Central Staff News

On Feb. 10, Dallas ISD Maintenance and Facilities Services spent the day connecting with students at a district middle school career fair, an event where students from 25 middle schools explored career pathways through interactive displays designed to spark their curiosity.  

 Among the 85 stations that filled the event were representatives from the district’s maintenance and facilities, who prepared two interactive exhibits introducing students to the profitable careers of plumbing and electrical work.  

Maintenance professionals play a vital role in the day-to-day function of our schools and communities. They work behind the scenes to ensure buildings remain safe, functional, and conducive to learning. Their dedication is recognized annually on March 4 during Maintenance Appreciation Day. 

Joshua Fisher represented the plumbing department with a hands-on demonstration replicating a sewer system. He built an artificial ground display using wood and turf, placing plumbing beneath the surface and creating a blockage with a familiar character for students—Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants.  

He began by asking students, “Who used plumbing today?” prompting them to consider how often they rely on plumbing in their daily lives. 

Using his sewer inspection equipment, Fisher guided students through identifying and locating the makeshift blockage. With a camera inserted into the pipe, students located the issue and learned the steps needed to repair it.  

“It was a rewarding experience to share with young men and women the importance of plumbing in their everyday lives and how it can be a solid option moving forward when searching for a career,” Fisher said.  

Jaylon Lakes, representing electricians, also had an interactive demonstration highlighting the work of his trade.  

“I was able to touch on many topics about the trade I enjoy doing daily,” Lakes said. “I see the brightness of the future for students when they are exposed to these trades, and when they begin to learn the background of what we do here for the schools.” 

Using a display board equipped with wires, outlets, switches, speakers and lighting, Lakes gave students a hands-on look at the tools and materials electricians use daily. He also shared insights on the knowledge and training required to enter the profession, sparking interest with facts about historical pioneers in electricity. 

Operations Manager Blanca Sanchez helped coordinate the team’s exhibits, ensuring they had ample space and support to engage students throughout the event. 

The mission of Dallas ISD Maintenance and Facilities Services is to support learning by maintaining safe and efficient physical environments that promote student achievement. The department delivers industry-quality craftsmanship in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and multi-skilled trades. 

“We have a great team,” said Miriam Gaytan, director of Operations. “Jaylon and Josh are standouts in their fields and their day-to-day jobs. They have a natural gift of working with young learners, so this event was a really great opportunity for us to reach out to middle school students to learn about fields that are in high need, and jobs that will always be there.”

For thousands of Dallas ISD students, one day each spring stands out as something close to magical. It’s a day filled with music, special guests, free books, swag, and an overwhelming message that reading can take them anywhere—the district’s African American Read-In on Feb. 27. 

The read-in has been around since 1990 through the National Council of Teachers of English, and was brought to Dallas ISD by former District 6 Trustee Carla Ranger to spotlight African-American authors, stories, and student readers. Over time, it’s grown from a small Saturday gathering into a full‑scale district celebration with live music, big‑name guests, and nearly 10,000 free books.

One of the key organizers is Candyce Grant, director of the Office of School Improvement, whose own journey into education began far from Dallas.

Grant grew up in Lake Providence, La., a tiny rural town in the northeastern corner of the state along the Mississippi River. She described it as the kind of place “you blink, and you go right through,” but also as a deeply “homey” community where hard work was a way of life. As a child, she even spent time in the cotton fields with her mother.

“Hard work has always been a part of my life,” she said. “My mom was a teacher and a supervisor in education for over 40 years, and I really attribute who I am today to her. Whatever I do, I think, ‘My mom would be super proud of me because I’m walking in her legacy.’”

When Grant moved to Texas in 2004, she joined Dallas ISD as an elementary teacher at the now-closed George Washington Carver Creative Arts Learning Center. From there, she served at Sarah Zumwalt Middle School (now Dr. Frederick Douglass Todd Sr. Middle School), then moved into roles as a campus instructional coach, assistant principal, coordinator, and now director of School Improvement. Throughout that climb, her passion for literacy has stayed constant.

“Even if kids are more hands‑on, they still have to learn how to read,” she said. “Our goal is to instill reading in all of our students so they can grow, learn, and be very productive in their lives and as citizens.”

This year’s Read-In theme, “Read, Dream, Soar,” captures exactly what Grant is aiming for: not just higher reading levels, but bigger dreams.

