TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Do you need that data to understand the problems, or were you just able to take action? PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Parents concerned Woodland Hills moving to hire new superintendent with checkered past. pageId: 726593, // Page : Woodland_Hills/ros 10:24 AM. Board members did not say what prompted the termination. I just dont think thats the job for them to do thats for the principal, teachers and counselors in the schools to do. 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. 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. Please take a moment to read this message from Woodland Hills Superintendent Dr. Daniel Castagna. While there were multiple speakers both at the meeting and via Zoom who offered support and criticism of Harris during the 2021 meeting, last Friday's meeting regarding Castagna did not have a single non-school board person from the district commenting in favor of his employment. pic.twitter.com/l73WMgdWIs, Nicole Ford (@NicoleFordTV) March 23, 2023. Despite the efforts of concerned residents and an online petition that received over 350 signatures, the vote concluded with four against and five for Castagna. 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. 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. We still have our counselors, our behavioral interventionists and a great leadership staff in the building. Covid guidelines and mandates have been controversial during the pandemic, but Woodland Hills' covid procedures and requirements regarding distancing and mask-wearing are strict. 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. If we could do more things like this and have the community wrap around us and this problem. Superintendent's Office; Title IX; Transcripts; Woodland Hills Foundation (opens in new window/tab) 23-24 School Calendar . Kellen Stepler is an editorial intern for PublicSource. "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. Woodland Hills is a very special place, and I am proud to be a part of this family. The agreements were approved by the Woodland Hills School District Board of School Directors during their legislative meeting on January 18, 2023. It was the last meeting for three board members. 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. I was never trained in the military police academy to patrol a high school. email: hawtte@whsd.net The Woodland Hills School District board of directors voted to approve a budget plan that would reduce property taxes. email: castda@whsd.net The district is holding a town hall meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at Focus on Renewal in McKees Rocks. She can be reached at sschneider@wesa.fm. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve the students of the Woodland Hills School District community as its Superintendent, Castagna said. ", He said that the students' behavior would not be tolerated, "and we will be doing a better job in becoming proactive moving forward.". January 28, 2022 / 9:29 PM While they were still identified as police, this would be the beginning of a culture shift when it came to policing at Woodland Hills. "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. We understand that there has been heightened attention and discussion regarding this decision, board member Carlton Scott said, but we truly believe that Dr. Castagna will faithfully and expertly guide the Woodland Hills School District during this transition period.. About 30 students . 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. 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. 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 . Strategic Plan Midpoint - Professional Education. ", 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. 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. In a letter to families, Harris apologized for giving incomplete information in the wake of that fight in what he called his attempt to be transparent. 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. The meeting was set for board members to vote on whether or not to hire Dr. Daniel Castagna as superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. Q: How were you able to get staff, students and families on board? 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. The students listened to their own local leaders testify, including Woodland Hills Superintendent Daniel Castagna and Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker. 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 have thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far and will continue to partner with our districts talented staff and dedicated community.. 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. Board President Jamie Glaser read the motion to terminate James Harris without cause effective Dec. 17. 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. Our teachers are tired of it, our students are tired of it, our parents are most definitely tired of it," said one student. Have a tip for the WESA newsroom? 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. 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. Harris told KDKA that the school board president, vice president and school solicitor asked him to resign on Tuesday. It comes as the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee is holding its first discussion in more than a decade on laws related to guns. ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. . What we did not want to have continue to happen was the criminalization of adolescent behavior. 2023 Cox Media Group. Superintendent Johnson said the numbers have been static in the last three years; they're getting just as many back as they lose. Theres a lot of professional folks in that building who helped create a better environment. In a 5-4 vote, the Pittsburgh Public Schools board voted Wednesday to use $27,000 in grant funds to cover costs of police training for four district security guards. 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