Make it Stick

SUNDAY, MAY 2, 201

I worked in a school that was remodeled and renovated. (Yes, we were housed in portables during the improvement - seems to me that the first sign of real improvement is a mess.) Oh, they put in drop ceilings, replaced the worn out tile, upgraded the AC and wired us for all kinds of technology. The last step was to repaint the walls and hang new white boards. The painters came in and painted every wall in the school. After the new paint dried, it was pretty clear that the new paint did not adhere to the walls. It was just peeling and bubbling. Turns out that the original paint was some kind of epoxy paint and the new paint was latex. The painter went to the contractor and said "This paint won't stick to these walls. I've painted all the walls, but it just won't stick." The contractor said, "We were paid to paint the walls. Strip it, sand it, prime it, do whatever you have to do, but make it stick."

Wish my fellow teachers were as professional as this contractor. They spray knowledge every day. Some don't even know if it sticks. They feel that their work is done just because they painted. Real pros do whatever they have to do to make it stick.