“It’s about showing students they can be whoever they want to be, that they can dream big, and that reading is the foundation for their learning,” Grant said.

Over 40 campuses will send students to the central event at Concord Church, and at the same time, all 154 elementary campuses will receive curated book bundles, bookmarks, and a ready‑to‑use agenda so they can host their own campus read‑ins. In partnership with Library Media Services, the district selected 13 vetted titles and ordered enough copies for each participating student to leave with five to six books. Students will also receive a backpack, a book light, and a blanket.

“We want them to feel that reading is theirs,” Grant said. “That it’s special, that it belongs to them.”

On the stage, students will enjoy appearances by Dallas Cowboy Tyler Smith, the male-performance squad Mavs ManiAACs, and the Skyline High School band. Students will have the opportunity to meet author of Cookies & Milk Shawn Amos, who is also the son of famed entrepreneur Famous Amos, and listen as district leaders, including Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde, read aloud to them, demonstrating that books matter from the classroom all the way up to the superintendent’s office.

Throughout the venue, community and cultural partners will add to the atmosphere with storytelling, drumming, photo booths, and hands-on literacy stations. The goal isn’t just to tell students that reading is important—it’s to make them feel it, Grant said.

“That’s what we want,” she said. “We want them to be excited, to go back and tell their friends about it, and to want to read more.”

While School Improvement oversees more than 40 student‑centered projects, from mentoring and campus connectors to literacy and math acceleration specialists serving students who are most behind, the African American Read-In is a chance to show what all that work is really about: joy, opportunity, and the belief that a book can change the way children see the world and themselves.

“School improvement is here to support,” Grant said. “We’re goal‑driven and data‑driven, but we lead with love, tenacity, intentionality, and humility. At the end of the day, everything comes back to our students, their voices, their sense of belonging, and their future.”

March 23 marks the start of the open transfer period for all district campuses and teachers, counselors, and media specialists/literacy media specialists can seek and apply for positions. 

The open transfer period for the District Support Initiative campuses continues and teachers, counselors, and media specialists/literacy media specialists interested in working at those schools can seek and accept a position.

In addition, Dallas ISD is holding a job fair for DSI schools starting at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School of Innovation. Those interested will find exclusive career opportunities, competitive stipends, and on-the-spot interviews and hiring recommendations from DSI school principals. For more information about stipends and the job fair, download this flyer.

To take advantage of the open transfer opportunity, eligible employees must apply online using their EAD login at www.dallasisd.org/careers using the internal openings link. Employees must apply to be eligible to participate. The current principal’s approval is not required during the open transfer period; however, the best practice is to inform the current principal of the desire to transfer.

To be eligible for an open transfer, employees must meet the following criteria:

• Hold a valid Texas Teacher Certificate or hold a valid District of Innovation Certification Exemption in the requested subject-area vacancy and meet TEA/SBEC Certification Standards for the position
• Must not be entering their fourth year of an Alternative Certification Program
• Must not be identified for non-renewal at the end of the current school year due to performance and/or misconduct
• Must not have an Unsatisfactory rating on the most current TEI Evaluation

To see the list of campuses in the Pathway to Excellence, Strategic Support Schools, and Strategically Staffed High Schools programs and learn more about the supports and stipends provided, visit www.dallasisd.org/dsi. The deadline for principals to submit a recommendation for the open transfer period for PTE/SSS/SSHS campuses is June 4, 2026.

The open transfer period for all other campuses ends at 11:59 p.m. on April 24, 2026.

Human Capital Management will accept principal recommendations via TMS for schools, including those in the Pathway to Excellence, Strategic Support Schools, and Strategically Staffed High Schools programs.

Human Capital Management will email notifications of approval/denial throughout the open transfer period. These notifications will be sent to the employee and the current and receiving principals. Transfers are only final once the Letter of Assignment email notification has been sent from Human Capital Management. All notifications will be completed by May 1, 2026, and June 9, 2026, for PTE/SSS/SSHS campuses. After the open transfer window closes, all transfers must follow the administrative transfer guidelines.

At Dallas ISD, the Employee Giving Campaign is more than a fundraiser—it’s a way for team members to directly invest in students and classrooms across the district. For Yizzel Pompa, special education teacher at Leila P. Cowart Elementary School, proceeds from previous campaigns have already proven how powerful that investment can be.

