Sharon Coffey, principal of Fairgrounds Middle School, spoke about her 45 years as a Nashua educator during the June 26 Board of Education meeting. (Photo Courtesy of Nashua Community Television)

NASHUA – Even after 45 years in the Nashua School District, Sharon Coffey, principal of Fairgrounds Middle School, does not plan on retiring any time soon.

Yet, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mario Andrade still made it a point to recognize Coffey as one of the longest-standing educators in the district.

“Forty-five years is something special,” he said during the June 26 Board of Education meeting. “I’ve never seen somebody so committed.”

Andrade said that during the past school year, he challenged the building principals to “stretch their wings around teaching and learning.” Although somewhat hesitant at first, Coffey rose to the occasion and achieved the goal that Andrade had set 10 months earlier.

“It’s really impressive to see her continue to learn after all these years of service,” he said.

Coffey’s career began in 1978 when she was hired as an eighth grade math teacher at what was then Elm Street Junior High School.

Eight years later, she moved to Spring Street Junior High School where she continued teaching math for three years and was a part-time assistant principal.

Following her tenure at Spring Street, Coffey transferred to Pennichuck Middle School. After only six weeks at Pennichuck, Coffey moved on to what is now Nashua High School South and remained there for 10 years.

Coffey has now been at Fairgrounds for 23 years, serving as the assistant principal before taking charge of the school in 2015.

Years earlier, Coffey had been a student at Fairgrounds and graduated from Nashua High School South.

Despite having the experience to take on a Central Office job, Coffey said she is content with her current position at Fairgrounds.

“I like what I do, I like being with the kids,” she said in a follow-up interview.

Looking back, she spoke about her transition from teacher to administrator.

“Back in those days, you dealt with a lot of discipline,” she said.

However, the job of an administrator has since shifted and is now heavily focused on classroom observations.

“There’s always more to know,” she said.

In addition, Coffey said the number of English Language Learners in the district has dramatically increased over the years, adding that Nashua used to be a predominantly French city.

Like so many other educators, Coffey said navigating the COVID-19 pandemic was the biggest obstacle of her career.

“That was really tough,” she said, adding that things did not return to normal until January 2022.

Not seeing her colleagues every day was a challenge by itself as the district settled into the months-long slog of remote learning.

“That personal interaction is so important,” said Coffey.

Board of Education member Dorothy Oden described Coffey as a “truly dedicated and knowledgeable professional educator.”

“She sincerely cares about her students and her staff,” said Oden, adding that Coffey frequently comes into work on the weekends. “She is always willing to serve on district committees and to do whatever is needed to keep the district moving forward. We are fortunate to have her as one of our leaders here in the Nashua School District.”