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. 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 addressed his new district following news of the verdict in his lawsuit against West Mifflin. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Email news@wesa.fm. Before the vote, school board members gave comments about Castagna, which caused conflict between some and caused disruption and shouting out from the public. "If you all vote tonight to remove this great man, this great leader, you are making a bad decision, a real bad decision. Interim Superintendent email: castda@whsd.net 412.731.1300 ext. After an 8-1 vote, Harris stood up from his seat at the table and left the meeting. "That was never the intent. "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 serves 12 municipalities east of Pittsburgh and enrolls about 3,300 students. Woodland Hills school officials have made Acting Superintendent Daniel Castagnas position permanent, voting to confirm his appointment at a special meeting Wednesday night that also included the resignation of two school board members. 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. This position is a position of public trust. Many teachers, and I'll say many of the board members, have been that to my children and to the children of the district. Former Woodland Hills School District superintendent James Harris is speaking out after Pittsburgh's Action News 4 obtained new documents regarding his firing. 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. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Suspended superintendent accused of knowingly hiring man being investigated for murder. 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. 50 years ago this month, we exposed a state institution. Could policing be reimagined in schools? 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. BECOME A MEMBER. Last year, pre-COVID, we were down about 70% in our incidences. 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. 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. 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. 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. West Mifflin accused Castagna of asking employees to complete private work on school district time and lying about his DUI history. Harris: You have to go building by building, and you have to empower the building leadership to make decisions. Its detrimental. Superintendents Message . 2550 Greensburg Pike, Pittsburgh, PA 15218. 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. He initially told KDKA it involved only a half-dozen students. Doose was the final registered speaker of the night before the public comment section opened up. As the General Manager and Superintendent, I lead all aspects of operations with a . "It's hard to find someone who hasn't had some issues. This is the first time in district history, a 41-year time period, that property taxes have been reduced. Oregon romance writer charged with murdering husband found guilty, 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, Bride killed, groom critically injured after wedding reception when drunken driver hits golf cart, Man charged in connection to death of woman hit by truck in Oakland, 1 person killed in shooting in McKeesport, Many Dollar Bank customers missing hundreds of dollars due to ATM skimming, Its getting worse: Community seeking answers from Pittsburgh leaders in light of recent violence. Please choose someone else.". Harris had been an administrator since 2018, and the school board did not give a reason for his firing. He joined the call on zoom. "I appreciate the Woodland Hills School District giving me this opportunity to serve as its acting superintendent," Castagna said in a statement. Woodland Hills Superintendent James Harris said there were several racially insensitive moments directed . 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. Harris walked out of the meeting right after the board voted. You dont need police to control the hallways at school to keep it calm. formatId: 34956, // Format : IAB Leaderboard 728x90
He served as the superintendent of West Mifflin from 2011 to 2019. Just having a stabler, calmer environment; we had less blow-ups between students and staff. "We have many wonderful teachers. I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve the students of the Woodland Hills School District community as its superintendent, Castagna said. So, for that I do apologize. Q: How long did Woodland Hills not have school police prior to shutting down because of COVID-19 in March? Phillip Woods, former principal, and current superintendent at Aliquippa, stated, "It's hard listening to the comments and the judgment of Dr. Daniel Castagna. 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. 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. He served as the superintendent of West Mifflin from 2011 to 2019. Kellen Stepler is an editorial intern for PublicSource. May 25, 2022 at 10:51 pm EDT. 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. If we could do more things like this and have the community wrap around us and this problem. "But I am also a foster mom, mother, and child care educator for the past 18 years. Woodland Hills School District. The Woodland Hills School District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as thedistricts new superintendent. "We have made a commitment to provide a wide range of support systems to our students," Woodland Hills Superintendent Dr. Daniel Castagna said. The dispute was settled in 2018. 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. Woodland Hills Online Academy; Woodland Hills Opportunity Camp; Woodland Hills Senior High School; Departments. The officer sees that and may file charges for assault, or I complain because you hit me too hard then you have a fine or summons because of it. The Woodland Hills School District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as the district's new superintendent. I am here to help that happen.". Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Board President Jamie Glaser read the motion to terminate James Harris without cause effective Dec. 17. The school board, staff and communitys belief in me is something I will never take for granted.. 