NEA’s 2026 Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year, Ric Calhoun, encouraged the delegates attending the 2026 NEA Representative Assembly, in Denver, to believe not only in the value of their work, but also in their power to “demand better, and win.”
“For too long, wealth and power have been concentrated in the hands of a few, while working people like us—the very backbone of our communities—are told to settle for less,” Calhoun said on July 6.
“But there are more of us than there are of them. When we organize—when we harness the collective strength of the largest labor union in the country—we are unstoppable.”Calhoun is a campus supervisor at Inglemoor High School, in Kenmore, Wash., Vice President for ESPs in the Northshore Education Association (NSEA), and co-chair of the Washington Education Association (WEA) ESP Bill of Rights Subcommittee. He has also served on multiple bargaining, labor-management, and equity teams.
Strong Relationships
Calhoun’s engagement reaches deeply into the community as well. Recognizing that some students face food insecurity during breaks from school, he organized weekly deliveries of snacks—both the healthy and the fun variety—to local neighborhoods.
“For us, school safety is more than providing supervision—it’s about building strong relationships,” Calhoun said. “We work beyond the school day and beyond school walls. We bring missing voices into conversations that matter. And we stay committed to this important work.”
In his remarks, Calhoun gave a shout out to Janie White, the new president of the Washington Education Association, the first Black woman and first ESP to be elected to that office. He also acknowledged the four other states where ESPs are presidents of state affiliates or soon will take office: Alaska, Delaware, Oregon, and Texas. He thanked his NEA siblings for appreciating that educators across all disciplines “share a common passion for student success and deep respect for the value of education.”
Favorite Teacher
His own career as an ESP, activist, and leader began with a suggestion from his wife, an Inglemoor educator whom he calls his “favorite teacher.”
“Years ago, Cheryl encouraged me to be a paraeducator for a student with special needs,” he said. “It didn’t take long for me to realize I had found my passion: supporting students— especially those who need the most from us, those who are too often failed by our nation’s broken systems.”
Although the work is rewarding, Calhoun called out the absurdity that 32 percent of full-time ESPs in K–12 public schools make less than $25,000 a year. “I’ve seen too many great educators leave the profession just because they couldn’t afford to do what they love,” he said, noting the importance of the ESP Bill of Rights and the movement “to stand up for the dignity, recognition, and respect” that ESPs deserve.
Wealth and power are concentrated in the hands of the few, while working people “are told to settle for less,” he said.
“But there are more of us than there are of them,” Calhoun said, adding that the educators together “can demand better and win better.”
“No one should have to work several jobs to put food on the table. One job should be enough,” he said. “To every educator in this room: You are worth far more than $25,000. We don’t always give ourselves enough credit for what we do, but self-empowerment helps working people reclaim power in a system designed to take it away.”
Never Lose Hope
As he ended his remarks, Calhoun paid tribute to his daughter, Veronica—“V”—who died in 2024, after a two-year battle with brain cancer. She always looked forward. She dreamed of becoming a teacher like her mom. Near the end of her life, Calhoun reflected, she would still reach for her glasses and put them on although she could no longer see.
When he asked why she did this, she answered, “I can’t see, but I still have hope.”
“V reminds me every day that hope matters—even when the path ahead feels uncertain,” Calhoun said. “I know our schools and our union are strong enough to push through the ugliness together. …
“And no matter what, we will always bring our glasses, and we will never lose hope."
