitted by readers to The Ledger’s events board:
SUNDAY: “‘Hokum’ — Movie and Talkback,” 3:35-5:45 p.m., at Independent Picture House, 4237 Raleigh St. Join Independent Picture House for a post-film discussion on how visual traditions shape our understanding of fear, folklore and the grotesque through the lens of “Hokum.” The conversation will feature panelists Dammit Wesley, Jen Sudul Edwards and de’Angelo Dia, Director of Education and Community Engagement at IPH. $10.50/ticket.
MAY 5: “What’s Next Seminar Series,” 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library - Sugar Creek, 4045 N. Tryon St. Your sales and marketing efforts should align to drive growth. This session teaches you how to create strong go‑to‑market strategies, attract the right customers, close more deals and position your business to scale. “Sales and Marketing: Driving Growth and Visibility” is the first of a six‑session series hosted by the Mecklenburg County Office of Economic Development. Interested attendees can sign up for all six sessions to get a certificate. Free.
MAY 8: “Charlotte Master Chorale Chamber Singers: Hops and Harmonies,” 7:30-8:45 p.m., at The Barrel Room at Triple C Brewing, 2832 Griffith St. Enjoy great music, great beer and great company at Hops and Harmonies. Join the Charlotte Master Chorale Chamber Singers, Charlotte’s premier chamber choir, for a casual concert that features lighthearted works in a festive, fun-filled atmosphere. $30/ticket.
MAY 12: “Commodities in a Fragmenting World: Repricing Risk in Resource Producers,” 12-1:30 p.m., at The Charlotte City Club, 121 West Trade St., 31st floor. Join Charlotte Economics Club for an in-depth discussion on current trends in global commodity markets with William Thomson, Founder and Managing Partner of Massif Capital. $60 for members. $90 for nonmembers.
In brief
CMS magnet plan may face delays: During Tuesday’s meeting, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education members raised concerns about limited demographic data from community feedback sessions, saying it’s unclear whether all areas were represented. The push for more input could delay the proposed magnet overhaul from 2027-28 to 2028-29. (WFAE)
Professional networking app: Former WBTV anchor Molly Grantham has launched a membership-based app called The Wave that is focused on career growth, networking and positive storytelling. The $24-a-month membership is geared toward professional women but is open to all users seeking a more supportive, connection-driven place. (Axios Charlotte)
Townhome sales fall: Charlotte’s townhome market is softening, with sales down nearly 14% as rising supply leaves more units sitting and putting pressure on prices. (Axios Charlotte)
Take two on CMS budget: After unexpectedly rejecting Superintendent Crystal Hill’s $2.1B budget, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education will hold a Saturday workshop to seek more clarity on spending priorities—particularly around equity, mental health and program effectiveness—before revising the plan ahead of state and county deadlines. (WFAE)
Charlotte firm invests in meat supplier: Falfurrias Management Partners, one of the largest private equity firms based in the Southeast, has invested in Miami-based Young American Food Brands, a longtime meat supplier to major clients like Wendy’s and the U.S. Army. The deal aims to support the company’s expansion into premium and specialty beef products as demand grows. (Business North Carolina)
Calls for I-77 toll project pause: The Charlotte City Council is considering a resolution asking state transportation officials to halt any irreversible work on the Interstate 77 toll lanes until further analysis is completed.The resolution asks for updated studies on traffic, pricing and community impacts, including displacement concerns. (WFAE)
UNC opens Washington D.C. office: UNC Chapel Hill is launching a new Capitol Hilloffice to give students and alumni a base in D.C. and strengthen its presence in national policy discussions. (press release)