Staff News

Special contribution by Lennon Formaggini, Student Activities

The auditorium erupted into cheers with every click of the controllers as the final two players started their showdown match at the Dallas ISD Elementary Esports Tournament held recently at Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy. Then it happened. The screen flashed: Player 1 Wins and Martin Weiss Elementary was crowned the Smash Brothers champion again.

“The first time one of my students got first place in an esports tournament, I felt like it was a shared win,” said Antonio Barnes, Weiss Elementary School esports coach. “My heart was racing, adrenaline pumping as if I were competing myself while rooting him on from the audience.”

The Student Activities Department sponsors tournaments each year for the more than 1,200 fourth- and fifth-grade gamers participating in the district’s esports program, which was expanded to elementary students in 2021. Since the inclusion of elementary schools, Barnes has been the esports coach at Weiss. Under his leadership, students have consistently delivered outstanding performances in tournaments year after year.

Barnes’ passion for esports stems from his experiences as a young gamer.

“I began playing Smash Brothers on the Nintendo 64,” he said. “After all these years, my students have an opportunity to compete in Smash Brothers tournaments, playing a game I’ve known and loved my whole life.”

Barnes’ journey into esports coaching began with a simple realization: video games are more than just entertainment: “It’s not just about playing a game,” he said. “It’s about working together, strategizing, and learning how to handle both victory and defeat.”

Barnes holds practice sessions every Friday to identify students who are serious about gaming.

“For those dedicated, I provide one-on-one tutorials on gameplay mechanics, then refine their skills to help them excel,” he said.

Eddie T., a student from Weiss Elementary, says he found his passion for esports from coach Barnes.

“He taught me how to play and how to get better at the game,” he said. “I never played Smash Brothers before I got into esports.”

Esports gives students a sense of community and an opportunity to shine in ways they never expected. 

“Some kids who may not have been interested in traditional sports or clubs have found a place where they belong,” Barnes said. “For many students, joining the esports program has been a game changer—literally and figuratively.”

Another one of his students, Jaime S., didn’t realize how exciting esports tournaments could be.

“I didn’t know the tournament would be that big and that fun,” Jaime said. “I liked seeing all the set-ups when we walked into the gym at the tournament. I got a little nervous at the first tournament, but I liked seeing all the kids that came from other schools to play.”

Beyond the tournaments, Barnes sees esports as a pathway to future opportunities.

His dedication to esports at Weiss Elementary is helping shape the next generation of gamers, leaders, and innovators. With his guidance, students aren’t just playing games—they’re building skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

“The esports industry is booming, with scholarships and career paths available in gaming, broadcasting, and coding,” Barnes said. “If we introduce students to it early, who knows where it might take them?”

Principals across the district have been receiving small cubes full of sweetness and information to thank them for their participation in the upcoming More Choice Expo, a districtwide enrollment event encouraging families to learn about their neighborhood schools.  

The expo will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, at the Automobile Building in Fair Park. Dallas ISD’s legacy schools will be represented and families will have the chance to register for the 2025-2026 school year, with nearly 50 registrars available to assist and answer any questions. It will be a day of family fun, food, and the opportunity to explore the best schools that Dallas has to offer.  

The event will also feature a prekindergarten area where parents can learn about the benefits of the program and enroll their children for the upcoming year.  
For more details, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/morechoice. Schools can visit the tool kits page to find materials to help them promote the event to their families. 

Starting in June, the district will be closed on Fridays as central team members begin to work the summer schedule four-day week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monthly employees

Employees paid monthly will work the four-day work week from June 2 through July 25. Monthly employees will resume their regular work hours on July 28.

Biweekly employees

Employees paid biweekly will work a four-day workweek from June 6 through July 24. Biweekly employees will not work on June 6 if they participate in the four-day workweek. Biweekly employees who participate in the four-day workweek will resume their regular hours on July 25.

Employees are responsible for consulting with their supervisor to determine the start, end, and lunch times of their daily work schedule during the summer. Employees approved to take a working lunch will only be required to stay at the worksite or be available remotely for 10 hours. Employees will be compensated for the working lunch time, and it will be considered part of the regular work hours.

