Roofing training that goes beyond the classroom

By Emma Peterson. 

This CoatingsTalk™ episode takes you inside the Polyschool program to explore how practical training experiences help roofing professionals develop lasting skills and confidence. 

The CoatingsCoffeeShop® crew is heading to Florida on October 28, 2026, for a special CoatingsTalk™ recorded live from the Polyglass Polyschool facility! This on-site webinar brings you into the room with a panel of technical experts for a discussion of the power of hands-on training and how initiatives like Polyschool are helping build stronger crews across the industry. 

Meet the panel 

The panel features three industry leaders – Ali Spingler, Marie Ferrer and Kelsey McMenamy. Ali is a district sales manager at Polyglass, a role which puts her in direct partnership with “roofing contractors, builders, distributors and architects across Southwest Florida.” Amongst that community, Ali has become known as a trusted source of product knowledge with a problem-solving strategy that ensures her partners don’t just get products – they get results.  

As for Marie, she is Polyglass’ national technical training manager. This role sees her managing the Polyschool program as well as leading the company’s team of technical training specialists who “facilitate within the USA and Internationally, workshops and tradeshows to external customers while driving revenue to the bottom line.”  

And last but not least, Kelsey is an engineer and sales representative at Building Envelope Associates where she independently represents a variety of cutting-edge product lines, including but not limited to Polyglass’ modified bitumen roof systems and coatings. 

What the panel will cover 

The live webinar will open up with an introduction into Polyglass and their Polyschool program. This will cover everything from how the program began focused on sales team support to how they developed their “Tell, Show, Do, Apply” training approach.  

From there, the panel will walk through what a hands-on training actually looks like. This section will not only explore the logistics of the events, such as the format of learning and the attendee capacity, but also highlight what systems are taught (torch, fleeceback and self-adhered).  

The conversation will conclude with discussion of best practices, how training helps contractors in the field and where to find more information about Polyschool.  

Make sure to register for the webinar, which will be hosted live on October 28, 2026.