Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Incident near CAPA

On another post Anonymous wrote:

Questioner,

New Topic? I just saw on channel 4 news that my good friend and colleague, Jim Addlespurger, was knocked out cold by a teenage boy among a group of boys in a Capa High alley after school. I'm curious how CO will spin this. But more importantly, I'm curious how CO is treating Jim. I knew Jim during his stint at Carrick High. He is an excellent, caring teacher whose students think fondly of him.

Stand tall Jim and know some of us got your back.

Now, who here thinks it was the teacher's fault?

20 comments:

Questioner said...

CBS news report indicating that the victim is a CAPA teacher and that the assailants are not CAPA students:

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/10/08/pittsburgh-capa-teacher-assaulted-in-alley/

Anonymous said...

http://www.wpxi.com/videos/news/police-release-surveillance-footage-to-identify/vfjKQ/

The WPXI video is better quality. I wish I could comment on this story, but there are no words that will come right now.

Questioner said...

After legal procedings are finished, the attackers should be required to answer the the victim and his family, and to community members- why would they do this? What were they thinking?

Anonymous said...

I saw the CBS video. It looks like a game of Knockout King, where a member of a gang just walks up to some stranger and knocks him out.

It's not about theft, or anything like that. The goal is to knock the victim out.

Here's an article about the so-called game. The website is British, but they are discussing Knockout King attacks in America.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2078484/Knockout-King-The-sickening-game-claiming-lives-country.html

Anonymous said...

That is so awful. This happened thursday and he is still in the hospital? I had not seen the news story before today.

Anonymous said...

There was a letter to the editor about a woman who had a coffee knocked out of her hand the same way. She was injured, but realized how much worse it could have been.
Is this a result of no longer funding the groups dterring gangs? Is it the reluctance to say gang in relation to bad behavior? What about calling this behavior wimpy or wussy or whatever is in style? Certainly not manly

Anonymous said...

3 of the kids are from Perry..Do the other kids attend PPS?

Anonymous said...

Animals. Period.

Anonymous said...

As teachers we get blamed for kids like that not passing their PSSA's.
Imagine having a class of 30+ and have a few like that sprinkled in.

Welcome to the world of a PPS teacher.



Anonymous said...

It is the responsibility of adults to prepare kids for better futures.

If parents can't do it there are many good, caring teachers who can and have been strong enough to save young lives for better teachers.

It CAN and IS being done day after day; but, certainly not by the bitter adults who have posted here.

Anonymous said...

There once was a principal at Letsche who rarely had a problem with a school full of kids who had been sent to Letsche from other PPS high schools.

Does anyone wonder how that could be done by that principal?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 7:27

What does "to save young lives for better teachers" mean. It does not make SENSE.

I have done more than you can ever imagine for all the children I have taught. But I know, I can not save them all for Pete's Sake.

But as teachers we have a right to be bitter about all the garbage that goes on with this bull crap reform. There is a blame the teachers attitude.

I have taught kids who have gone to schools in the Ivy League. I have also taught kids that have murdered people and are jail for life, and every thing else in between.

Teachers can not replace parents.
Parents should be accountable.

Just try to walk in my shoes

You must believe that kid who threw that punch never had a effective teacher.

Wow

Anonymous 5:22

D>G


Anonymous said...

7:27, as a responsible adult you should quit your job and wander the streets to save them. You can do it! I have complete faith that since you have no bitterness in your heart that your peaceful ways and love can make up for all that has been lacking in their lives and upbringing. Your love and dedication could erase any issues they may have had. I am sure those three that did that today would have repented of their ways had they just been encountered by an adult like you! (sarcasm)

Anonymous said...

7:27. I was not the poster you are responding to but I wanted to let you know as a Mom, (I am not a teacher nor do I work for PPS) I find your post very odd. It reads like a religous zealot wrote it vs. an educator.

It doesn't seem based in reality.

Anonymous said...

Nevermind... I am a bit (very) slow tonight. I just read the sarcasm part!

Anonymous said...

I am so glad that thecstation i watched tonight called it an act of cowardice. The were commenting on the student taken into custody. Yes he attended letsche alt., yes he had a parole violation (not sure whyit wasnt probabtion).
Since this youth was 15 he is a minor. If my dog knocks you to the curb-- i am in trouble with the law. If parents were held as responsible, they would have to do something. The teachers didnt make this youth unable to walk normally on a city street.
His teachers had to sit through in- services on disadvantaged youth and how they had to grow up fast and take on adult responsibilities at an early age. really??
Please spare me the"economy and jobs" causing this-- at 15 my children had one main job go to school. It wasnt as if he was robbing for food money.
I 'm sure somewhere this month, teachers will sit through "courageous conversations" about how schools are causing all the community issues. And, in one regard schools not teachers are at fault. This boy has been living for the past 6 years in a world without consequences. When, not if, When this happens in a school, nothing is done. Teachers are not permitted to go above a principal, and one the student is 10 and a teacher can file charges-- they are definitely blamed cor the youth's criminal act.
I am sure many families in our city were outraged and their children heard how wrong this was. I am also certain that somewhere, some simple adult in a home thought this was funny.

Anonymous said...

It is good to know his parents turned him in-- whatever happened in the past, they are doung righ today.

Anonymous said...

Quit coddling these youth! The law doesn't state that the media can not release their names to the public. It is simply a media policy not to!! How many people could be saved from any degree of crime or injury if we better knew what type of youth and who were these youth that are walking the streets...especially after they have been found and proven guilty of other crimes!

Anonymous said...

That was MORE than simple assault!

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/pittsburgh-teen-charged-with-punching-teacher-was-having-a-bad-day-657071/

Anonymous said...

I can assure you that there is a reason many of us walk around like tough guys---and you saw it here. God bless the teacher this happened to, but I will make the news if I am ever even in the same time zone as such an incident, and the 9-1-1 call won't be for me.