Supervisors may allow employees to work a schedule other than the four-day workweek so long as the change does not negatively affect the department functions. Some departments may choose to return to the regular work schedule sooner. Decisions regarding the work schedule are at the discretion of the department supervisor. In addition, departmental leadership may modify the employees’ work schedule to meet campus, departmental, or district needs at any time. Any event such as New Teacher Academy or a back-to-school program may require a change to the work schedule in order to provide support. Campus principals will make the determination of implementing a four-day workweek based on the needs of their campus and with executive director approval.

Juneteenth and summer break

The district will be closed on June 19 for the Juneteenth holiday. Pay for the holiday will be 10 hours of paid time for 260-day staff paid biweekly rather than the normal eight hours.

The district will be closed for summer break from June 30 through July 4. Employees will not be permitted to work for pay while the district is closed unless the employee has received prior written approval from their department chief. All central employees will return to work on July 7.

Starting April 1, the HCM Benefits Department will partner with a new third-party administrator, Empyrean Health, to streamline and enhance the management of team members’ benefits. 

This change means a more convenient way for employees to access and manage all aspects of health and well-being, including benefits administration, leave of absence requests, flexible spending accounts, health spending accounts, and more.

Why the Change?

The contract with the current third-party administrator has ended, and the new partner was selected after a competitive bid process. The process allowed the district to explore innovative benefits options, enhance service delivery, and make managing benefits more accessible by putting it right at employees’ fingertips.

With Empyrean Health, team members will have access to the MyDallasISD Benefits App, available on both Apple and Google Play. This app will provide the following benefits:

• Access all benefits anytime, anywhere
• Convenient and easy-to-use platform to manage benefits
• Stay connected on the go

What’s Next? 

In the coming days, employees will receive more information on how to download the app and access the enrollment portal. Benefits would like to encourage all to take a moment to download the app and log into the enrollment portal to become familiar  with the new platform. Additionally, instructions on how to log into the leaves portal and access the FSA/HSA websites will be provided.

Important to note:

• There are no changes to benefit carriers—employees will continue to receive the same customer service.
• The Benefits Call Center number—972-925-4000—remains unchanged and is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for assistance with benefits administration, enrollment, leave requests, FSA/HSA, or the Employee Assistance Program.

Transitions can raise questions, and the HCM Benefits Department is here to offer support and address any concerns Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. In April, HCM-Benefits will offer extended office hours from 5 to 7 p.m. for virtual and telephone appointments. Virtual and telephone appointments will also be available on Saturdays in April from 8 a.m. to noon. Feel free to contact Benefits via email at benefits@dallasisd.org or call 972-925-4300. Benefits experts are happy to assist team members virtually, over the phone, or in person—appointments can be scheduled by calling 972-925-4300.

Dallas ISD is home to many women in leadership like Candace Yarbough, executive director of Procurement Services, whose role is essential to the district’s daily operations and overall success.

Yarbough leads the department that buys goods and services for the district in five main areas—food and child nutrition, maintenance, general administration, technology and teaching and learning.

Recently, she has been leading the district’s transition from a manual procurement process to an electronic platform called Bonfire. This updated technology is expected to provide better accessibility and a more transparent process for district users as well as vendors. Yarbough feels that the new platform will ensure every corner of the district has the necessary tools to be impactful and resourceful.

“I feel accomplished knowing that our teachers and district departments are supported. At one point, I wanted to be a teacher, as well. Even in procurement, my impact still reaches the classroom,” Yarbough said.

A Dallas ISD alumna from Pleasant Grove, Yarbough attended W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy and Rufus C. Burleson Elementary School. She graduated in 2000 from the Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center.

After attending Dallas College and The University of Texas at Arlington, Yarbough attended Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. Eventually, Yarbough felt there was more to her career than practicing law, and 10 years ago, she made a smooth transition to the district as a contract specialist in Procurement Services.

After a time working with district buyers and vendors, Yarbough put her knowledge of law to use as she transitioned to the district’s Legal Services Department as assistant general counsel.

“In this role I was exposed to employment and school law, which was an amazing experience,” Yarbough said about returning to her roots as a lawyer within an educational setting.

After this position, her admiration for educators led Yarbough back to procurement services and her current leadership role.

“When stepping into my role as executive director, I was impacted by other women chiefs and executive directors who encouraged me and supported my leadership transition,” Yarbough said.

She models her leadership style after the lessons of resilience and determination that she learned from her sister.

“My sister is 10 years older than me. I looked up to her as a successful business owner and woman in a male dominated STEM field,” Yarbough said.

