Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/556394
From drab to in El Monte LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LOUNGE? A place to escape the students, decompress and chat with your colleagues over a cup of coffee or a sandwich? If you haven't visited your staff lounge before, it's easy to spot. It's usually the ugliest room on campus. It's probably stocked with mismatched, cast-off furniture and has walls of indeterminate color be- cause the paint is so faded. Windows are framed by broken blinds or dusty old drapes. Suffice to say your typical staff lounge may have all the warmth and charm of a decades-old hospital waiting room. a nationwide School Lounge Makeover contest sponsored by California Casualty, a company providing auto and home insurance to educators (including CTA members), firefighters, police officers and nurses across the country. Naturally, the California Educator visited the El Monte school for the Big Reveal. Of course, looks aren't everything. A lounge can be warm and wel- coming despite a lack of décor when it's filled with friendly colleagues willing to listen and laugh. This year in Madrid Middle School, stuff in the lounge isn't scrounge. For the first time in decades, the school staff break room is pleasant, com- fortable and attractive. The transformation occurred after the school won Above, the new lounge at Madrid Middle School is relaxed and comfortable; at left, a "before" shot of the dining area. By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin Photography by Scott Buschman fab Lounge Act 30 cta.org Feature