Now an Employee Giving Campaign campus champion, Pompa has seen firsthand how employee donations turn into meaningful, tangible change for students. Through a Dallas Education Foundation grant, she was able to completely reimagine the environment in her self-contained special education classroom.

Her grant focused on sensory regulation for early childhood special education and students with significant needs. With those funds, she purchased items like a light table, sensory floor tiles, texture pads, weighted items, light fixture covers, and materials to build a Peace Center for students who need a break to regulate.

“When you get classrooms, you get a lot of things that are just handed down or constantly used,” she said. For her students—many of whom are autistic or experience sensory overload—this wasn’t enough. “Grants are the one thing that transforms a classroom.”

The impact of the grant has extended beyond her own students. Working with principal Christina Rodrigue Dimanh, Pompa helped create a campuswide cool-down room using some of the sensory items and a crash pad funded by the grant. Any student who feels overwhelmed, emotional, or in need of a mental break can use the space.

“It’s a welcoming, peaceful space for friends when they need it, and that’s used across the entire campus,” she said. “It’s been really helpful to the whole campus, which is why it’s great to get buy-in from staff. Their participation is what helped us get what we need.”

One of the most striking examples of the grant’s impact came from a single tool Pompa initially saw as optional—the light table. She bought it for sensory play, but during a difficult moment with a student who struggled with transitions and engagement, she tried something new.

“Randomly, I just put the worksheet on top of the light table and turned it on dim, and that completely changed his willingness to work,” she said. “It’s become something that allows me to reach him instructionally.”

Stories like this are at the heart of the Employee Giving Campaign. Pompa emphasized that donations from team members are what make these kinds of grants possible—not just at her school, but across the district.

“I think it’s just a resource within our community that gives back to our community,” she said. “This is something that comes from our staff, and it goes right back to our schools.”

As a campus champion, Pompa now works just as hard to keep her colleagues engaged and motivated to give. She’s turned fundraising into something fun, creative, and rewarding for all.

“Cowart is in the lead because I negotiated with my administrator to be able to give our staff small prizes,” she said. Those who donate can earn jeans days; enter in weekly raffles with prizes like baked goods, themed baskets, gift cards; and even get extended lunch breaks.

“We get a little creative,” she said. “Teacher wins that we don’t think of are super valuable. I would love an hour lunch break, so we’re raffling off that. I’ll cover your recess if your entire team gives to the giving campaign.”

Those efforts are paying off. 

“We’re one of the schools at the top,” Pompa said.

For this year’s Employee Giving Campaign, Pompa’s message is clear: “It’s important to keep it going, and in order to do that, we have to engage, and we have to participate, and we have to give,” she said. “We just have to remember the purpose of it is to give back to ourselves and our communities and our district.”

To donate to the Employee Giving Campaign, click here. To find your school or department champion, click on this document.

Since the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, Dallas ISD has been using a new system powered by Apptegy for its mass communications to team members, parents and guardians. And in the next few weeks, the last phase of this system, Rooms, will launch so that teachers, coaches, club sponsors and other school personnel can have two-way communications with students and parents.

This two-way communication will reach parents and guardians in their preferred language through the new Dallas ISD app and will replace a variety of apps that are now used by teachers to communicate with parents. Train-the-trainer sessions have been available for designated campus staff who are now training teachers on how to effectively use this new feature.

Although the Dallas ISD app, currently available in iOS and Android versions, is not strictly necessary for the two-way communication between parents and teachers, it is recommended that parents download it. Parents can use the app not only to access the two-way communications, but also to find their children’s daily cafeteria menus as well as news and notifications from the district and respective schools. Schools and the district can also upload important documents to the app for parents.

Schools have already been using the new system to send out calls, texts with additional characters, and emails in English and Spanish. Additional languages are expected to be added next year.

Principals who have yet to designate a trainer for their school can do so using this form. Additional virtual train-the-trainer sessions will be available at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, and at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25; click on the link of your preferred date to register for the training. Alerts and News trainings for new coordinators will be available in March. Further dates will be shared in the Weekly Administrative Information Packet. 

For questions about the system and trainings, email meroles@dallasisd.org.

From the classroom to campus administration, legacy school Jimmie Tyler Brashear Elementary School emphasizes leadership development at every level. The school earned an overall academic score of 88 from the Texas Education Agency by focusing on schoolwide collaboration.  

