woodland hills superintendent
The Woodland Hills school board abruptly fired its superintendent Wednesday night. Both voted against Castagnas appointment as acting superintendent in January, along with board president Mike Belmonte and Lawson. The Woodland Hills School District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as the district's new superintendent. While they were still identified as police, this would be the beginning of a culture shift when it came to policing at Woodland Hills. 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. 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. 2550 Greensburg Pike, Pittsburgh, PA 15218. Key Responsibilities: Supervise on-site activities. The district is holding a town hall meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at Focus on Renewal in McKees Rocks. As the Sto-Rox School District enters its second year of state-mandated financial recovery, district leaders want to hear what the public thinks the schools could do better. They need to feel like they have a voice and that they are being listened to. "I appreciate the Woodland Hills School District giving me this opportunity to serve as its acting superintendent," Dr. Castagna said in the release. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The board voted 8 to 1 to terminate Harris without a cause after he came under criticism for his handling of fights at the high school. He . 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. 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. The former West Mifflin superintendent who was fired after his second DUI case has been hired by the Woodland Hills School District. The board also accepted the resignation of members Ronna Currie and Marilyn Scott. "We have people internally. The Superintendent will be responsible for understanding each contract; developing professional relationships with the subcontractors and on-site staff and provide leadership from the start to finish of the project. The concept of voting out or recalling the board members who vote yes on Castagna was mentioned multiple times during the meeting. Wednesday night's meeting got heated before the vote. "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.". ", 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. Harris: This is the first year we have no police. Members . I think we can change it, it can change," said Carter Lance, a Penn Hills junior. Castagna argued that the West Mifflin school board's charges were political retaliation and filed lawsuits against the district and the board, with the retaliation lawsuit eventually being dismissed by a judge. 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. Its finally closing. You dont need police to control the hallways at school to keep it calm. 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. November 17, 2021 / 8:50 PM Board member Robert Clanagan-Bey stated that he trusted that the four of his other eight board members were making the right decision, which is why he was voting yes despite not initially knowing much about Castagna. Neither Scott nor Currie could be immediately reached for comment. The contact is for one year or until a new superintendent is hired, according to school board documents. Woodland Hills hired Woods a year after Kevin Murray resigned as high school principal following several controversies involving the treatment of students that led to a federal lawsuit against the district. 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. Please choose someone else.". Several community members said to the board that the decision to vote came up so quickly, so they wanted to know the facts and continue the conversation. Some speakers said Harris helped improve district and student achievement. Just having a stabler, calmer environment; we had less blow-ups between students and staff. "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. The board reorganization meeting is Dec. 6. 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. Harris: Schools are generally non-violent places, and if there are situations where you need police, sometimes if you add a more rigorous, interesting curriculum, students have something to do, and that will redirect them. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. First published on November 17, 2021 / 8:50 PM. The students listened to their own local leaders testify, including Woodland Hills Superintendent Daniel Castagna and Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker. Former Woodland Hills School District superintendent James Harris is speaking out after Pittsburgh's Action News 4 obtained new documents regarding his firing. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. In his subsequent lawsuit, Castagna argued he was targeted and eventually fired because of political differences with several school board members. 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. Woodland Hills School District includes students from Braddock, Braddock Hills, Chalfant, Churchill, East Pittsburgh, Edgewood, Forest Hills, North Braddock, Rankin, Swissvale, Turtle Creek and Wilkins. JAMES P. HARRIS JR., the new superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District, fields questions from reporters after being sworn-in, Aug. (Photo by Jay Manning/PublicSource), advocates and protestors called for removal of police from the. NORTH . Even in my organization, we hire previously incarcerated individuals, but we don't allow certain people to work with children; because it's not about what I want, it's not about what Dr. Woods wants, it's about what the parents want. Harris told KDKA that the school board president, vice president and school solicitor asked him to resign on Tuesday. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Parents concerned Woodland Hills moving to hire new superintendent with checkered past. Former school resource officer Stephen Shaulis was accused of excessive force for knocking out the tooth of a 14-year-old, among other incidents. He joined the call on zoom. The tone of the night changed briefly when Castagna's only non-school board public supporter stood up to speak. They questioned whether it was a good idea for someone who has been through alcohol intervention programs to own a bar and has pictures of himself on social media with containers of alcohol. Superintendents Bio. The violence continues to touch and impact the youth of our area. That's who I cared about, and that's who you should care about.". I am here to help that happen. