woodland hills superintendent

The Woodland Hills School District board of directors voted to approve a budget plan that would reduce property taxes. It was . We didnt do that; thats not our role. I think we can change it, it can change, said Carter Lance, a Penn Hills junior. As a result, the district moved to virtual learning for two days in October. Harris: Any business or any organization wants people to feel welcome, but the students have a lot of needs, and so do staff. A few others said that they supported a move to fire him. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter . Its finally closing. Q: On Sept. 23, the board of Pittsburgh Public Schools approved a resolution aimed to increase school police transparency and help to stop the school-to-prison pipeline. So, for that I do apologize. JAMES P. HARRIS JR., the new superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District, fields questions from reporters after being sworn-in, Aug. On Jan. 10, 2018, he began a two-week medical leave, and the school board voted Jan. 19 to place him on paid leave. Kellen Stepler is an editorial intern for PublicSource. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved, Police investigating fatal McKeesport shooting, 2 people sought after Braddock Hills KFC robbery, Visit the 5 major attractions in Washington County celebrating milestone anniversaries this year, Woman dead after rollover crash in Churchill, Fire at Ross Township Chili's diverts customers, workers to restaurant's other sites, Met Gala fashion: Bndchen, Dua Lipa, Campbell on vintage train, TV Talk: Frank Nicotero hosts Very Local game show on the streets of Pittsburgh, Aerosmith's farewell tour visits Pittsburgh in September, Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking Mulaneys Baby J on Netflix, Aerosmith returning to Pittsburgh one last time, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. Woodland Hills Senior High School; Turtle Creek Elementary STEAM Academy; Edgewood Elementary STEAM Academy; Wilkins Elementary STEAM Academy; WH Online Academy; Dickson STEAM Academy; WHOC - Woodland Hills Opportunity Camp; School Board . Wednesday night's meeting got heated before the vote. Castagnas firing from his West Mifflin post came after a series of hearings throughout 2018 under a law that allows for superintendents and assistant superintendents to have their contracts terminated with a school board vote for neglect of duty, incompetency, or immorality.. Together, his classmates, along with Woodland Hills and Penn Hills students, listened and felt the pain of survivors who shared their stories. "We have said no thank you, and we are saying tonight, no thank you. Haunted Hills hay rides there are special effects, but nobody thought somebody got shot, then I turned over and the dude is just there, laid out, had got shot, said Che Hawkins, a Clairton City sophomore. As the General Manager and Superintendent, I lead all aspects of operations with a . On Wednesday, Aug. 15, the Woodland Hills School Board voted unanimously to hire Harris as the next superintendent for the Allegheny County district, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A statement from the board said that it would begin a search for a new leader immediately. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Superintendent's Office; Title IX; Transcripts; Woodland Hills Foundation (opens in new window/tab) 23-24 School Calendar . It comes as the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee is holding its first discussion in more than a decade on laws related to guns. Q: In the 2018-19 school year, there were 1,381 students enrolled at Woodland Hills Jr./Sr. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The former West Mifflin superintendent who was fired after his second DUI case has been appointed acting superintendent by the Woodland Hills School District. This button displays the currently selected search type. Mike Belmonte; Terri Lawson; Dr. Tammi L. McMillan, Ed.D; Darnika Reed; Carlton Scott; Bridgett . The Woodland Hills School District with a notably smaller enrollment of 3,310 in the 2018-19 school year eliminated police from schools after a two-year phase out. The school district announced on May 25 that Castagna would officially be head of the district from May 26, 2022, to May 25, 2027. Links. During the process, Dr. Castagna earned the support of the majority of the board," board member Carlton Scott said in a district-issued release. ", Speakers after Woods agreed that many people do make mistakes and deserve second chances but felt that Castagna has already had the opportunity to learn from his mistakes and failed to live up to the task. In a 5-4 vote, the Pittsburgh Public Schools board voted Wednesday to use $27,000 in grant funds to cover costs of police training for four district security guards. Most of the speakers showed their support for Harris, while a few others wanted him fired. Messages: April 5th . 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. He was placed on unpaid leave July 2 pending termination. Members . When you introduce a law enforcement officer into a situation, theres very little gray involved; its either black or white. The article begins, "The new superintendent for Woodland Hills School District says he significantly raised test scores and closed the achievement gap between black and white students at a suburban . You have to feel welcome, and when you have to go through metal detectors, or youre being patted down like youre going to the airport or something, you dont feel like youre in a safe environment because of those things. "But I am also a foster mom, mother, and child care educator for the past 18 years. ", First published on January 28, 2022 / 9:29 PM. NORTH . Please enter valid email address to continue. