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. Most of the speakers showed their support for Harris, while a few others wanted him fired. Harris: Its less tense. He said the experience has changed him and because of that, he wanted to make the trip to Harrisburg. 0183 The Woodland Hills School District Welcomes Dr. Daniel Castagna as Interim Superintendent. Former Woodland Hills School District superintendent James Harris is speaking out after Pittsburgh's Action News 4 obtained new documents regarding his firing. 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. Sarah Schneider is WESA's education reporter. "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. 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 Jan. 10, 2018, he began a two-week medical leave, and the school board voted Jan. 19 to place him on paid leave. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Castagna has served as the acting superintendent since Jan. 28. 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. 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. 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. Woodland Hills Superintendent James Harris said there were several racially insensitive moments directed . A federal jury on Monday ordered West Mifflin School District to pay nearly $3 million to former Superintendent Daniel Castagna in connection with his 2019 firing. Andre Patterson cast the lone vote against the move. I know his heart, I know his mind, and I know his ability." "I appreciate the Woodland Hills School District giving me this opportunity to serve as its acting superintendent," Dr. Castagna said in the release. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Theres a lot of professional folks in that building who helped create a better environment. "During the course of our search for an acting superintendent, we had the opportunity to speak with both internal and external candidates. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Superintendent's Office; Title IX; Transcripts; Woodland Hills Foundation (opens in new window/tab) 23-24 School Calendar . Harris was hired in 2018 as the district was under the spotlight after its school police were accused of using excessive force. She can be reached at sschneider@wesa.fm. "If you all vote tonight to remove this great man, this great leader, you are making a bad decision, a real bad decision. 10:24 AM. Q: How were you able to get staff, students and families on board? Doose was the final registered speaker of the night before the public comment section opened up. "But I am also a foster mom, mother, and child care educator for the past 18 years. email: castda@whsd.net 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. And now, we realize we dont need any. 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. The School Board, staff and communitys belief in me is something I will never take for granted. 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. 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. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far and will continue to partner with our districts talented staff and dedicated community. formatId: 34956, // Format : IAB Leaderboard 728x90 Castagna was hired by the district in 2007 and served as superintendent from 2011 through 2018. We didnt do that; thats not our role. Athletics (opens in new window/tab) Buildings and Grounds; Business and Finance; Curriculum; Personnel . 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. 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, expressed opposition to hiring Castagna. We didnt need three years worth of data to make a decision. He had been charged with a DUI in 2008 and in 2019. Email news@wesa.fm. He joined the call on zoom. The board voted 8 to 1 to terminate James Harris without cause during a meeting on Wednesday. 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. I look forward to seeing our district succeed.. I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve the students of the Woodland Hills School District community as its Superintendent, Castagna said. "Our plan is to continue to provide this relief," Superintendent Dr. Daniel Castagna said. What we did not want to have continue to happen was the criminalization of adolescent behavior. Superintendents Message . The school district announced on May 25 that Castagna would officially be head of the district from May 26, 2022, to May 25, 2027. "We're trying to . Castagna addressed his new district following news of the verdict in his lawsuit against West Mifflin. Parents have to feel welcome when they go into the schools, students have to feel welcome. In a seemingly abrupt move Wednesday night, the Woodland Hills School Board voted to terminate its superintendent. Covid guidelines and mandates have been controversial during the pandemic, but Woodland Hills' covid procedures and requirements regarding distancing and mask-wearing are strict. In recent weeks, several fights have broken out at the district's high school. This article first appeared in a February 02, 2022 issue of The Valley Mirror. The Woodland Hills school board abruptly fired its superintendent Wednesday night. School board member elects Darnika Reed and Carlton Scott both said during public comment that they thought the board should table the vote until they were sworn in. So, it was a gradual approach to removal. First published on November 17, 2021 / 8:50 PM. The dispute was settled in 2018. 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. Q: In the 2018-19 school year, there were 1,381 students enrolled at Woodland Hills Jr./Sr. / CBS Pittsburgh. 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 . The school district announced on May 25 that Castagna would officially be head of the district from May 26, 2022, to May 25, 2027. 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. The district serves 12 municipalities east of Pittsburgh and enrolls about 3,300 students. 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. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter . Castagna . How can these other districts replicate this given their own circumstances? The board voted 8-1 to remove James Harris without cause. . The Woodland Hills School District Welcomes Dr. Daniel Castagna as Interim Superintendent. You bring in experts, you bring in an architect, you bring in an engineer, you bring in the city inspector to the building inspector to look at that and make sure that all the supports are right before you take that beam away, and thats what we did. November 17, 2021 / 8:50 PM Many speakers during the meeting noted that they were frustrated by the districts lack of transparency in the matter. Dr. Daniel Castagna Superintendent Email: castda@whsd.us Superintendent Bio. A few others said that they supported a move to fire him. Then it got down to one [officer]. Instead, I simply found that he co-owns a bar that has been shut down for covid violations. 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. Harris: Any business or any organization wants people to feel welcome, but the students have a lot of needs, and so do staff. The officers prior to us getting here would be involved in the day-to-day happenings with what was going on with the students. Key Responsibilities: Supervise on-site activities. 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. After an 8-1 vote, Harris stood up from his seat at the table and left the meeting. 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 . 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 small Wilkinsburg private school wants to grow into a 'village' in the community, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. A lot of people in the community are upset about it. Our teachers are tired of it, our students are tired of it, our parents are most definitely tired of it," said one student. Just over 24 hours after being asked for his resignation, the Woodland Hills School Board voted to terminate Superintendent James P. Harris's . I can understand that we don't always make the best decisions, and that shouldn't follow us for the rest of our lives. 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. They awarded damages worth $2.95 million on Monday. Messages: April 5th . PublishedNovember 17, 2021 at 9:53 PM EST. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. "I appreciate the Woodland Hills School District giving me this opportunity to serve as its acting superintendent," Castagna said in a statement. The district said Harris' last day will be Dec. 17th and the search for a new superintendent starts immediately. "We have people internally. The board voted 8 to 1 to terminate James Harris without cause during a meeting on Wednesday. About 30 students . "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. 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. When I look at Dr. Livingston, the principal when my first son started [and] is now 21, she's amazing, and she's still here."
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