DUI, Dismissals and Demands: Parents raise concerns about leadership at Davidson Charter Academy

Davidson Charter Academy faces questions as it offers critical tuition-free enrollment. Leadership, transparency, and accountability are under scrutiny at Davidson Charter Academy (DCA) as parents react to the resurfacing of a 2023 DUI arrest involving a current administrator—while also raising new concerns about staff departures, administrative decision-making, and communication with families. A private Facebook group is generating buzz and asking parents and recently fired educators to share stories regarding Davidson Charter Academy. Several have expressed an intent to leave due to a perceived “lack of transparency.”

Tina Michelle Alexander, who serves as the school’s Elementary School Dean, was a key focus for online banter. She was arrested on January 15, 2023, in Lexington, NC, for driving under the influence, according to public records. A mugshot and arrest report have been recirculating among concerned parents on social media, where questions have been raised about how—and whether—the matter was addressed by the school’s leadership.

In addition to concerns about leadership accountability, at least one parent reported that more than 20 teachers were dismissed at the end of the academic year by Alexander. Several former teachers have joined the online criticisms, stating that they were terminated in retaliation for raising questions or making comments about the 2023 DUI. The reports have added fuel to the fire of already simmering concerns over teacher turnover and administrative stability.

Parents have also raised additional questions about Alexander’s current role and decision-making authority. Multiple emails and social media posts have surfaced pointing to her continued leadership, with her school being circulated among parents seeking clarification.

“This is the person largely in charge of making decisions for our children,” one parent wrote in a Facebook post, expressing frustration over what they see as a lack of transparency from the school’s board and administration.

DCA issued a public statement regarding Alexander’s role regarding the alarming number of staff transitions. Davidson Charter Academy ended the 2024–25 school year with 68 full-time employees. Of those, 50 were issued renewal contracts for the upcoming year, representing approximately 74% of our staff.

The statement says, “Personnel decisions were based on performance, certification status, and evolving program needs. A more specific breakdown is as follows:

• 1 resignation (1.5%)

• 4 non-renewals due to performance (5.9%)

• 2 positions eliminated through elective course restructuring (2.9%)

• 3 teacher assistant roles removed from the 2025–26 budget (4.4%)

• 1 EC teacher not renewed due to lack of certification (1.5%)

In addition, 7 individuals (10.3%) who served as long-term substitutes were not issued teaching contracts for 2025–26 but were invited to reapply for long term substitute positions. Importantly, none of these individuals held a bachelor’s degree, which is legally required for teaching contracts according to North Carolina charter school law..”

One current student, who spoke with Davidson Local on the condition of anonymity, shared a detailed account of the school’s leadership history, beginning with what they described as disorganized founding years.

The student said leadership issues date back to the school’s founding, when a lack of rules and instructional planning nearly jeopardized the school’s charter. After the first administrator was removed, the school went through a period of instability, with no permanent head and then a short-lived replacement. Eventually, DCA transitioned to a role-based leadership model, assigning different administrators to oversee areas like finance and instructional resources.

The student also recounted a disturbing incident after the middle school was added, during which a student was allegedly called a racial slur by a counselor in the middle of a dispute about mistreatment by a teacher. “The student has since been pulled from the school,” the student said, noting that a restraining order was reportedly filed against the teacher due to verbal abuse. “The whole time this was going on, the admin refused to respond to the situation, causing the mother to make a video series on TikTok about it.”

According to the student, the instability continued: “In the following years, we were swapping teachers in and out almost every other quarter.”

Davidson Charter Academy is the only charter school currently operating in Lexington, and while it is publicly funded, it is independently governed by a charter board. That model grants more flexibility—but also places full responsibility on the board to maintain public trust and accountability.

In response to recent developments, a private group of DCA parents has formed to share information and coordinate questions. Members of the group have confirmed they plan to attend the next DCA board meeting—scheduled for Monday, June 17 at 6 p.m.—not to protest, but to support one another in seeking clarity.

Several parents have also expressed frustration that recent board meeting minutes do not reflect the school’s internal challenges or recent staffing concerns, describing them as vague and lacking critical context.

Davidson Local contacted the DCA board and administration for comment on both the DUI incident and broader leadership concerns. As of publication, Davidson Charter Academy has not issued a public statement regarding Alexander’s DUI arrest, her role or as Elementary Dean.

The school’s staff directory is currently unavailable on its website, listed only as “Coming Soon,” making it difficult for families and community members to verify who currently holds administrative roles.The following statement was issued to parents on June 5th by Head of School, Joseph Wood.

“There have been higher-than-usual personnel shifts recently, and I understand that this may have caused questions or uncertainty. However, many of these changes were necessary due to state requirements around staff credentials. Others were part of a broader curricular restructuring as we work to optimize instruction across grade levels and subjects. Some reflect our long-term goal of cultivating academic excellence and a more student-centered environment.” Wood said, “This has been a year of reflection and realignment. What comes next is a renewed focus on professionalism, accountability, and putting students first in every decision we make. I believe deeply in where this school is headed, and I’m committed to doing the hard work it takes to get us there. We are building something lasting at DCA, and I’m proud to be doing it alongside a community that cares this much about its children. Thank you for being part of it.”

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.