Public Radio Investigation Finds Poizner's Claims Lacking
Mount Pleasant High School has a
friend in Public Radio International's Ira Glass.
This weekend, Glass devoted a
segment on his show "This American Life" to a
takedown of the claims made in Steve Poizner's book, "Mount Pleasant." In
the book, Poizner claimed
that the school was rough, dangerous, and full of under-achievers.
Poizner also suggested that the school was known for its high rates of
pregnancy -- while simultaneously opposing
access to family-planning services for teens.
Naturally, students, parents,
and teachers were none
too happy with Poizner's characterization, and shot back that he'd
exaggerated the situation.
After visiting the school,
interviewing the community, and rigorously
fact-checking Poizner's book, Glass landed on the side of the
students. An "Urban Legend" is how the show characterized Poizner's
charges.
"Obviously and provably
untrue," Glass
concluded.
Poizner, a conservative
Republican, shot back through
spokesperson Jarrod Agen, who decried "turning a blind eye to the
problems in our public schools" but did not contest any of the
allegations in the radio program.
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