New Staff

David Burden is an English teacher currently instructing Freshmen & Sophomores, with 33 years of teaching experience. 

Before becoming a teacher, he attended DeKalb High School in DeKalb, TX. After graduating, he went on to study business journalism at Texas A&M. His desire to teach developed while working in retail and substituting in classrooms. After working in several school districts, he returned to teach at LE, fulfilling a long-held desire to return. 

Though new to this school, he already enjoys his time here, especially appreciating the support from colleagues like Mrs. Paul. Outside of teaching, Mr. Burden enjoys working out, attending church, and playing sports. His coworkers have warmly welcomed him and are passionate about sharing his knowledge with students. Ultimately, he shared that his motivation for teaching is to glorify God and deepen his own faith. 

Mr. Cochran has been teaching for four years and currently teaches U.S. History in room 9 on West Campus. 

He discovered his passion for teaching U.S. History during his first semester of college. Joseph attended Arkansas High School before enrolling at Henderson State University, where he majored in History. 

Prior to coming to Liberty-Eylau, he worked as a special education teacher at Texas High. He joined Liberty-Eylau out of necessity and appreciates the campus size the most. 

Mrs. Armstrong has been the colleague who has helped him the most. One of the most adventurous things he’s done was traveling to Canada. In his free time, Joseph enjoys video editing, playing video games, and listening to music. Mr. Cochran wishes everyone a fantastic school year. 

Coach Cody Engstrom, located in room 2 on West Campus, brings 10 years of teaching experience to our school. A graduate of Liberty-Eylau High School, he continued his education at UT-Arlington and Texas A&M-Texarkana, where he majored in engineering. 

During his sophomore year of college, he decided to pursue teaching. In his free time, Coach Engstrom enjoys deer hunting and playing golf. Before returning to LEHS, he taught in the Redwater District.

 He has a strong affection for our community and values the family-like atmosphere here, especially appreciating the support of Coach Fowler. One of the most exciting experiences he’s had was visiting New York City. 

Welcome back to LE, Coach Engstrom! 

Mrs. Jenna Hodges teaches World Geography in the 100 building and also serves as a coach (volleyball and softball). 

She has been teaching for eight years and is proud to be an alumnus of the very high school she now serves.

Mrs. Hodges attended Texas College and Texas A&M–Texarkana, where she majored in criminal justice. Although she worked hard in that field, she discovered her true passion was in teaching. She began her teaching career at Atlanta ISD but eventually returned to her hometown school, which she had missed dearly.

Now back in a familiar place, Mrs. Hodges finds joy in working with students and values the strong sense of community she feels on campus. She draws inspiration from her fellow teachers, especially her close support system, Ms. Murphy.

Outside of school, Mrs. Hodges loves spending time with her children and occasionally enjoys listening to her husband play music.

Mr. Houff is a teacher at Liberty-Eylau High School, where he teaches in the CTE building, room 310. He has been in education for eight years, initially teaching 4th-grade math and science. A graduate of Liberty-Eylau himself, he later attended Texas A&M University. Although he originally planned to become a lawyer, Mr. Houff always had a passion for teaching, which eventually led him to the classroom.

He returned to LEHS to give back to the community where he grew up. What he enjoys most about teaching at the high school level is the maturity of the students. He’s also grateful for the support he’s received from fellow educators, especially Coach Alexis Harris and Mrs. Webb.

In his free time, Mr. Houff enjoys editing and creating digital content. His message to the Liberty-Eylau community is: “Every day is a great day to be a Leopard.”

We're excited to welcome Ashley McCarter to the Leopard Family as our new counselor on the east campus! With 15 years of experience in education, including 9 years serving as a coach, Mrs. McCarter brings a wealth of knowledge, dedication, and heart to her role.

A proud alumna of Liberty-Eylau High School, Mrs. McCarter is thrilled to return to her roots. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern Arkansas University and went on to receive her master’s degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Coming from a family of educators—both of her parents are retired teachers—Mrs. McCarter always knew she wanted to follow in their footsteps. She originally majored in physical education in college with the goal of becoming an elementary PE teacher.

Before joining LEHS, she spent five years as a counselor at Redwater ISD. She chose to come to Liberty-Eylau to challenge herself and grow professionally, and she’s already felt the warmth and support of the L-E community. She’s especially grateful to Mrs. Price for stepping up during her maternity leave and handling both of their roles with care and dedication.