Although Yarbrough’s family grew up in poverty, she saw education as a way towards a better future.

“My mother always told me if I did nothing else, I had to get my education. My driving force was to fully become Candace before I became a wife or mother. I wanted to have my own identity,” she said.

These values fueled Yarbough’s determination in her youth and motivated her to push forward—not just for others, but for herself first. Yarbough has merged this ambition with her passion for helping others, making her a natural leader.

“I think a good leader has the ability to see and understand that people have different perspectives,” she said. “It’s my job to establish connections and build trust. I try to approach leadership through being open so that my team can trust that I am here for them, and most importantly, that I am an advocate for them.”

Dallas ISD is excited to host the annual More Choice Expo, a districtwide enrollment event encouraging families to learn about their neighborhood schools.  

The expo will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, at the Automobile Building in Fair Park. Dallas ISD’s legacy schools will be represented and families will have the chance to register for the 2025-2026 school year, with nearly 50 registrars available to assist and answer any questions. It will be a day of family fun, food, and the opportunity to explore the best schools that Dallas has to offer. 

This will also be the first weekend for prekindergarten enrollment for the new school year at the pre-K pop up. For more details, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/morechoice. Schools can visit the tool kits page to find materials to help them promote the event to their families. 

The second semester of the school year can get quite busy between end-of-year testing, wrapping up projects, and preparing for the summer break. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. 

Dallas ISD wants team members to know that they are not alone during this time. The HCM Benefits Department’s Employee Assistance Program is here to provide support and to help make this season a little easier to manage.

The EAP is a confidential and completely free resource available to all district employees. Whether they are dealing with work-related stress, personal challenges, or just feeling the weight of responsibilities, trained counselors are available to support team members. The program can assist with a wide range of concerns, including family issues, relationship challenges, financial or legal matters, stress, and emotional well-being.

No matter what time of day or night, the EAP is here for all. Team members can reach out 24/7, 365 days a year, and provides up to six counseling sessions per issue at no cost.

Getting help is simple. Team members can contact the EAP by calling 972-925-4000 and then selecting Option 3. For even more convenience, additional resources are available through the “Telus Health One” app on both the Apple Store and Google Play. If you prefer to access support through our district’s designated app, just log into the portal using your SSO (Single Sign On) credentials, and download the EAP app. For further details, you can also visit www.dallasisd.org/benefits and click on https://dallasisd.lifeworks.com/feed to access the Telus Health One EAP website directly.

If you have any questions or need more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the HCM Benefits Department at 972-925-4300 or by email at benefits@dallasisd.org. 

March 24 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 new 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 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, at South Oak Cliff High School. 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

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 1, 2025.

The open transfer period for all other campuses ends at 11:59 p.m. on April 25, 2025.

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 2 and June 9 for PTE/SSS/SSHS campuses. After the open transfer window closes, all transfers must follow the administrative transfer guidelines.

Throughout the month of March, the National Association for Music Education celebrates Music in Our Schools Month, highlighting the work of music teachers like Terence Hobdy, director of Roots, Jazz and American Music at

Screenshot

Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Visual Arts.

Hobdy, who has spent the last five years leading the school’s jazz program and ensembles, is preparing students to understand the culture and historical significance of the music they play, teaching them to use their own perspectives to create an innovative sound.

“At a young age, I was listening to Dexter Gordon,” said Hobdy, who comes from a musical family. “My oldest brother would play his radio, and I would hear Charlie Parker playing Embraceable You. It was the alto saxophone that made me want to play jazz.” 

Originally born in Houston, Hobdy grew up in gospel music environments, often surrounded by drummers. His musical interests began at a very young age, prompting his mother to enroll him in drum lessons at the age of 6.

Hobdy began his formal music education in middle and high school band. He continued his studies at the University of Houston where he received a bachelor’s degree in music. He also earned a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas in 2015.

While studying at North Texas, Hobdy was selected to perform with a university quintet that traveled to Amsterdam. His experience performing in Europe had a profound effect on him, and he developed a deeper appreciation for the technicality of the jazz language.

“Europe is the birthplace of classical music. They apply that level of study to jazz, and there is an incredibly high level of respect for the history and the integrity of jazz music,” Hobdy said.

With familial roots tracing back to southern Louisiana, Hobdy is deeply connected to music’s history. From New Orleans Jazz to R&B, gospel, and hip hop, he draws from these influences as the foundation for his teaching.

