He joined the call on zoom. I am here to help that happen. Very rarely were they ever called, so the officers sat in the office all day. 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. 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. I know his heart, I know his mind, and I know his ability." Our teachers are tired of it, our students are tired of it, our parents are most definitely tired of it," said one student. 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. I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve the students of the Woodland Hills School District community as its Superintendent, Castagna said. The students listened to their own local leaders testify, including Woodland Hills Superintendent Daniel Castagna and Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker. Email news@wesa.fm. "It doesn't make sense to me that we are even considering this person as a superintendent at the school district," said Dan Miller, one of the registered speakers at the meeting. The school district announced on May 25 that Castagna would officially be head of the district from May 26, 2022, to May 25, 2027. 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. pic.twitter.com/l73WMgdWIs, Nicole Ford (@NicoleFordTV) March 23, 2023. Scott then welcomed Castagna to the district before the official vote was taken. Woods described growing up with Castagna and being mentored by him. "My organization is all about second chances; we even hire previously incarcerated individuals. What we did not want to have continue to happen was the criminalization of adolescent behavior. 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. Please read the update below from Superintendent James Harris regarding Wednesday's incident at the high school. During the process, Dr. Castagna earned the support of the majority of the board," board member Carlton Scott said in a district-issued release. Q: How are challenges addressed and solved now? The district said Harris' last day will be Dec. 17th and the search for a new superintendent starts immediately. target: '' // Targeting
This realization helped lead the district into phasing out police presence in their school. He served as the superintendent of West Mifflin from 2011 to 2019. Scott stated that the candidates from within the school district were looked at but were not qualified since they did not have working experience as superintendents. 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. Parents are involved, its a $200 to $300 fine, which is silly when all I had to do was resolve it would be a handshake and, Hey, dont smack me anymore.. How can these other districts replicate this given their own circumstances? 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. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Mike Belmonte; Terri Lawson; Dr. Tammi L. McMillan, Ed.D; Darnika Reed; Carlton Scott; Bridgett . PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Parents concerned Woodland Hills moving to hire new superintendent with checkered past. Due to the pandemic, students at Woodland Hills are only partially in school for in-person instruction, but Harris describes the positive change hes seen since they started reducing, and finally eliminating police from school (they still have unarmed security guards). A lot of people in the community are upset about it. 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. "It's hard to find someone who hasn't had some issues. ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. . "I appreciate the Woodland Hills School District giving me this opportunity to serve as its acting superintendent," Dr. Castagna said in the release. On Jan. 10, 2018, he began a two-week medical leave, and the school board voted Jan. 19 to place him on paid leave. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The Woodland Hills School District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as the district's new superintendent. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Parents concerned Woodland Hills moving to hire new superintendent with checkered past. 2023 Cox Media Group. PITTSBURGH After four fights last week led to remote learning for Woodland Hills High School, students returned to the classrooms Monday with new rules. 10:24 AM. Woodland Hills is a very special place, and I am proud to be a part of this family, Castagna said. That's who I cared about, and that's who you should care about.". "During the course of our search for an acting superintendent, we had the opportunity to speak with both internal and external candidates. "I do also believe, as Dr. Woods, in second chances," said Brandi Fisher, CEO and President of Alliance for Police Accountability. 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. This article first appeared in a February 02, 2022 issue of The Valley Mirror. Castagna will be the acting superintendent for one year or until a new superintendent is hired. Harris: You have to go building by building, and you have to empower the building leadership to make decisions. 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. He was set to be arraigned later that month on DUI charges stemming from an incident in Beaver County three months earlier. 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 . Earlier in the day on Wednesday, Harris told KDKA that he believes the vote is illegal because there was no proper notice or a scheduled hearing. It was a 15-month ordeal that ended in Castagna suing the district in federal court. Woodland Hills is a very special place, and I am proud to be a part of this family. "I appreciate the Woodland Hills School District giving me this opportunity to serve as its acting superintendent," Castagna said in a statement. "As a mom, it's important that my children have examples - have role models. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "We have said no thank you, and we are saying tonight, no thank you. Its detrimental. And now, we realize we dont need any. Castagna addressed his new district following news of the verdict in his lawsuit against West Mifflin. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Harris: When I first got here, we started collecting our write-ups, or incident referrals. 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 . West Mifflin accused Castagna of asking employees to complete private work on school district time and lying about his DUI history. 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. sas.call("std", {
