Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Woodland Hills School Board votes to fire superintendent 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). An October Message From The Superintendent | News Archive I can understand that we don't always make the best decisions, and that shouldn't follow us for the rest of our lives. "My wife and I are graduates of this district, and we are fierce defenders of this school district, but this is indefensible. Five students sued the district in federal court, alleging the district fostered a culture of abuse. He was set to be arraigned later that month on DUI charges stemming from an incident in Beaver County three months earlier. Dr. Daniel Castagna Superintendent Email: castda@whsd.us Superintendent Bio. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Make a gift of $7/month or more to get yours today! In a seemingly abrupt move Wednesday night, the Woodland Hills School Board voted to terminate its superintendent. 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. It is not . Woodland Hills is a very special place, and I am proud to be a part of this family, Castagna said. 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. pageId: 726593, // Page : Woodland_Hills/ros Woodland Hills is a very special place, and I am proud to be a part of this family. We thank Mr. Harris for his service as the district superintendent and will work with him to ensure a smooth transition.. Please take a moment to read this message from Woodland Hills Superintendent Dr. Daniel Castagna. }); Dr. Daniel Castagna 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Woodland Hills School Board Votes To Terminate Superintendent James He served as the superintendent of West Mifflin from 2011 to 2019. 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. When the new administration came in, they started to minimize the role of police officers and take over the daily discipline and the behavioral situation in the building. You need to make sure that the students have respect for each other, respect for the teachers and respect for themselves. JAMES P. HARRIS JR., the new superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District, fields questions from reporters after being sworn-in, Aug. 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. Woodland Hills School District reduces property tax - Yahoo News PublishedNovember 17, 2021 at 9:53 PM EST. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. We added a number of supports, and then we pulled the heavy beam away, and it opened everything up. Athletics (opens in new window/tab) Buildings and Grounds; Business and Finance; Curriculum; Personnel . 2550 Greensburg Pike, Pittsburgh, PA 15218. 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 . 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). 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 . Woodland Hills School District. 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. Our teachers are tired of it, our students are tired of it, our parents are most definitely tired of it," said one student. The concept of voting out or recalling the board members who vote yes on Castagna was mentioned multiple times during the meeting. Former school resource officer Stephen Shaulis was accused of excessive force for knocking out the tooth of a 14-year-old, among other incidents. It was . Woodland Hills Foundation (opens in new window/tab) 23-24 School Calendar; Superintendent's Office . 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. 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 . email: castda@whsd.net The district is holding a town hall meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at Focus on Renewal in McKees Rocks. 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. Immediately, he had the officers trade their bulletproof vests for khakis and polo shirts. Local students gather at state capitol, make plea for an end to gun Q: How were you able to get staff, students and families on board? How do you work beyond the notion that people will take advantage of a school environment without police presence? Do you need that data to understand the problems, or were you just able to take action? Help us inform people in the Pittsburgh region with more stories like this support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation. 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. 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. 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. 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. Harris: You have to go building by building, and you have to empower the building leadership to make decisions. Superintendents Message . Woodland Hills is a very special place, and I am proud to be a part of this family. 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 . 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. "But I am also a foster mom, mother, and child care educator for the past 18 years. New superintendent James P. Harris Jr. ready to make big changes at The School Board, staff and communitys belief in me is something I will never take for granted. I know his heart, I know his mind, and I know his ability." 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 accused Castagna of asking employees to complete private work on school district time and lying about his DUI history. Woodland Hills appoints Castagna as permanent superintendent; 2 school And now, we realize we dont need any. "It's detrimental. 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. The board also accepted the resignation of members Ronna Currie and Marilyn Scott. West Mifflin accused Castagna of asking employees to complete private work on school district time and lying about his DUI history. Superintendent's Office; Title IX; Transcripts; Woodland Hills Foundation (opens in new window/tab) 23-24 School Calendar . 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 . 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. 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. "I do also believe, as Dr. Woods, in second chances," said Brandi Fisher, CEO and President of Alliance for Police Accountability. Your vote tonight will be reflected in your record, and we will note it when you are up for election again.". Woodland Hills School District approves teacher cuts, tax reduction - MSN PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Parents concerned Woodland Hills moving to hire new superintendent with checkered past. Castagna has served as the districts acting superintendent since late January, following the school boards decision to terminate superintendent James Harris contract in December2021. 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. Help us inform people in the Pittsburgh region with more stories like this support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation. Steve Shaulis: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com
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