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. I come to you tonight concerned that the board is only going to add to this image problem by bringing in Dr. Dan Castagna to lead our district." Woodland Hills is a very special place, and I am proud to be a part of this family, Castagna said. The Woodland Hills school board voted 5-4 after a contentious meeting in late January to hire Castagna as acting superintendent during the search for a permanent replacement for James Harris. 0183 The Woodland Hills School District Welcomes Dr. Daniel Castagna as Interim Superintendent. I look forward to seeing our district succeed.. "If you choose to go against what the community wants, we are going to fight you, and eventually, we're gonna win. Castagna previously served as the superintendent of West Mifflin School District, assistant principal at Baldwin-Whitehall School District and worked as a teacher in the Hopewell Area School District. Athletics (opens in new window/tab) Buildings and Grounds; Business and Finance; Curriculum; Personnel . He is not eligible for any benefits but will be paid $615 per day. "Mr. Harris has consistently lied to us, to the media, to our parents, to our students, to our teachers. Pittsburgh's Action News 4 repeatedly reached out to Woodland Hills Superintendent Daniel Castagna for comment for months on the charges filed against Miles. How can these other districts replicate this given their own circumstances? After an 8-1 vote, Harris stood up from his seat at the table and left the meeting. She can be reached at sschneider@wesa.fm. If one cannot be trusted to take the health department orders seriously within their own establishment stands to reason that another way in which Castagna may not be the best role model to children is in regards to following covid procedures. Q: Why is it important for students, especially now in our world, to have that support and go to a school where they feel welcome? So, it was a gradual approach to removal. He can be reached at kellen@publicsource.org. What we did not want to have continue to happen was the criminalization of adolescent behavior. Castagna has also served as superintendent in the West Mifflin School District from 2011-2019, and has worked in administrative positions in both the Baldwin-Whitehall and Hopewell Area school districts. Harris told KDKA that the school board president, vice president and school solicitor asked him to resign on Tuesday. This position is a position of public trust. Select Accept to consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use. Mike Belmonte; Terri Lawson; Dr. Tammi L. McMillan, Ed.D; Darnika Reed; Carlton Scott; Bridgett . Harris: Its less tense. The meeting was set for board members to vote on whether or not to hire Dr. Daniel Castagna as superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District. Unified. Woodland Hills School District officials voted 8-1 in November 2021 to terminate the contract of Superintendent James Harris effective December 17. The Woodland Hills School District Welcomes Dr. Daniel Castagna as Interim Superintendent. The violence continues to touch and impact the youth of our area. Many of those at the meeting questioned why the district did not promote for the position from within, being that the district has two people in administrative roles, Dawn Golden and Dr. Jean Livingston, both of whom have their superintendent letters from the department of education. Hawkins witnessed the chaos and death of a Steven Eason, a Central Catholic student who was shot in 2021. "My wife and I are graduates of this district, and we are fierce defenders of this school district, but this is indefensible. Q: As police presence phased out, has anything surprised you? "I could not find any evidence that Dr. Castagna had been active in the field of education in the last three years. The Woodland Hills School District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as the district's new superintendent. Many teachers, and I'll say many of the board members, have been that to my children and to the children of the district. We didnt need three years worth of data to make a decision. Especially after we have had time to demonstrate change," she said. 412.731.1300 ext. He was suspended from the position after he was accused of knowingly hiring a man who was under investigation for murder as one of the schools security guards. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. You bring in experts, you bring in an architect, you bring in an engineer, you bring in the city inspector to the building inspector to look at that and make sure that all the supports are right before you take that beam away, and thats what we did. And we still have those items, but we try to make sure that the screening people smile and they welcome the kids to school, not just like youre coming into a prison door. Superintendents Bio. On his first day as Woodland Hills superintendent in 2018, James Harris said he noticed two Churchill borough police officers who were assigned to the district wearing full SWAT tactical gear, as students shuffled off buses and entered the high school for the first day of school. Both voted against Castagnas appointment as acting superintendent in January, along with board president Mike Belmonte and Lawson. Jurors found the district guilty of violating Castagnas First Amendments rights of political affiliation and free speech, violating the Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law and breaching its contract with Castagna. Woodland Hills is a very special place, and I am proud to be a part of this family. Police are staying, but the district has approved a resolution which will require the