At Brashear, academic success begins the moment students walk through the school doors. Each morning, they are greeted by the principal, Sonja Barnes, and teacher assistants, reflecting the school’s commitment to forming strong relationships. Barnes welcomes students with a swarm of bubbles, creating a friendly environment that sets the tone for the day.  

“I believe that as teachers, we should approach our work with joy and intention, making school an exciting place for students to learn,” said LaShawn Griffin, third-grade math teacher. “Since attendance is such an important part of success, we make it a priority to ensure that our students feel welcome and know that they are learning from the moment they walk in until the moment they leave.” 

Griffin is one of many educators contributing to the campus’s STAAR success. Now in her 12th year at Brashear, she also mentors new teachers, helping them develop effective strategies for teaching key concepts in their classrooms. 

Her classroom is grounded in social-emotional learning, supporting students’ well-being so they can focus and approach each day with confidence. She also integrates reading strategies into math instruction, helping students strengthen vocabulary comprehension and close learning gaps.    

Through small-group instruction and hands-on activities, Griffin teaches students to annotate problems and solve them by carefully analyzing the meaning of each word.   

“I believe that when kids know that you care, they will care about what you’re trying to teach them, and care about learning,” she said.  

For two years, the school has participated in a leadership development program with The Holdsworth Center, designed to strengthen teachers as leaders. Barnes formed a team of educators to identify a long-term focus area that would drive campus improvement. For Brashear, that focus became strengthening vocabulary to improve student performance on STAAR.  

Barnes’ leadership was also recognized after being selected as 2025-2026 Region III Elementary Principal of the Year. She emphasized that while strong STAAR performance is important, authentic instruction that engages students in deep thinking ultimately prepares them for success on any assessment.  

“In the beginning of the program, I worked with my assistant principal to analyze the data and discuss strategies we could use,” Barnes said. “When we brought teachers into the conversation, they identified even more strategies to support our students. We landed on implementing the TIP chart—Text, Information, Picture—and adapted it across the campus.” 

A TIP chart helps students break down content by identifying key text, relevant information, and visual connections to deepen their comprehension. This approach, along with schoolwide instructional practices, such as an emphasis on problem-solving, critical thinking, and in-depth annotations, contributed to the school earning a B rating.  

Brashear’s success extends beyond classroom achievement in math and reading. The campus prioritizes developing confident student leaders who are prepared to take ownership of their learning and their community.  

Students can engage in service and leadership opportunities through the National Elementary Honor Society and student council. As school ambassadors, they lead campus tours and coordinate community service projects, building the confidence and skills needed to become future scholars. 

Barnes has served as principal of Brashear for 11 years. Her leadership shapes the culture of the entire campus and creates space for teachers and students to thrive. Just two points shy of an A rating, the school is building a sustained momentum toward even greater academic excellence. 

“Our vision is to make sure that we’re laying the foundation for college, career and beyond,” Barnes said. “When every staff member believes they have the ability to help a child reach college or change the trajectory of that child’s life, great things happen. At Brashear, I believe every staff member understands the role they play in each child’s journey.” 

What began as Willo S.’s small, homemade cosmetics line is now being refined in the classroom as part of a Career and Technical Education course at North Dallas High School.

In 2020, at 11-years-old and to stave off boredom, the student  and her mom began researching how to make lip glosses from scratch. Together, they ordered lip gloss bases and oils and experimented with different formulas to create a product that was safe and naturally derived.

“We started mixing things around to see what would be best, and that took a long time to do before we actually launched,” Willo said. “But as soon as we started, I felt like I gained a passion for having my own business.”

The growing venture soon became known as Puc.ker Up! By Willo Dior, and is now sold through her website. It was important for her to create glosses that were youthful, fun, and hydrating, using ingredients such as coconut oil, grape seed oil, and avocado oil.

“It was really exciting because going from the things I saw on social media, to having bulk orders coming in every day and seeing my name on it, it finally felt real,” she said.

The lip gloss aficionado says she grew up playing with her mother’s makeup, so it was a natural decision to pursue the beauty industry.

As a student in North Dallas High School’s CTE business pathway, Willo is learning how to strengthen her business through lessons in marketing, finance, customer service, and professional communication.

“For students who are already entrepreneurs, like Willo, the pathway provides mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to guest speakers who are real business owners,” said Merjournie Golightly, Willo’s CTE teacher. “That allows them to gain practical insight, meaningful connections, and real-world feedback while refining their ventures.”

