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

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

Ella Cook, a sophomore, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, a freshman, were killed during a final exam review session by a shooter who has not been found yet. Nine other students were injured, and the university’s president said most are in stable condition.
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The shooter is still at large. ‘We still have a lot of steps left to take, obviously, in this case,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said.
After two people were killed and nine others injured, students and neighbors grapple with fear, trauma and how a once-cozy campus now feels forever changed