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. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. ", He said that the students' behavior would not be tolerated, "and we will be doing a better job in becoming proactive moving forward.". 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. Harris told KDKA that the school board president, vice president and school solicitor asked him to resign on Tuesday. Question: Can you describe the environment at Woodland Hills when the district had police officers? Woodland Hills School District officials voted 8-1 in November 2021 to terminate the contract of Superintendent James Harris effective December 17. 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. Hed previously been charged with driving under the influence in 2008, and he was later charged again in August 2019. In his subsequent lawsuit, Castagna argued he was targeted and eventually fired because of political differences with several school board members. + Caption. Former Woodland Hills School District superintendent James Harris is speaking out after Pittsburgh's Action News 4 obtained new documents regarding his firing. Harris: We have layers. 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. We have many wonderful programs for our students. I can understand that we don't always make the best decisions, and that shouldn't follow us for the rest of our lives. The rally is only the beginning. We have a great faculty in place, and the students in our district are capable of delivering great things. 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. First published on November 17, 2021 / 8:50 PM. Teresa M. Hawthorne Executive Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent Email: hawtte@whsd.us Phone: 412-731-1300 x0183 FAX: 412-679-1621 . Q: How long did Woodland Hills not have school police prior to shutting down because of COVID-19 in March? We have a great faculty in place and the students in our district are capable of delivering great things. The agreements were approved by the Woodland Hills School District Board of School Directors during their legislative meeting on January 18, 2023. Interim Superintendent
How do you work beyond the notion that people will take advantage of a school environment without police presence? Many speakers during the meeting noted that they were frustrated by the districts lack of transparency in the matter. JAMES P. HARRIS JR., the new superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District, fields questions from reporters after being sworn-in, Aug. Wednesday night's meeting got heated before the vote. We added a number of supports, and then we pulled the heavy beam away, and it opened everything up. Messages: April 5th . 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. Castagna's appointment carries a term of one year or until the district hires a new superintendent. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Superintendent James Harris of the Woodland Hills School District. 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. 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. People should have the opportunity to reinvent themselves and prove themselves. Former school resource officer Stephen Shaulis was accused of excessive force for knocking out the tooth of a 14-year-old, among other incidents. 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. As many as 30 students were identified in a cafeteria fight. Hawkins witnessed the chaos and death of a Steven Eason, a Central Catholic student who was shot in 2021. 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 . 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. We knew week-to-week, we can see changes based on the minor adjustments that we were doing. NOW PLAYING ABOVE. To my new Woodland Hills School District family, I hope this verdict allows us all to move forward together with the goal of creating opportunities for our students and multiple pathways to success, he said. Its finally closing. Harris: The phased-out approach it showed not having a need. Together, his classmates, along with Woodland Hills and Penn Hills students, listened and felt the pain of survivors who shared their stories. He . Q: In the 2018-19 school year, there were 1,381 students enrolled at Woodland Hills Jr./Sr. I implore you not to hire the candidate for the interim position of superintendent. I think we can change it, it can change, said Carter Lance, a Penn Hills junior. 0183. Doose was the final registered speaker of the night before the public comment section opened up. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far and will continue to partner with our districts talented staff and dedicated community. Q: How do you work to get beyond the belief some people have that students need police in schools? "If you all vote tonight to remove this great man, this great leader, you are making a bad decision, a real bad decision. Please enter valid email address to continue. High School. Board President Jamie Glaser read the motion to terminate James Harris without cause effective Dec. 17. I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve the students of the Woodland Hills School District community as its superintendent, Castagna said. Harris told KDKA before the meeting that he plans to fight the decision. In a seemingly abrupt move Wednesday night, the Woodland Hills School Board voted to terminate its superintendent. I was never trained in the military police academy to patrol a high school. I am here to help that happen.". 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. Woodland Hills Foundation (opens in new window/tab) 23-24 School Calendar; Superintendent's Office . Then it got down to one [officer]. Other speakers did not agree. Change your mind. Nov 17, 2021. Castagna . NORTH . The Woodland Hills School District board of directors voted to approve a budget plan that would reduce property taxes. 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. "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. Have a tip for the WESA newsroom? The board voted 8-1 to remove James Harris without cause. They awarded damages worth $2.95 million on Monday. BECOME A MEMBER. The Woodland Hills School District webpage has moved to www.whsd.net, Please visit the new website for updated information. The Woodland Hills School District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as thedistricts new superintendent. 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.
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