Hobdy began his career as a consultant for the arts magnet’s ensembles and as a music instructor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2020, he became the new jazz director at the arts magnet high school.

“My room is a collage of the previous director’s success for the last 30 years before he retired. I am trying to keep it going, making sure it keeps moving in that direction and further,” Hobdy said, now setting his sights on preparing for future Grammy nominations for the school’s ensembles.

Hobdy hopes to evolve music education. He is reimagining creativity through teaching the importance of culture, historical significance and innovation—instilling these ideals into the school’s group ensembles.

“Jazz unifies and moves things forward. Jazz preserves integrity,” Hobdy said. “When you listen to past recordings and study the way musicians of the time presented themselves and the music—there was always some level of integrity.”

Hobdy directs the Booker T. Washington Jazz Orchestra, Contemporary Ensemble, Jazz Combo and the Jazz Fusion Midi Ensemble, which teaches students a unique and flexible approach to improvisation beyond traditional jazz.

“The ensembles are more than just diversity. They honor the spawning of how music came into existence. Each ensemble serves a purpose of historical significance,” Hobdy said.

Next, he hopes to create an African Drumming ensemble to preserve the rhythms that are the root influence for all other music.

Hobdy centers his instruction around culture, engaging students in a variety of indigenous music—from African music to Latin American music, to Afro Cuban and classical music.

He compared the way jazz was formed to the intricate process of making a cultural dish, a tradition he knows well through his family heritage.

“Since jazz is birthed in New Orleans, the best way to think of it is to imagine gumbo,” he said. “The ingredients of gumbo are items that you wouldn’t think go well together, yet they mix well with the right seasoning. It all starts with a good roux—a base or foundation—to help bring those different ingredients together and to help the flavors make sense.” Hobdy compared that to combining different cultures to create a new art form, and both are living expressions of history, culture, and harmony.

W.W. Samuell High School art teacher Rachel Rogerson is impacting both her school and the global art community as she takes students through women’s art history, teaching them cultural art traditions.

In her leadership role as an art curator, Rogerson also engages the community in historical narratives, celebrating customs and traditions that can be preserved through art.

Previously, as the executive director at The Mckinney Avenue Contemporary (The MAC) in Dallas, she led the gallery in advocating for creative freedom and presenting visual art in all forms.

Rogerson studied fine and studio art at the University of North Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Before becoming an educator, she worked in various historical exhibits as an art curator, and in 2013, received a Master of Letters in Museum and Heritage Studies from the University of St. Andrews after discovering a desire to be a leader within these spaces.

Her journey to education came well after her career as a curator. Following her participation in the district’s Alternative Certification program, Rogerson became a long-term substitute at W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy during the onset of the pandemic.

“This experience brought back why art is so important to me. It was great seeing students engage in art and being able to express themselves,” Rogerson said.

Rogerson has been at Samuell High School since 2021 when she became a full-time art teacher leading art classes and the school’s art club.

Rogerson is inspired by African American and Nigerian women artists, Lois Mailou Jones and Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye, often conducting research on West African textiles and quilting traditions of the American south. 

She uses this knowledge for her curriculum, centering student projects on these historical art techniques. This year, her students are honoring women artists by using a West African fabric dyeing tradition called Adire.

Rogerson guides them through learning how to sew, studying the science of using indigo dye and studying traditional quilt patterns.

She believes that it is important for her students to know the history behind the clothing items we wear regularly, and to understand how women have created techniques that we have used for centuries.

“I want to teach students about the historical knowledge that connects to the contributions of women, specifically black women,” Rogerson said. “I hope they can see the past as something that is a part of their daily lives. I hope that they’re starting to see there is more under the surface—that there’s something deeper.”

Recently, her impact has reached global audiences, as well.

In 2022, Rogerson served as art curator for an exhibit with Dallas artist Lucas Martell, alongside the international German art fair—Documenta. After an open call that year, Rogerson submitted the concept to the lottery drawing system and was picked to be an exhibitor.

This work received coverage and international publication in the German based art book, Win-Win Lottery, by DISTANZ Verlag (Berlin).

Rogerson’s work as curator, has helped spread the work of Martell, a renowned artist who attended W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

As she continues to support women artists, Rogerson’s passion for lifelong learning inspires her work both in the classroom and in the Dallas art community.