ROCKFORD 鈥撎齌he Rockford Education Association (REA) and the Rockford Public听School听District 205 Board of Education (BOE) have听officially reached a deal on a new contract. Both听the REA and BOE听voted to ratify听the听new contract for teachers in the district.
鈥淲e听believe this is absolutely a big step in the right direction.听This contract does what we wanted听it to do:听It听makes听Rockford听more听competitive with our neighboring districts, which means we will be able to attract talented,听new听teachers听and听retain听our experienced, dedicated educators.听That鈥檚听a big win for students and for our community,鈥澨齊EA President Claudia Marshall said.听鈥淭hat being said, we still have work to do. We know change is incremental, and we听will continue听working toward听even听more听progress听for our students,听staff听and community.鈥�
REA听and the district had been bargaining for听nearly a听year when a tentative agreement was reached on Feb.听12.听The REA ratified the agreement on听Sunday听and the BOE ratified the contract at their meeting tonight.
Bargaining began听in February听2025. REA鈥檚 contract expired in July, which means educators have听worked most of the听school听year without a contract.
鈥淚t鈥檚听been a听really difficult听year for our teachers.听There鈥檚听been so much extra stress on top of the increasing demands of听their jobs. But听I think what听kept us all going was the community support听–听all of听the parents, neighbors, local businesses, lawmakers who reached out to tell us they are standing with us and听to keep听going.听That鈥檚听what got us here.听Rockford shows up. Rockford values their teachers, and that means the world.听We are so grateful,鈥澨齅arshall said.
The new REA contract:
- Creates听one month听paid parental leave听for new parents;
- Makes听Rockford听teachers鈥� wages more competitive听through听a听4%听salary increase in the first two years of the contract and a 4.5% increase in the final year;
- Provides听either听retroactive听step and听lane movement to the start of the school year听or a bonus听(Step and lane movement听ensures teachers are compensated based on their听education听and years of experience);
- Protects听the听working听conditions of Rockford鈥檚 special education听teachers by not increasing their听workload;
- And creates a听committee to look at expanding teachers鈥� choice when it comes to retirement options,听potentially a large savings for the district.
鈥淭he听majority of our teachers live in Rockford. We send our children to school here. Many of us went to school听here听ourselves. We are Rockford. We love this town. This contract is not just an investment in听good quality听educators听and our students;听it鈥檚听an investment in the entire Rockford community,鈥� Marshall said.
The Rockford Education Association (REA)听represents听nearly 2,000听teachers, social workers, counselors, speech pathologists, nurses, psychologists and other licensed staff working and supporting听the nearly听28,000 students in District 205.
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The 135,000 member 黑料视频 (IEA-NEA) is the state鈥檚 largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.
