Paulette Luckett doesn't just treat students' immediate health needs. She removes barriers that keep them from learning in the first place. She advocates for their voices. She trains colleagues. She shows up. And in May, the Missouri National Education Association recognized that work by naming her the 2025 Horace Mann Education Support Professional of the Year.
Now, as Missouri's honoree, Luckett moves forward to compete for the 2026 NEA ESP of the Year Award at the national level.
For Luckett, a Registered Nurse in the St. Louis Public Schools, the recognition carries weight beyond the honor itself. "Being considered for ESP of the Year is an honor, but more importantly, it is an opportunity to shine a light on the essential contributions of Education Support Professionals, especially school nurses, who transform lives every day," she said.
Health Care as Advocacy
Walk into Luckett's school and you'll find her organizing physical and immunization clinics, holding vision and hearing screenings, and ensuring every student, regardless of whether they are in General Education or Newcomer programs, has a voice.
"I make it a priority that all of my students have a voice and are advocated for," Luckett wrote in her award application. That advocacy doesn't stop at the classroom door. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools faced unprecedented health challenges, Luckett provided health education and screening resources that helped keep students healthy and in school.
For Luckett, school nursing isn't about reacting to crisis. It's about removing the obstacles that prevent learning from happening at all.
A Voice at the Table
But Luckett's impact extends far beyond her school clinic. She has served twice as a delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly, where she worked to "elevate ESP voices, especially school nurses, at decision-making tables." That work matters. Too often, support professionals are overlooked in conversations about school policy and practice. Luckett refuses to let that happen on her watch.
At the local level, she advocates for fair workloads and safe staffing for school nurses. As a cohort leader in her district, she mentors new nurses and facilitates training sessions on CPR certification and "Stop the Bleed" protocols. Practical skills. Life-saving knowledge. Shared with colleagues who will carry that training forward.
Amplifying ESP Voices
Luckett's commitment to lifting up her profession extends to how she shares her work. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is currently in the inaugural cohort of the Master of Science in School Nursing program at Goldfarb School of Nursing. She's a Nationally Certified School Nurse and licensed Registered Nurse in Missouri.
But perhaps most notably, she's also an author and podcaster. Her show, The School Nurse Chronicles, amplifies the voices and stories of school nurses across the country. In a profession often invisible to the public, Luckett is making sure that changes.
"My career has been defined by service, leadership, and advocacy," Luckett said. And in doing so, she's shown what happens when an ESP truly leads: other students stay healthy, other nurses find support, and an entire profession finds its voice.