Outside of work, Mrs. McCarter enjoys shopping, spending time with family and friends, and making memories. Speaking of memories—her most unforgettable high school moment was stealing her assistant principal dad’s keys to pull off a senior prank—TPing all the principals’ offices with her friends!

We’re thrilled to have Mrs. McCarter on board and look forward to all the great things she’ll do for our students and staff.

Alicia Price is our academic advisor, located in the West Campus office. She has worked in education for eight years. She attended high school in Crossett, Arkansas, and went on to study at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) and Texas A&M, majoring in Business.

Her passion for education began when she discovered how much she enjoyed helping students succeed. Before joining Liberty-Eylau, she taught at Premier High School in Oak. She was drawn to LE because of its strong school pride and positive culture.

In her free time, Ms. Price enjoys spending time with her children. She’s grateful for the support she’s received from the district—especially from Mrs. Mary Walker, who has helped her throughout the year. Her message to others is to always be willing to do hard things.

This is Jordan’s first year as a teacher, serving as the In-School Suspension (ISS) instructor in the ISS building on the West Campus at Liberty-Eylau. His interest in student discipline motivated him to pursue this role.

Jordan graduated from Texas High School and later attended UCA and Odessa College, where he majored in Kinesiology. He chose to come to Liberty-Eylau because it was a better fit for him—and it’s also where he grew up. What he appreciates most about the school is the supportive teaching staff, with Mrs. Johnson being especially helpful during his transition.

One of the most unexpected things he’s done is visit Hope, Arkansas. In his free time, Jordan enjoys caring for kids, playing basketball, and gaming on his PS5. His message to the Liberty-Eylau community is: “Better yourself, and get your grades up!"

Erin Steverson is a self-contained special education teacher who recently began her teaching career in the Life Skills building. Despite being new to the field, she has already earned the trust of many students who recognize her as a capable and caring educator.

Erin attended Mississippi High School and later studied Biology at a college in Jackson, Mississippi. She enjoys cooking and coloring in her free time. Her teaching journey began when the opportunity arose, and she decided to embrace it.

She chose to work at this school because she valued the chance she was given and appreciated the supportive environment. She’s especially thankful for the help and guidance of Mrs. Lavender, Mrs. Thompson, and Mrs. Terry.

Mende Stiles, a seasoned educator with 19 years of teaching experience, currently teaches Biology, Physics, and Engineering at Liberty-Eylau High School. Originally from Dallas, Texas, she now teaches in East Campus. In her spare time, Ms. Stiles enjoys reading, solving puzzles, and going fishing.

She discovered her passion for teaching while pursuing her master’s degree in her 30s. Ms. Stiles graduated high school in Dallas and went on to attend Hardin-Simmons University and the University of Texas at Arlington, where she majored in Finance and Curriculum.

After relocating to New Boston from her previous role in Dallas ISD, she felt that joining Liberty-Eylau was the best decision for her. Since arriving, she’s been especially grateful for the support of Elizabeth Smith, who has helped her adjust to the new environment.

What she appreciates most about LEHS is its strong and positive school culture. Her message to students is: “When choosing friends, don’t forget who you are—and always stay true to yourself.”

Introducing Mr. T – New High School Band Director

You can find Mr. T leading our band program in the Robert Utsey Fine Arts Building, just outside the media center in the band hall. He joins Liberty-Eylau with 23 years of experience in education, bringing a deep passion for music and student growth.

Mr. T is a proud graduate of Texas High School and earned his degrees in Music Education from both Henderson State University and Grand Canyon University. His love for teaching was sparked during his junior year of high school when he realized the powerful impact educators can have.

He chose Liberty-Eylau because he wanted to challenge and break the stereotypes often associated with the school. As he says, “The stereotype about LE isn’t true—the students just needed teachers who truly care about them.”

Before joining us, Mr. T taught drumline and music programs at several schools, including Hope, Hot Springs, Tatum, Cooper, and Clarksville. What he values most at Liberty-Eylau is the strong sense of family and unity between the school and the community.

We’re thrilled to have Mr. T leading our band program and look forward to the incredible impact he will have on our students and the arts!