As part of the class, Willo created a comprehensive presentation that examined every aspect of her business, from branding and pricing to target audience and financial planning.

“Eventually, I want to expand into hair care and skincare,” she said. “I always get compliments on my hair, and never knew why, but my mom told me people are going to want to use my products just because of how I present myself.”

Through hands-on assignments in the CTE business pathway, Willo learned to think more strategically about decisions she once made instinctively, from managing her finances to keeping her customers engaged, and that growth has extended beyond her business, strengthening her confidence and desire to inspire other young entrepreneurs.

“I hope people understand the amount of hard work that goes into having a business, but also that they can also do this, especially with a good support system and people who are confident in your dreams,” she said.

This year marks 100 years of national Black History observances, honoring the individuals, movements, and traditions that have preserved Black history and shaped cultural identity, pride, and resilience.

When Edwin Dubois, principal of H. Grady Spruce High School, stands before students, he doesn’t see a random crowd of teenagers. He sees the future of the neighborhood where he grew up—and a calling he can’t ignore.

“I want people to know that it’s a new day here at Spruce,” Dubois said. “Whatever yesterday’s view of Spruce was, we want people to see about today.”

A Dallas ISD legacy, Dubois grew up in the Pleasant Grove community and graduated from Skyline High School. While his professional life didn’t begin in the classroom—his undergraduate roots are in accounting and finance—the “fire was lit,” he said, once he began substitute teaching. Now, after serving as a teacher, campus coordinator, dean of students, assistant principal, and middle school principal across the district, Dubois is in his first year leading Spruce. Despite his trajectory in education, this current role isn’t about climbing the ladder, he said.

“Everything is a calling,” he said. “I just can’t say, ‘Oh, I want to be like this person.’ If that’s not my calling, then I need to serve where I’m called to serve. For sure, coming back to Pleasant Grove and Spruce—this was a calling.”

For Dubois the image of success doesn’t start with test scores. It starts with how students feel when they walk through the doors.

“My vision is to make sure that this school building is a safe refuge for students to come in and be better in education and as people,” he said.

He views the journey from ninth grade to graduation as a four-year arc of growth. Success is seeing students leave Spruce more mature and prepared to contribute to Pleasant Grove, he said.

“When a freshman walks in our building, I want them to be better than they were by the time they’re seniors,” he said. “That’s from a standpoint of maturity, from the mind, and also from the academics.”

To achieve this, Dubois insists that no student feel like a number. He expects teachers and staff to treat relationships as core work.

“I told every student that they need to make sure that at least one adult in this building knows their name,” he said. “They need to be seen. They need to be heard, and they need to be known.”

When Dubois first arrived, he listened closely to what students were saying, and he heard a clear concern: students didn’t always feel safe. The comments became a turning point—he made it clear to his leadership team that safety and culture would be his first priority.

“No matter what, the only way that we’re going to be successful in academics is if our culture changes, and we change with it,” he said.

Since then, Spruce has tightened expectations, increased adult visibility, and focused on making the building feel orderly and secure. The early signs are encouraging; the school’s fall climate survey was the highest in its history.

“This is the work that we have done, including the students, to show that change is happening, and it’s moving in a positive manner,” he said.

He is clear, however, that discipline isn’t about being harsh; it’s about preparation for the real world.

“We’re not in the business of saying, ‘You made a mistake, that’s the end of the world,’” he said. “We’re going to help you through that, but we’re holding you accountable because the world’s expectations are going to be so much higher for you.”

Part of Dubois’ mission is to make sure the broader community sees the excellence he sees every day. He talks with pride about graduates who are already thriving in technical careers.

“We have students who graduated last year,” he said. “Right now they’re working with Texas Instruments, making like $120,000 as 19‑year‑olds.”

He sees those outcomes as proof that the community’s talent has long been there—it just hasn’t always been recognized.

“It’s just the knowledge and the skill that these students have that they just wanted to be expressed,” he said.

On campus, Dubois noted rising Advanced Placement performance, growing dual credit opportunities, and a strengthened early college and CTE pipeline, including mechatronics. Through the Bond Program, the high school will be getting new renovations and even a new athletic complex.

Spruce is in fact on a path toward becoming a B‑rated campus for the first time since the state began issuing letter grades.