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Athletics (opens in new window/tab) Buildings and Grounds; Business and Finance; Curriculum; Personnel . We knew week-to-week, we can see changes based on the minor adjustments that we were doing. Several community members and parents spoke in favor of Harris during public comment before the vote. That being said, recalling a board of education member is no easy task and is not a situation there are many precedents for in the state of PA. West Mifflin accused Castagna of asking employees to complete private work on school district time and lying about his DUI history. Q: How are challenges addressed and solved now? 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 . Covid guidelines and mandates have been controversial during the pandemic, but Woodland Hills' covid procedures and requirements regarding distancing and mask-wearing are strict. 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. Hawkins witnessed the chaos and death of a Steven Eason, a Central Catholic student who was shot in 2021. Woodland Hills Superintendent James Harris said he was shocked when he was asked to resign. After an 8-1 vote, Harris stood up from his seat at the table and left the meeting. A lot of districts say, Well, the police officers are mentors, and leaders of the community and they work with the kids. Thats great, but when they put that uniform on, theyre in the role of a police officer. It was a 15-month ordeal that ended in Castagna suing the district in federal court. I implore you not to hire the candidate for the interim position of superintendent. 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. It comes as the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee is holding its first discussion in more than a decade on laws related to guns. Harris told KDKA before the meeting that he plans to fight the decision. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. Castagna, in a statement released by his attorney, thanked the jurors. It was . Superintendent Johnson said the numbers have been static in the last three years; they're getting just as many back as they lose. In a seemingly abrupt move Wednesday night, the Woodland Hills School Board voted to terminate its superintendent. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Harris: Any business or any organization wants people to feel welcome, but the students have a lot of needs, and so do staff. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. NORTH BRADDOCK, Pa. The Woodland Hills School District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as the district's new superintendent. Five students sued the district in federal court, Pennsylvania Senate votes to ban safe injection sites, Dollar Bank says ATM 'skimmer' breached some users' card data, urges customers to monitor accounts, After School Satan Club near Allentown gets go-ahead from judge, Former Amazon exec wants to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., starting in New Kensington, Polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk's archives 'come home' to the University of Pittsburgh, Sto-Rox School District seeks public input on financial recovery plans, Pa. Dem lawmakers renew push to expand teacher certification, in-state tuition for DACA recipients, Pittsburgh Public Schools will use grant funds to send security guards to a police academy. Ensure on-site staff are complying with plans and safety requirements. Five students sued the district in federal court, alleging the district fostered a culture of abuse. Castagna was hired by the district in 2007 and served as superintendent from 2011 through 2018. 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 have a great faculty in place, and the students in our district are capable of delivering great things. 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. Executive Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent I have cousins who are officers, I have cousins who are in law enforcement and in the judicial system. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter . A legal fight could cause a delay and leave the matter to the new school board members, who take their seats in January. 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. Scott said at the beginning of the meeting that Castagna was chosen because he had experience working directly as a superintendent in a district similar to Woodland Hills. Superintendents Message . "My wife and I are graduates of this district, and we are fierce defenders of this school district, but this is indefensible. Interim Superintendent email: castda@whsd.net 412.731.1300 ext. What we did not want to have continue to happen was the criminalization of adolescent behavior. Instead, I simply found that he co-owns a bar that has been shut down for covid violations. West Mifflin accused Castagna of asking employees to complete private work on school district time and lying about his DUI history. "That was never the intent. "But I am also a foster mom, mother, and child care educator for the past 18 years. 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. So, it was a gradual approach to removal. Q: How did the culture change as police presence began to phase out? Sarah Schneider is WESA's education reporter. "As a mom, it's important that my children have examples - have role models. 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 . 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? In the high school world, thats just two 16-year-olds being buddies. Q: How do you work to get beyond the belief some people have that students need police in schools? A few others said that they supported a move to fire him. West Mifflin schools fired Castagna in 2019 after his second DUI case. Harris spoke with PublicSource to discuss how the atmosphere has changed and how this idea can be considered in other districts. Athletics (opens in new window/tab) Buildings and Grounds; Business and Finance; Curriculum; Personnel . You can update your choices at any time in your settings. I know his heart, I know his mind, and I know his ability." We didnt need three years worth of data to make a decision. The School Board, staff and communitys belief in me is something I will never take for granted. Do you feel more informed? Help us inform people in the Pittsburgh region with more stories like this support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation. Phillip Woods, former principal, and current superintendent at Aliquippa, stated, "It's hard listening to the comments and the judgment of Dr. Daniel Castagna. Imagine decreasing that infraction rate almost 70%. He can be reached at kellen@publicsource.org. We have many wonderful programs for our students. So, for that I do apologize. He was placed on unpaid leave July 2 pending termination. Please enter valid email address to continue. I can understand that we don't always make the best decisions, and that shouldn't follow us for the rest of our lives. 