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).

Dr. Rasha Alawieh remains in Lebanon with five-year ban on her return
Superintendent Dawn Bartz is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a legal review that the Smithfield school district hired to investigate the incident of senior football players hazing a Jewish freshman
An independent monitor says the district and RIDE have met the terms of a 2023 settlement that required faster evaluations and placement for 3- to 5-year-olds with disabilities, effectively closing the federal class action case
Food insecurity is getting worse in Rhode Island, and the recent disruption of SNAP benefits is only partly to blame
Public health leader Amy Nunn talks about the ripple effects of federal policy shifts, the threat of SNAP cuts and rising insurance costs, and what Rhode Island can do to protect community health in the months ahead
Attorney General Peter Neronha is negotiating with Prospect Medical to keep the financially troubled hospitals open through the end of the year while a potential buyer works to finalize financing — or another steps in