“The atmosphere is warm, safe, and respectful. As you walk into a classroom, you experience high-quality instruction from teachers and see our academics on the rise,” Dubois said.

For Dubois, however, Spruce is inseparable from Pleasant Grove. “This is a neighborhood school,” he said. “If Spruce fails, then it’s like this community fails.”

That belief drives his push for strong parent and community involvement. To boost morale last month, a group of mothers spent a Sunday afternoon making tamales for the school’s employees. When the parents needed help covering ingredients, Dubois quietly stepped in.

“If I have the resources, then, yes, I will give what I can to support,” he said.

To build on that momentum, he and his team are planning more campus connection events, including barbecues, game nights, movie nights, to make Spruce feel like the community’s school again.

“We want to be recognized as one of the top comprehensive high schools in Dallas ISD,” he said. “When people say Pleasant Grove, I want Spruce to be the first thing that comes to mind.”

For now, that means doing the daily work of “sprucing up” the campus, one relationship at a time.

“It’s a new day here at Spruce,” Dubois said. “And we’re just getting started.”

When most people think of Dallas ISD, they picture classrooms, teachers, and students. Jermauld Cobbs, director of Fleet Services, thinks about trucks, fuel, ice melt, work orders, and pallets of supplies having to move before sunrise.

Cobbs is a homegrown leader—a graduate of David W. Carter High School, he pursued engineering studies at Prairie View A&M University. Cobbs came back to Dallas ISD as an employee, and next month, he marks 30 years with the district, the only place he has worked. 

“I started with the district back in 1996 and have been here ever since,” he said. 

Today, Cobbs oversees the Service Center and warehouses that power the district’s operations. His job, as he describes it, is logistics in its broadest sense. His team supports every corner of Dallas ISD—schools, administrative buildings, non-instructional sites, even emergency response locations like Dallas ISD Police.

“Everything we do reflects upon our organization,” he explained. “My role is the logistics of Dallas ISD. My team and I are the ones responsible for delivering necessary things.”

On any given day, his operation is moving instructional materials, desks and chairs, cleaning supplies, technology, records, mail, and countless other essentials. The goal is for most people never to think about how anything arrived—only that it did.

Cobbs doesn’t do it alone. One of the first principles he mentions is his reliance on people who are experts in their fields and genuinely invested in the work.

“I surround myself with subject matter experts and people who are dedicated to their job skills and their position in my organization,” he said. “When they’re successful, the team is successful, and when the team is successful, the entire organization is successful.”

Cobbs’ approach to leadership is shaped by his engineering background, which didn’t just give him a degree, it also rewired how he thinks about problems. He describes his mind as constantly in motion, running parallel tracks of thought. Even while he’s talking, he’s thinking ahead to schedules, routes, and contingencies, he said.

“I’m a great problem solver,” he said. “Half of my brain is talking to someone, answering questions, while the other half is three or four steps ahead. I’m always thinking about the what ifs.”

That way of thinking becomes especially critical when the district faces emergencies. During the recent winter storm that shut down schools for days, Cobbs’ world moved into overdrive. His warehouse was the central storage point for ice melt, and he and his team quickly shifted from routine deliveries to crisis response.

“We’re in the service center, but we’re still a part of the Maintenance and Facility Services,” Cobbs said. “We’re not on an island by ourselves. We’re all one big happy family, and I do mean happy.”

Fleet Services sets up teams to pull orders and stage materials for pickup. Grounds crews came in to load ice melt and distribute it to maintenance barns and campuses. Maintenance staff turned to the warehouse for materials to repair burst pipes and damaged classrooms. While much of the region stayed home, Cobbs and his colleagues across maintenance, grounds, custodial services, and transportation were on the ground, trying to make sure the district could safely reopen.

“But that Thursday before schools reopened, we knew we were in crunch time. We did assessments, we did site visits, and we still had ice on the ground,” Cobbs said. “Service Center and warehouse staff drove heavy trucks over ice to break it up. Drivers and maintenance crews spread ice melt and repaired damage. Grounds personnel scraped ice and spread ice melt in parking lots.”

It was not glamorous work, but it was essential, Cobbs said.

That word—essential—is one Cobbs returns to often. He is clear about the fact that if his team stops being dependable, someone else can be brought in to do the job. That awareness fuels his insistence on customer service as a non-negotiable value.

