Albuquerque Public Schools
At Valley High, a Teacher Prepares Students to Succeed in the Workforce
Welding fabrication teacher gives students a taste of the real world.
On the front lines of Albuquerque Public Schools’ efforts to ensure students graduate prepared for college or the job of their choosing are people like Shawn Coffey, a welding fabrication teacher at Valley High School.
Coffey, a 35-year welder who has been teaching at Valley for the last five years, runs his classroom like a job site.
On Day 1, he makes it clear to students that he’s the boss, they’re the employees, and their paycheck is their grade. Tardiness isn’t allowed. Any student who is going to be late and doesn’t text knows not to bother showing up that day. Instead, they go to a classroom and do bookwork.
Coffey spends a lot of time drilling “safety, safety, safety” and teaching the basics – how to read a tape measure, use every tool in the shop, and the proper execution of three welding techniques.
Students also work toward their OSHA 10 certification, a 10-hour safety course that teaches them to identify, avoid and prevent workplace hazards.
An incentive to work hard
The students who do well in his class are promoted to one of 30 coveted internship spots. There, they earn an actual paycheck doing welding jobs for APS, things like fixing broken metal trays and building cabinets with racks for the JROTC program to store and lock up ceremonial rifles.
They track their work hours with a time clock and an app and are paid $15 an hour tax-free.
“The kids in this first-period program are kids I got to handpick and the other kids know that, so that kind of gives them an incentive to try to work hard, do better if this is the field they want to go into,” said Coffey, who is 54.
Students in the internship program pick their shop foreman, safety coordinator and order operations person. They are responsible for communicating with customers and providing estimates and invoices.
Coffey said the internship program is a great motivator that fosters good attitudes and work ethic. Students are eager to get their work done in other classes so they can get to his shop, clock in, and earn money, he said.
Creating a safe space
There’s no question Coffey runs a tight ship, but he also bonds with students and provides a nurturing environment.
That takes many forms, from treating students with mutual respect and being open to their ideas to bringing in lunch, like a pot of beans or even carne adovada.
“It’s a safe place. I welcome everybody and anybody who has the interest in learning this trade or skill, and we’re not limited to just welding and fabrication,” Coffey said. “We’ve done some electrical, repairing lamps. We’ve made an iguana cage. We did an exhaust on a student’s truck this morning. The bracket for the exhaust broke and his exhaust was hanging.”
It’s a winning formula.
A handful of students who have been in his class for four years have gone straight into a Level 2 apprenticeship, making $23 an hour, overtime, a 401K and a union pension. This year he anticipates four or five of his seniors will go straight into industry.
“Because I was in industry, I can train these kids so when they walk into that union hall for their first day of apprenticeship class, they’re not walking in there like a deer in the headlights,” Coffey said. “They’ve told me my kids are very well prepared.”
One of his most satisfying experiences has been seeing the confidence in his former students when they come back to talk to his classes.
“I’m super proud of them. They’re proud of themselves,” he said, later adding, “The kids are doing the work. I’m just handing them the tool.”
Making a difference
Coffey is a beloved teacher at Valley, getting high marks from students, parents and even representatives from the local metals industry.
“I was able to get a job at two years level of experience at 15 years old,” said Conrad Delgado, a Valley High senior and one of Coffey’s students. “I was able to get that experience before graduating, and get my job at Futures Mechanical, which I’ve been at for two summers, now going on three, and make a lot of money… Shawn Coffey is an amazing teacher.”
Belinda Barreras praised Coffey for encouraging her daughter to pursue a career in the industry.
“She comes back so excited about Mr. Coffey’s class,” she said, adding that her daughter, a senior, has been in his class since her freshman year.
Carlos Duran said his son was contemplating leaving school and getting his GED but stayed because of the metals program.
“It has gotten my son involved in something we had no idea he really had a passion for, and he plans on continuing even after high school,” Duran said.
Origin story
But Coffey’s journey to Valley was a winding one.
He dropped out of high school to help his grandmother and ended up working as a substitute teacher. When Coffey was in his early 20s, he had a chocolate lab named Chuy who kept getting out and racking up fines. He bought a “cheap wire welder” at a hardware store and taught himself to weld so he could make a gate to keep his dog from escaping.
He subsequently started collecting metal objects and turning them into sculptures that he’d give as birthday and Christmas gifts.
A neighbor spotted the talent and, before long, Coffey had an art show and sold every piece. Art shows in Scottsdale and Manhattan followed, which led to a lucrative job as the art director at a Burbank, Calif., company, overseeing 40 people in the U.S. and two factories in China. At the height of his career, his creations were being sold at Bed Bath & Beyond and Pier 1 Imports, and he was earning royalties off of each piece sold.
Then fate intervened.
In 2012, he started feeling lower left gut pain and was subsequently diagnosed with cancer. A series of harrowing health scares followed, and Coffey eventually ended up back in Albuquerque contemplating a career in teaching.
Important life skills
While he doesn’t love the paperwork or red tape that often comes with the job, he loves working with students and the difference he’s making in their lives.
One of those students came to him planning to drop out of high school. Coffey shared his own experience and relayed how difficult it was to get back on track, and the student stayed in school. Another student was dealing with crippling anxiety but was able to work through it and find her voice in large part because of his class.
Beyond welding, Coffey teaches students to be kind, to help others and to recognize that everyone brings a unique skill to the table. He also works to make students understand that success often hinges on teamwork.
Those, he says, are skills that translate to anything.
“It’s been a blessing to be able to do this and it’s been wonderful to watch these guys go from little deer in headlights to just booming, blossoming flowers. They’re amazing now. I’m going to miss them. Graduation, I don’t look forward to it.”