ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Obscure figures wielding various pro-union signs line a wall inside the Rockford Education Association’s office. In front of the display, Claudia Marshall sits at a table draped with an REA banner.
“To see the end in sight and have the finish line this close — as soon as the district ratifies it — is an incredible feeling,” shared Marshall.
The REA president spoke with WIFR hours after announcing an “overwhelming” majority of the union’s 2,000 members approved a tentative agreement — a destination not yet reached amid a year-long contract negotiation with Rockford Public Schools. The organization represents teachers, nurses, psychologists and more within Illinois’ third-largest school district…