Maribeth Calabro is the New President
of Rhode Island’s Largest Teachers Union

‘I’ve seen a lot,’ Calabro says as she exits the Providence public school district

Share
Maribeth Calabro is the New President
of Rhode Island’s Largest Teachers Union
Copy

After 30 years as a special education teacher in Providence, Maribeth Calabro is leaving the classroom to be the president of the R.I. Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, the state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.

She’s seen a lot of change in three decades teaching at Nathanael Greene Middle School — “I’m older than the furniture,” she joked — where she also served as the Providence Teachers Union president before being elevated to the statewide union.

In an interview with “Rhode Island PBS Weekly” and the Rhode Island Report podcast, Calabro discussed the Providence schools’ financial crisis, her early thoughts on the 2026 governor’s race and this year’s RICAS scores.

This story is part of a collaboration between The Boston Globe Rhode Island and Rhode Island PBS. To access the Globe online for free for 30 days, sign up here (no credit card required).

Heavy metal on bagpipes, art as activism and hip-hop strings? Yes, please.
Three decades after being elected to Congress, Rhode Island’s senior U.S. senator is running again, in part to oppose President Trump
With a March 17 deadline looming, officials say the town cannot absorb what amounts to nearly 10% of its annual budget
Gunfire at a Pawtucket high school hockey game forces a painful reckoning about violence, division and responsibility
The shooter had a flareup of domestic disputes with their family in 2020, but investigators say they are still searching for a ‘trigger event’ closer to the shooting six years later