Gordon Clay: I was wondering the technology that the teacher uses. You know the subject. We're talking about the John Birch Society film that was shown.

Principal Sheryl Lipski: Right

Clay: Is it plug in, or is it Wifi or disc or?

Lipski: All of our teachers have computers that are connected by wire to the Internet and then they're also connected to a projector that projects them on a screen. So that you can go to places on your computer and then can project those images.

Clay: Okay, so that's what she did was went to the web site, the educational web site and pulled it off.

Lipski: Exactly.

Clay: That's the big question.

Lipski: That is. Yes.

Clay: In the Pilot, it reported that she used the educational web site

Lipski: Correct

Clay: She said it and you had said it at the Board meeting

Lipski: Correct

Clay: and that only a portion of that 10 minute clip

Lipski: Ahum

Clay: And she also said she had no way of knowing where it came from.

Lipski: Ahum

Clay: These are the two issues I want to focus on

Lipski: Okay

Clay: because I think those are the big ones that have come up.

Lipski: So, just so that you know that you can ask questions but I cannot always answer questions

Clay: Yup

Lipski: Especially if it deals with a personnel issue that I have to keep that confidential. I'm required to.

Clay: Yup. And these are statements she has made public as far as I can understand.

Lipski: Correct. If I can I'll answer them, if I can't I won't. I just want you to know ahead of time.

Clay: Right. Did you watch that video? Have you watched it?

Lipski: I have not watch the video on the John Birch site. I have watch the video

Clay:  the educational piece?

Lipski: Yes. Exactly.

Clay: Okay. Okay. And did you have a chance, I know the teacher's aid gave you a copy of her notes, she takes very through notes at every class she ever does.

Lipski: And I did meet with the person who did make the allegations, yes.

Clay: And did you have a, and she also gave you, as I understand it, a copy of a translation that I did, transcribed of the video, the actual video where the information was reported to come from. If not, it's in here.

Lipski: Okay. No, I did not receive any kind of translation or transcribing or anything like that.

Clay: In comparing her notes and the actual script from the entire 30 minute piece, and in here I've got the part that came from the educational site in blue. They don't match.

Lipski: And so, here's where I've gotta say, I'm going to make some general statements right here. I can't go into stuff that was personal, but I'm going to make some general statements here, okay?

Clay: Yes.

Lipski: So, we definitely investigated this thoroughly. We. I feel very confident in the investigation because we used a lot of different ways of investigating it so I'm very confident in the thoroughness of the investigation. I'm also very confident that there, first of all I want to acknowledge, I truly appreciate that we have groups that are interested enough to make sure because, really it is our job to make sure that we produce unbiased, and if we show something that happens be, leans towards one direction, we really need to present the other side.

Clay: Right

Lipski: We have to show kids, because our job is to have kids think, so it's okay to use some things but you have to use them with knowledge of, and with an intent to show a balance view of both sides. Okay. I truly believe that that was the intent of the teacher. I don't believe that it was ______ and I can tell you that it was not from a John Birch DVD, it was not from the John Birch site. There was no awareness of anything that was represented of the John Birch Society. And in fact she was quite unhappy when she found out. I can share that much.

Clay: I believe that you do have an interest in balance.

Lipski: Absolutely.

Clay: And I do to. I don't have any problem with the whole 30 minute video being shown if it's balanced.

Lipski: Exactly. Exactly.

Clay: As you probably know the history of the John Birch Society. It is..

Lipski: And actually what's fascinating. There are a lot of people now who know a lot more about the John Birch Society. Which is a good thing, I think.

Clay: Yep

Lipski: Because we've created a greater awareness. Could this have been handled differently. Absolutely. Could we have known from the beginning that that's what it was, I think it would have been a whole different ball game. But I truly do not believe that there was any knowledge of that and I do think that she has done some things to...and this is where it gets tricky because if you take this to the paper I have to be very careful if I say it, but I would say that she's really done things to address that in her class and to share information about bias and unbiased and being able to...so I really feel like she has taken this to another level to make sure that kids understand this as well.

Clay: Good. (Phone interruption.) I just want to reference. Here are her notes and it, there's a lot here (before the part from the educational web site) and a lot here (after the part from the educational web site) that aren't, and this is the part that came from the educational web site (in blue). They aren't in that.