“The biggest thing that I stress here at the Service Center is that we provide customer service, and we’re graded on how we provide it,” he said. For Cobbs, customer service is not just for principals or department heads.

“Everyone is a customer,” he said. “The people we’re providing a service for, the people we work with, the people we work for, the people we work around. If I’m delivering you a package, you are my customer. If I have a helper in my truck, he’s my customer because he’s getting knowledge from me.”

That philosophy extends beyond the district. He recalls a day when a Dallas Fire Rescue employee showed up at his site, desperate for help for her special needs daughter. She saw the Dallas ISD sign and walked in, not knowing where else to turn. Cobbs and his staff sat down with her, got on the phone, and called “everyone outside Jesus Christ Himself,” he said, until she had the contacts and answers she needed.

Moments like that are part of why Cobbs has stayed for three decades with Dallas ISD. He sees his work as a way to pay forward the investment others made in him.

“If it hadn’t been for my father, my family, and my support team, I never would have gotten here,” he said. “Dallas ISD made me the person I am, and I’m just trying to give back.”

He is uncomfortable with praise and prefers to stay out of the spotlight. What matters to him is doing his job well, he said.

“I don’t like the kudos. I don’t like the affirmation,” he said. “I might not teach the students, but I’m happy delivering their textbooks.”

This year marks 100 years of national Black History observances, honoring the individuals, movements, and traditions that have preserved Black history and shaped cultural identity, pride, and resilience.

Devon Furston, head wrestling coach at Justin F. Kimball High School, has built a championship program rooted in unity. A former student-athlete and Kimball alumnus, Fortson has dedicated nearly four decades to the sport of wrestling and is now making history. In recognition of his lasting influence on students and the wrestling community, he will be inducted into the 2026 Texas High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Honor.  

“When I found out about the honor, I was reminded how everything happens in due time,” he said. “In due time, you’ll get your flowers—you’ll get your reward for the hard work you do. I’m glad I was able to see it in my lifetime. I’ve had success, but in the beginning it’s hard to say how you are going to climb the ladder.” 

As a student, Fortson was named Kimball High School’s Class of 1982 Most Valuable Athlete. He competed year-round in football, track, and wrestling, which is the sport that ultimately defined his career path. When he transitioned into coaching, Fortson was intentional about being known as a wrestling professional committed to growth and mentorship, he said.

During Fortson’s days as a student, Kimball High School was becoming integrated in an environment of racial tension across Dallas he said. He recalled how student athletes played a key role in shaping a culture of unity and respect for one another

“One thing that made Kimball successful was that we got along,” Fortson said. “There was still racial tension going on in the late ’70s, but we used sports to change that dynamic here at Kimball. We saw what was happening throughout the city, but we made a conscious effort to say we weren’t going to let that happen at our school. At the time, we considered ourselves the best melting pot of people getting along in high school. Everyone was able to sit across from someone that didn’t look like them, and say—‘that’s my brother too.’”

The journey to becoming a Hall of Honor inductee began after high school. He attended Richland Junior College and continued wrestling. He earned a full scholarship to Ranger Junior College, FortsonCollege Fortson and continued his education at West Texas State University, taking up football and earning a Division I scholarship. 

In 1997, Fortson returned home to Kimball High School as a teacher’s assistant. One year later, he founded the wrestling program, laying the groundwork for what would become one of the district’s most consistent athletic programs. 

Today, Fortson continues to share valuable lessons with his students, telling them everyone is capable of learning, regardless of background, he said. Girls’ wrestling is one of the fastest growing high school sports in the nation, ranking second only to girls flag football in participation and growth. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, girls wrestling increased by 1000 participants in 2025 alone, with more than 74,000 students competing nationwide. 

“I got our girls to try wrestling by inviting them to learn self-defesnse,” he said. “And it worked out well. One of our girls made history in Dallas ISD when she became a wrestling state champion two years in a row. She is the only student to ever accomplish this.”

With the support of a dedicated coaching staff, Forston has led Kimball’s wrestling teams to the UIL Wrestling State Tournament for 23 consecutive years. 

Forston’s induction ceremony will take place later this month at the 2026 UIL State Wrestling Tournament, marking a full-circle moment of recognition grounded in the same community and school where his journey began.

“I’ve been asked to go to other places and start programs,” he said, “But I’ve always stayed here at Kimball, and stayed true to my roots for 28 years.”