The Chicago school board has approved the creation of two charter schools.
DNAinfo Chicago reports that the district administration had recommended approval of the two new schools as well as the rejection of seven other proposals for new charter schools.
KIPP will operate one of the schools, an elementary and middle school on the campus of an existing high school on the West Side. The second proposal approved by the board will be a high school on the Southwest Side that will be operated by Noble.
Jesse Sharkey, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union, said it would be a mistake to approve the politically connected charter schools, but district CEO Forrest Claypool says there is a "considerable community demand for high-quality options" such as charter schools.
Opponents argued to the the board that expanding charter schools in the city will lead to more students leaving neighborhood schools.
