Why I homeschool...

Really, this has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have heard. I laughed hard when I heard this in the car Tuesday. This teacher actually has a teaching certificate? Here is the web page. And Here is the follow up. From KSN.com

Teacher suspended after classroom experiment

Salina South High School teacher is off the job -- suspended for drawing blood from dozens of students using the same tool. The incident took place Monday afternoon at the school in two separate anatomy and kinesiology classes. According to the district the teacher, who is not being named, used the same lancets on an estimated 50 students so the students could analyze their blood.

Not only did they use bad judgment in using the same lancet, the district reports that the teacher was supposed to use artificial blood for the experiment.

Kayley McMahon was one of the students involved in the experiment.

"I'm kind of worried. I think the school's going to do okay with it though. I trust that they'll let us see health professionals so that we're okay," said McMahon.

The district sent a letter home to parents concerning the incident that read, in part, "The risk of exposure to blood-borne disease in this instance is minimal. However, we are taking every precaution to assure your child is safe."

The district is now in the process of setting up blood test to make sure the students didn't contract any disease. But one expert we talked with said the chance is very small.

"The risk of getting infected with HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C from a needle stick incident like this is very small," said Del Myers, Saline County Health Department. "If you get a needle stick from a person who has HIV, the chances of getting HIV from that needle stick is 0.3%."

As for the teacher, she remains on paid suspended leave pending the outcome of an investigation. According to students in the class, the teacher was very insistent that she didn't think anything could happen using the same lancet.

"Somebody in the class raised the question if she was changing needles and she said she didn't have to because it wasn't going deep enough or something like that," said Garrett Gabriel, student.

"I can't really be, like, that angry," said McMahon. "I hope that she didn't mean to do it and I would think that she wouldn't because she's a good teacher."

Meanwhile, there was more a reaction of concern from parents.

"I think it was more of a concern and a 'what next' for us instead of anger," said Rob Winters, Salina schools superintendent.