The Chicago Virtual Academy is caught in the eye of a storm. It is facing opposition from the Chicago Teachers’ Union which contends that the school has not been approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. The Academy has already received the stamp of approval from the School Board. The Teachers’ Union fears that children admitted to the school would be hindered socially and academically, and also claims that the Academy is in violation of a state school rule that requires charter schools be non-home based. The Academy’s president Sharon Hayes countered this saying that the children would not be entirely home schooled, they would have classroom lessons once every week at a downtown learning center with a state-certified teacher. Sun Times reports:

The planned school would enroll students citywide and serve physically disabled and gifted students or those from underperforming schools as part of the city’s Renaissance 2010 initiative. Students would work primarily from home with the help of a parent or another responsible adult.