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. Q: How were you able to get staff, students and families on board? Most of the speakers showed their support for Harris, while a few others wanted him fired. Castagna has served as the districts acting superintendent since late January, following the school boards decision to terminate superintendent James Harris contract in December2021. So, it was a gradual approach to removal. Its finally closing. In the early 2000s, Woodland Hills was losing about 400 kids a year to charter schools. 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. 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. ", First published on January 28, 2022 / 9:29 PM. The faces of victims of gun violence were held tight by students and loved ones on the steps of the state capitol. 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. Q: How did the culture change as police presence began to phase out? The students listened to their own local leaders testify, including Woodland Hills Superintendent Daniel Castagna and Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The Woodland Hills school board abruptly fired its superintendent Wednesday night. January 28, 2022 / 9:29 PM 10:24 AM. This realization helped lead the district into phasing out police presence in their school. Strategic Plan Midpoint - Professional Education. Harris: This is the first year we have no police. Harris: When I first got here, we started collecting our write-ups, or incident referrals. Castagna . District officials defended his hiring following a meeting that saw hours of public comments. Superintendents Bio. "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. 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. Very rarely were they ever called, so the officers sat in the office all day. "During the course of our search for an acting superintendent, we had the opportunity to speak with both internal and external candidates. The board voted 8-1 to remove James Harris without cause. She can be reached at sschneider@wesa.fm. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. A lot of people in the community are upset about it. A legal fight could cause a delay and leave the matter to the new school board members, who take their seats in January. We thank Mr. Harris for his service as the district superintendent and will work with him to ensure a smooth transition.. In the high school world, thats just two 16-year-olds being buddies. "We have people internally. Do you need that data to understand the problems, or were you just able to take action? 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. Hawkins witnessed the chaos and death of a Steven Eason, a Central Catholic student who was shot in 2021. Former school resource officer Stephen Shaulis was accused of excessive force for knocking out the tooth of a 14-year-old, among other incidents. If we cant de-escalate a situation, then no one really can. 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. . 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. I think we can change it, it can change," said Carter Lance, a Penn Hills junior. 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. 0183 The Woodland Hills School District Welcomes Dr. Daniel Castagna as Interim Superintendent. Several community members and parents spoke in favor of Harris during public comment before the vote. I dont see the reason why I should be here. 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. Harris: We have layers. I can understand that we don't always make the best decisions, and that shouldn't follow us for the rest of our lives. Select Accept to consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use. 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. Members . 0183. I know his heart, I know his mind, and I know his ability." "It's detrimental. 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. Especially after we have had time to demonstrate change," she said. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This article first appeared in a February 02, 2022 issue of The Valley Mirror. T he Woodland Hills School Board made two big moves in their Wednesday night meeting, approving a tax cut for people who live in the district, and in a controversial vote, furloughing teachers and . Instead, I simply found that he co-owns a bar that has been shut down for covid violations. NORTH BRADDOCK, Pa. The Woodland Hills School District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as the district's new superintendent. Woodland Hills four-year graduation rate in the 2014-15 school year was just above 80 percent. Woodland Hills is a very special place, and I am proud to be a part of this family. The School Board, staff and communitys belief in me is something I will never take for granted. 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. Harris told KDKA before the meeting that he plans to fight the decision. Many pointed to Castagna having been charged with driving under the influence three separate times. Castagna was hired by the district in 2007 and served as superintendent from 2011 through 2018. NORTH BRADDOCK, Pa. (KDKA) -- The Woodland Hills school board has voted to terminate its superintendent. Woodland Hills Golf & Country Club is an 18-hole, 6390 yard, par 72 championship golf course and country club. "I appreciate the Woodland Hills School District giving me this opportunity to serve as its acting superintendent," Dr. Castagna said in the release. 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.
Other speakers did not agree. The former West Mifflin superintendent who was fired after his second DUI case has been hired by the Woodland Hills School District. Pittsburgh's Action News 4 repeatedly reached out to Woodland Hills Superintendent Daniel Castagna for comment for months on the charges filed against Miles. "My organization is all about second chances; we even hire previously incarcerated individuals. We thank Mr. Harris for his service as the district superintendent and will work with him to ensure a smooth transition.". 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.
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