Lipski: Okay

Clay: They're in here, talking about religion and how the Bill of Rights were set up off the Ten Commandments, things like that, and then the ones (notes) down here are in here (video after the educational video ends) even quotes of Proverbs, from Proverbs. And my question, I guess, is how she (teacher's aid) have gotten this (the notes) in class and it be just the educational web site. I'm not challenging whether the teacher knew it was John Birch or not. That's circumstantial. But, it's just, where, the question is, I'll state it my way, where it really came from?

Lipski: Right

Clay: Where it really was.

Lipski: And so what I can tell you is that we investigated it. It was from an educational site and I'm confident in the investigation and the pieces, because I understand, you know, it's all in how you investigate it and how, especially how you use computer use investigations. So, I can assure you it came from an education site and I can assure you we've addressed it and we've addressed policy and procedures. I think we're all on board. Everybody learned from this. I'm including the person who made the allegations about how to do that, you know, in a timely way so that we can really make the investigation a little bit closer to when everything happened. But, I think it was a learning experience for everybody.

Clay: I agree with that. It's just where did all the notes come from?

Lipski: You know, there are some things I can share and some things I can't share.

Clay: Okay.

Lipski: But I'm going to ask you to trust us and to know that we are professionals. I think we have the same goal in mind and that is to really make sure kids get an education that helps them think, that is well rounded, that provides points of view from both sides, and allows them make decisions based on their personal beliefs and not on the beliefs of whoever is teaching the class. And I'm very confident that that's where we are.

Clay: Superintendent Hodge had said, and it was confusing, he said the line of command on something like this would have been to go to the teacher, which I'm really confused about, under these circumstances, then come to you, then go to him, then go to the board, and then, if necessary, go to the press. And is that, in this circumstance, should we have gone to the teacher?

Lipski: I've always asked if they have chatted with the teacher. Because they were there and that's usually the first line to clarify. If there's a issue that you feel uncomfortable with the teacher, then definitely take it to the building principle. And, you know, that happens rarely, it's a very occasional thing I've ever seen but there are occasional times where there's some discomfort about going directly to the teacher but the teacher needs to become involved because frankly they were there.

Lipski: (Phone rings) I'm going to have to go. I'm so sorry. I have another meeting I have to get to. If you have more maybe we could reschedule or if you have

Clay: And she had stated in the newspaper that she had an open door policy but it was basically for parents of children in her class. Would this be appropriate for somebody that doesn't have a child in the class or in the school? To contact her and ask her questions?

Lipski: Here's what I would say that if anyone's involved in whatever capacity: substitutes, volunteer in the classroom, but if you're in there and see something that you're concerned about I would certainly take it either to the teacher first, and then of course, like I said, if there's great discomfort in that, take it to the building principle because...

Clay: Well, in this circumstance, talking specifically this circumstance which I wasn't in the class, I wasn't...

Lipski: Right. And that's what's difficult. It really is helpful to us if the people who are involved who feel uncomfortable are the ones who come forward and make the allegation. If you, as a citizens, just want to come in and find out information, please, feel free to come and see me and if I feel like we need to bring in a staff member but if you're not part of the school and what we're doing, then I would definitely come to the building principle.

Clay: And the policy when parents are asked to give approval on political, sexual, religious things, would this have fallen in there?

Lipski: This, actually, what that one is, we generally do it a lot for, like if we're doing our health classes, when they get into their sexual unit, we definitely do all the permissions on that. Anything that's going to be kind of a controversial thing where we feel like it would might be only one side presented, we would definitely send out permission to let them know what's going on and why. I don't know this would fall in it because the information she was hoping to present was not necessarily of a controversial nature. The method was what was controversial.

Clay: Okay. I'll let you go.

Lipski: Thank-you. Thank-you for bring all of this to light. And, like I said, I really do appreciate the concern and I think, like you said, we probably have a lot more in common and how we feel and what needs to be happening in schools and I appreciate people who would make sure that they hold us to that high standard because we want to be held to that high standard.

Clay: Right. I'm just confused where the information came from because it doesn't seem to correlate. Okay.