Dr. Daniel Castagna
Raised in a family of public educators, it is no surprise Dr. Castagna marked education as his chosen career path. After graduating from Center High School in 1994, he completed his undergraduate coursework in Elementary Education at Clarion University (1998) and immediately followed it with graduate work in Education Administration at Youngstown State University (2001). His Doctoral Degree in School Leadership was bestowed upon him in 2008 by the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Castagna’s professional career started as a classroom teacher in the Hopewell Area School District. He began his administrative work, as a principal, with the Baldwin-Whitehall School District in 2005. When he left Baldwin in 2007 for the West Mifflin Area School District, his leadership skills and educational expertise moved him quickly up the administrative ladder, from Principal to Director of Elementary Education to Assistant Superintendent in two short years. When Dr. Castagna took on the role of Superintendent of West Mifflin Area School District in 2011, a position in which he maintained until March of 2019, he became the youngest person to hold the position of Superintendent of Schools in the state of Pennsylvania.
His extensive knowledge of topics in education, such as data driven instruction and formative assessments, has made Dr. Castagna a sought after Keynote speaker. He has shared his wisdom with audiences at venues such as the Quality Classroom Consortium, REL-Mid Atlantic, and the Educational Leadership Initiative. He was an adjunct professor in the Department of Secondary Education and Administrative Leadership at California University of Pennsylvania for six years and a member of the Undergraduate Advisory Board for Point Park University for five years. Dr. Castagna has an extensive list of professional affiliations that include Pennsylvania Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals and American Association of School Personnel Administrators. As a member of the Three Rivers Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, Dr. Castagna has served as one of only five, two-term presidents the organization has had in its history of over 100 years.
An advocate for public education, he works diligently to bring together teachers, students, parents, and the community. In December 2011, Dr. Castagna was awarded the Woody Clark Service Key Award for his Leadership, Research, and Service in Public Education. In 2012, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named Dr. Castagna the most “Clued-In Senior Manager” in Pittsburgh; his management system being described as one that is keyed in on student and faculty concerns. The Pennsylvania Congress of Parents and Teachers certified Dr. Castagna in April 2014 as an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Pennsylvania Parent-Teacher Association. He has earned accolades for his district as well. With Dr. Castagna as Superintendent, West Mifflin Area School District was voted one of the Top Places to Work in Pittsburgh in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. In the Fall of 2014, Dr. Castagna was inducted into the Center High School Alumni Hall of Fame for his Public Education Advocacy.
On January 28, 2022, Dr. Castagna was named the Interim Superintendent of the Woodlands Hills School District.