district to create a public database that combines school police data with student demographic information. I think people will be very nervous if we just said, OK, were getting rid of the police, but didnt put any other supports in place. Castagna previously served as the superintendent of West Mifflin School District, assistant principal at Baldwin-Whitehall School District and worked as a teacher in the Hopewell Area School District. West Mifflin officials could not immediately be reached for comment. We have peer-to-peer [counseling], we have teacher-to-student [counseling], we have behavioral interventions, we have counseling, we have assistant principals, we have principals, we have myself. Neither Scott nor Currie could be immediately reached for comment. Other speakers did not agree. And now, we realize we dont need any. When they bring that role of police into the building, it does create an environment that is a bit more tense than if they were not police, just by the nature of the role. The districts superintendent believes its changed the school environment for the better, though he notes that its crucial not just to remove police, but also to increase student and staff supports. If we could do more things like this and have the community wrap around us and this problem. Board member Bridgette Kreach mentioned that she had received letters of recommendation from colleagues at West Mifflin for Castagna and that his interview with the board went well. 2023 Cox Media Group. As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, Daniel Castagna, 43, of Beaver County, is the new acting superintendent of Woodland Hills School District in Allegheny County, effective immediately. Then it got down to one [officer]. In a seemingly abrupt move Wednesday night, the Woodland Hills School Board voted to terminate its superintendent. The board also accepted the resignation of members Ronna Currie and Marilyn Scott. Harris walked out of the meeting right after the board voted. Q: How do you work to get beyond the belief some people have that students need police in schools? It made it less confrontational, it made it less tense and those are words that students have used with me when I asked them a couple years ago, when I got here. Castagna has served as the acting superintendent since Jan. 28. Harris: This is the first year we have no police. . Castagna has not responded. Through the course of the night, people stood up to plead with the board against hiring Castagna. The police dont do that, and you hear police complain; theyre being called out to intervene in situations where they shouldnt be the ones doing it. As many as 30 students were identified in a cafeteria fight. I am here to help that happen. You can update your choices at any time in your settings. Castagna later sued the school district after they released a list of grievances againsthim. The agreements were approved by the Woodland Hills School District Board of School Directors during their legislative meeting on January 18, 2023. Teresa M. Hawthorne Executive Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent email: hawtte @whsd.net 412.731.1300 ext. The Woodland Hills school board abruptly fired its superintendent Wednesday night. (Photo by Dayna Delgado) Those infamous videos of Woodland Hills students either being tackled, put in a headlock, lifted up against a locker, slammed to the ground, etc., by a school resource officer or another adult in an authoritative capacity have . "We have many wonderful teachers. The Woodland Hills School District webpage has moved to www.whsd.net, Please visit the new website for updated information. NORTH BRADDOCK, Pa. The Woodland Hills School District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as thedistricts new superintendent. Sarah previously worked with news outlets in Pennsylvania, Illinois and Idaho. Ive had a friend thats been shot multiple times and family members who have been shot and killed, said Kyaire Brown-Hatcher, a senior at Penn Hills High School. We understand that there has been heightened attention and discussion regarding this decision, board member Carlton Scott said, but we truly believe that Dr. Castagna will faithfully and expertly guide the Woodland Hills School District during this transition period.. This small Wilkinsburg private school wants to grow into a 'village' in the community, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Castagna, in a statement released by his attorney, thanked the jurors. A federal jury on Monday ordered West Mifflin School District to pay nearly $3 million to former Superintendent Daniel Castagna in connection with his 2019 firing. When Walter Calinger was hired by Woodland Hills School District outside Pittsburgh, his claims of past accomplishment was discussed by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Brian Bowling. Woodland Hills senior Desmon Jackson said whatever the intent was, it was hurtful. ", He said that the students' behavior would not be tolerated, "and we will be doing a better job in becoming proactive moving forward.". Question: Can you describe the environment at Woodland Hills when the district had police officers? 0183. We have many wonderful programs for our students. The former West Mifflin superintendent who was fired after his second DUI case has been hired by the Woodland Hills School District. Members . Woodland Hills School District. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far and will continue to partner with our districts talented staff and dedicated community.. However, we have a terrible image problem. "It's hard to find someone who hasn't had some issues. This realization helped lead the district into phasing out police presence in their school. ", Speakers from the public comment section were quick to remind board members that they are representatives of the community, that it was their job to listen to their constituents, and that they could be voted out just as quickly as they were voted in. Superintendents Message . As communities grapple with the role of policing on their streets, youth advocates and educators are also considering and sometimes fiercely debating whether police should have a presence in schools. sas.call("std", { "This isn't blowing over with me," said Tina Doose, a Braddock mother of seven children, three of whom have graduated from the district and three that are currently enrolled within it. The district's superintendent believes it's changed the school environment for the better, though he notes that it's crucial not just to remove police, but also to . Woodland Hills Superintendent Alan Johnson told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "Mr. Hollis is taking a couple of isolated incidents and turning them into a pattern that does not exist. The Woodland Hill School District released a statement after the meeting that said in part, "This is not a decision that was taken lightly, but it is one that the board believes is necessary for the district to move forward. The students listened to their own local leaders testify, including Woodland Hills Superintendent Daniel Castagna and Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker. This spacious zippered tote with a design by local artist Andrea Shockling represents different Pittsburghers walks of life, just like we strive for our nonprofit newsrooms journalism to do. What we did was instead of having police show up for something, we have mental health people, we have behavioral interventionists, we have principals, were all trained, teachers who are trained to de-escalate and talk to the students and community members, so that they do feel that theyre in a place of shelter. The officers prior to us getting here would be involved in the day-to-day happenings with what was going on with the students. This article first appeared in a February 02, 2022 issue of The Valley Mirror. It was a 15-month ordeal that ended in Castagna suing the district in federal court. You have to make an environment thats friendly and welcoming. Thats how I can tell you when were down about 70% of our write-ups, meaning incidences where a teacher says that the student did something an infraction. Q: How were you able to get staff, students and families on board? The Woodland Hills School District with a notably smaller enrollment of 3,310 in the 2018-19 school year eliminated police from schools after a two-year phase out. November 17, 2021 / 8:50 PM The Woodland Hills School District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as thedistricts new superintendent. CBS News Pittsburgh: Free 24/7 News CBS Pittsburgh App How do you work beyond the notion that people will take advantage of a school environment without police presence? The school district announced on May 25 that Castagna would officially be head of the district from May 26, 2022, to May 25, 2027. Harris has come under fire recently for his handling of fights at the high school, including one involving as many as 50 or 60 students. Teresa M. Hawthorne Executive Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent Email: hawtte@whsd.us Phone: 412-731-1300 x0183 FAX: 412-679-1621 . BECOME A MEMBER. Woodland Hills Foundation (opens in new window/tab) 23-24 School Calendar; Superintendent's Office . In his subsequent lawsuit, Castagna argued he was targeted and eventually fired because of political differences with several school board members. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Suspended superintendent accused of knowingly hiring man being investigated for murder. Board President Jamie Glaser read the motion to terminate James Harris without cause effective Dec. 17. Castagna's appointment carries a term of one year or until the district hires a new superintendent. As many speakers after her also did, Moon made reference to Castagna's Google search results, which yielded his termination from West Mifflin, among several alleged claims that gave Woodland Hills families cause for concern. West Mifflin School District was ordered to pay the former superintendent $2.9 million after a federal judge ruled that his First Amendment rights were violated. Interim Superintendent We have over 200 kids, 400 parents in our program and they're very upset about it and everybody in the community doesn't know what's going on right now," said Kareem Sarvis from the Woodland Hills Midget Football Association. Woods described growing up with Castagna and being mentored by him. However, with the redesign of the high school and a lot of our buildings are safer, theyre harder to get in if youre an outside person trying to do some bad stuff in a school. Castagna has served as the acting superintendent since Jan. 28. The Woodland Hills School District is no stranger to negative press, and the district is in the spotlight again after last week when several Woodland Hills parents raced to get registered to speak during the January 28, 2022, school board special legislative meeting. They questioned if he would have been pulled over for more than one instance of drunk driving if he had learned from his mistakes the first time. They go, I have other stuff to do in the community where I can be serving better than sitting in a room waiting for two 16-year-olds to smack each other on the neck, this is silly. The jury late last week ruled in favor of Castagna, now acting superintendent at Woodland Hills, on all but one of the claims he laid out against the district in a lawsuit filed in 2019. It was the last meeting for three board members. Please choose someone else.". Once again, you and I are walking in the hallway and you smack me on the back of the neck pretty hard Well, that could be construed as assault. The school board, staff and communitys belief in me is something I will never take for granted.. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Very rarely were they ever called, so the officers sat in the office all day. The conversation with Harris has been edited and condensed for brevity and clarity. The board did not comment on the matter during the meeting, but in a statement issued after the vote, said: After much discussion, the board has opted to go in a different direction with district leadership. First published on November 17, 2021 / 8:50 PM. "I look forward to working with the school board, administrators, teachers, staff, students, and families so that together we can achieve excellence on every level. Athletics (opens in new window/tab) Buildings and Grounds; Business and Finance; Curriculum; Personnel . Harris: The phased-out approach it showed not having a need. Before the vote, school board members gave comments about Castagna, which caused conflict between some and caused disruption and shouting out from the public. 10:24 AM. Woodland Hills Superintendent Alan Johnson said the school district conducted an internal investigation "focused only on whether any school district personnel were directly involved" in last month . "There are currently five board members who were not on the board when the decision was made to terminate Superintendent James Harris in December," was the opening comment made by board member Carlton Scott of Region 1 - Chalfant, Churchill, Wilkins, and Turtle Creek, which started off the meeting before registered speakers made their statements. email: castda@whsd.net Daniel Castagna, superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District, said after the vote, "I'm truly humbled and honored by the board's decision to allow me to serve students and the community . / CBS Pittsburgh. Strategic Plan Midpoint - Professional Education. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved, Police investigating fatal McKeesport shooting, 2 people sought after Braddock Hills KFC robbery, Visit the 5 major attractions in Washington County celebrating milestone anniversaries this year, Woman dead after rollover crash in Churchill, Fire at Ross Township Chili's diverts customers, workers to restaurant's other sites, Met Gala fashion: Bndchen, Dua Lipa, Campbell on vintage train, TV Talk: Frank Nicotero hosts Very Local game show on the streets of Pittsburgh, Aerosmith's farewell tour visits Pittsburgh in September, Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking Mulaneys Baby J on Netflix, Aerosmith returning to Pittsburgh one last time, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. Your vote tonight will be reflected in your record, and we will note it when you are up for election again.". I can understand that we don't always make the best decisions, and that shouldn't follow us for the rest of our lives. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: West Mifflin School District to pay former superintendent $2.9 million, Texas school shooting live updates: All victims were in same classroom Lockdown lifted at 4 Pittsburgh Public Schools after reports of shots fired near Westinghouse 6-12 Police, EMS on scene for incident in Smith Township VIDEO: Target 11 warning shoppers after more skimming devices are discovered DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts, Texas school shooting live updates: All victims were in same classroom, Lockdown lifted at 4 Pittsburgh Public Schools after reports of shots fired near Westinghouse 6-12, Police, EMS on scene for incident in Smith Township, VIDEO: Target 11 warning shoppers after more skimming devices are discovered, DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts. You need to make sure that the students have respect for each other, respect for the teachers and respect for themselves. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far and will continue to partner with our districts talented staff and dedicated community. PITTSBURGH After four fights last week led to remote learning for Woodland Hills High School, students returned to the classrooms Monday with new rules. The Woodland Hills school board voted 5-4 after a contentious meeting in late January to hire Castagna as acting superintendent, at which many members of the public, and some on the school board, expressed opposition to hiring Castagna. Have a tip for the WESA newsroom? When [High School Principal Phillip] Woods got here, he said that hes going to keep control of the building, and hell call [the police] when necessary. Doose was the final registered speaker of the night before the public comment section opened up. "We understand that there has been heightened attention and discussion regarding this decision, but we truly believe that Dr. Castagna will faithfully and expertly guide the Woodland Hills School District during this transition period. ONLY ON 11: We were there as students from Woodland Hills, Penn Hills & Clairton traveled to Harrisburg to talk gun violence.Hear the personal impacts and desire for change from those teens on @WPXI at 6:15pm. Several community members and parents spoke in favor of Harris during public comment before the vote. In a letter to families, Harris apologized for giving incomplete information in the wake of that fight in what he called his attempt to be transparent. The first registered speaker was Annie Moon of Chalfant, a Woodland Hills alumni who had previously participated in a focus group about the district hosted by the AIU.

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