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." 2023 Cox Media Group. The district serves 12 municipalities east of Pittsburgh and enrolls about 3,300 students. Woodland Hills is a very special place, and I am proud to be a part of this family. Castagna was fired as superintendent of West Mifflin Area schools in March 2019 following two DUI arrests and accusations of neglect ofduties, incompetency, and immorality. 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. 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. 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. JAMES P. HARRIS JR., the new superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District, fields questions from reporters after being sworn-in, Aug. But if you do need me, please call, Ill be happy to come and work with the kids Thats what the conversation turned in to. Our teachers are tired of it, our students are tired of it, our parents are most definitely tired of it," said one student. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Parents concerned Woodland Hills moving to hire new superintendent with checkered past. 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 . Dave Gremmels - General Manager, Superintendent - Woodland Hills Golf 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. May 25, 2022 at 10:51 pm EDT. NOW PLAYING ABOVE. The dispute was settled in 2018. Ensure on-site staff are complying with plans and safety requirements. Mike Belmonte; Terri Lawson; Dr. Tammi L. McMillan, Ed.D; Darnika Reed; Carlton Scott; Bridgett . Job Superintendent Salary in Woodland Hills, CA We added a number of supports, and then we pulled the heavy beam away, and it opened everything up. First published on November 17, 2021 / 8:50 PM. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Parents concerned Woodland Hills moving to hire new superintendent with checkered past. "My wife and I are graduates of this district, and we are fierce defenders of this school district, but this is indefensible. People should have the opportunity to reinvent themselves and prove themselves. He served as the superintendent of West Mifflin from 2011 to 2019. 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. He was set to be arraigned later that month on DUI charges stemming from an incident in Beaver County three months earlier. The board also accepted the resignation of members Ronna Currie and Marilyn Scott. A statement from the board said that it would begin a search for a new leader immediately. 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. email: castda@whsd.net NORTH . It was . 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. Woods described growing up with Castagna and being mentored by him. So, for that I do apologize. Other speakers did not agree. ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. . He . Superintendent's Office - Woodland Hills School District ", Prior to being fired from West Mifflin, Castagna was an assistant principal in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District from 2005 to 2007 and a teacher in the Hopewell Area School District from 1999 to 2005. 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? Members . District officials defended his hiring following a meeting that saw hours of public comments. 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. Most of the speakers showed their support for Harris, while a few others wanted him fired. 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. 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. And now, we realize we dont need any. pageId: 726593, // Page : Woodland_Hills/ros Harris: You have to go building by building, and you have to empower the building leadership to make decisions. Some speakers said Harris helped improve district and student achievement. Earlier on Wednesday, Harris told KDKA that he was completely blindsided when the board president, vice president and solicitor asked him to resign on Tuesday. "That action often gave the impression that we were downplaying the severity of the incident," the letter states. 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. 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. 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. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. I have cousins who are officers, I have cousins who are in law enforcement and in the judicial system. The Woodland Hills School District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as the district's new superintendent. It includes an update on action items from recent meetings with parents and high school students, details on recently completed and ongoing security improvements at all of our buildings, and much more. Students, parents, coaches and community leaders shared their opinions with the board. (Photo by Jay Manning/PublicSource), advocates and protestors called for removal of police from the. 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. Very rarely were they ever called, so the officers sat in the office all day. 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 District has officially appointed Dr. Daniel Castagna as thedistricts new superintendent. Superintendent - Woodland Hills School District I dont see the reason why I should be here. That's who I cared about, and that's who you should care about.". Jury orders West Mifflin School District to pay $2.9M to former Before the vote, school board members gave comments about Castagna, which caused conflict between some and caused disruption and shouting out from the public. This article first appeared in a February 02, 2022 issue of The Valley Mirror. }); Dr. Daniel Castagna 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. So I hope you hear our voices. Athletics (opens in new window/tab) Buildings and Grounds; Business and Finance; Curriculum; Personnel . 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 hires Dan Castagna as superintendent - WTAE "But I am also a foster mom, mother, and child care educator for the past 18 years. 22-23 School Calendar - Woodland Hills School District Many teachers, and I'll say many of the board members, have been that to my children and to the children of the district. Harris: The phased-out approach it showed not having a need. 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 . 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. Q: How are challenges addressed and solved now? 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