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. "We have said no thank you, and we are saying tonight, no thank you. 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. pageId: 726593, // Page : Woodland_Hills/ros Select Accept to consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use. This follows a recent study by the Black Girls Equity Alliance noted that school police is the largest source of referrals for Black girls in Allegheny County and has an outsized role in criminalizing Black youth. 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. This small Wilkinsburg private school wants to grow into a 'village' in the community, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Woodland Hills School District is a public school district located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, serving twelve municipalities in the Pittsburgh area; Braddock, Braddock Hills, Chalfant, Churchill, East Pittsburgh, Edgewood, Forest Hills, North Braddock, Rankin, Swissvale, Turtle Creek and Wilkins Township (except for a small portion). "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. 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. Could policing be reimagined in schools? Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. The Woodland Hills School District board of directors voted to approve a budget plan that would reduce property taxes. "If you all vote tonight to remove this great man, this great leader, you are making a bad decision, a real bad decision. On Jan. 10, 2018, he began a two-week medical leave, and the school board voted Jan. 19 to place him on paid leave. It is not . Teresa M. Hawthorne Executive Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent Email: hawtte@whsd.us Phone: 412-731-1300 x0183 FAX: 412-679-1621 . And now, we realize we dont need any. She can be reached at sschneider@wesa.fm. Question: Can you describe the environment at Woodland Hills when the district had police officers? Castagna will be the acting superintendent for one year or until a new superintendent is hired. The board voted 5-1 to appoint Castagna as the superintendent; board member Terri Lawson abstained from voting. 10:24 AM. Sarah previously worked with news outlets in Pennsylvania, Illinois and Idaho. He said the experience has changed him and because of that, he wanted to make the trip to Harrisburg. Q: In the 2018-19 school year, there were 1,381 students enrolled at Woodland Hills Jr./Sr. Just over 24 hours after being asked for his resignation, the Woodland Hills School Board voted to terminate Superintendent James P. Harris's . The dispute was settled in 2018. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. 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." You just cant pull police out, that doesnt require any support. email: castda@whsd.net Castagna replaces James Harris, who was fired in December. As a result, the district moved to virtual learning for two days in October. "During the course of our search for an acting superintendent, we had the opportunity to speak with both internal and external candidates. Teresa M. Hawthorne Executive Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent email: hawtte @whsd.net 412.731.1300 ext. 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. 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PITTSBURGH After four fights last week led to remote learning for Woodland Hills High School, students returned to the classrooms Monday with new rules. "We have made a commitment to provide a wide range of support systems to our students," Woodland Hills Superintendent Dr. Daniel Castagna said. Castagna has not responded. / CBS Pittsburgh. LinkedIn and 3rd parties use essential and non-essential cookies to provide, secure, analyze and improve our Services, and to show you relevant ads (including professional and job ads) on and off LinkedIn. ", He said that the students' behavior would not be tolerated, "and we will be doing a better job in becoming proactive moving forward.". Now inspired by the journey, these kids hope to use this experience to make a change back in their own communities. Andre Patterson cast the lone vote against the move. Instead of us going to the principals office and talking through our issue and shaking hands and going back to class, theres now a summons involved, then a court appearance. "That action often gave the impression that we were downplaying the severity of the incident," the letter states. 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. I dont see the reason why I should be here. 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. Email news@wesa.fm. You have to make an environment thats friendly and welcoming. If we cant de-escalate a situation, then no one really can. 0183. The bar Castagna co-owns, Cosmo on Carson, was cited in 2020 for lack of face coverings, failure to physically distance customers, and serving alcohol without a meal. 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. We didnt do that; thats not our role. 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. That allowed us to act immediately Were looking at the data, which you have to gather, but my teamwe all sat down and said, OK, this is how we should adjust and adapt to our environment, and how we can offer supports.. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Links. 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.. When I met with students at the high school, they said they understood the reason why we would have police for outside threats because of the way society is moving. At Pittsburgh Public Schools [PPS] the areas largest district, with an enrollment of 22,859 advocates and protestors called for removal of police from the districts police force. 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. 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