Abbott Elementary

Yurrr! What it do, camera crew?

Welcome back to the house that Ava built.

It's been a while. Y'all ain't missed anything.

Hey! Look who it is!

What's it been? Like five months?

How you doin'?

Oh, what up? We still doing this? Yeah.

Oh, my God! You guys! Hey! Oh, sorry.

Um, wow. You got new equipment.

Look, I don't want to say I told you so, but...

I will. Y'all should've listened to Jacob

and made a right on 30th Street instead of the left that night.

You want me to tell you what happened to you?

Oh, right. Tell the people. So, they got robbed.

Because they thought it'd be cute to walk around.

West Philly at night with all this camera equipment.

Hell, I'd have helped rob you if I was there.

Anyway, here we are, five months later,

because that's how long it takes for three people

with art degrees to save up for new cameras.

Welcome back! It's Career Day today.

Unfortunately.

Ava! Not planning on being conscious for Career Day?

This is a district initiative. They can handle it.

Anyone else feel like the people from the district

have been more annoying than usual?

- They're not all bad. - I think they're cool.

Mnh. I actually like them this year.

Shocking. I don't know.

I feel like they've been unequivocally

and universally worse than they've ever been.

From unhelpful to unbearable.

Good morning, Abbott Elementary!

"Good morning, Abbott Elementary."

So, yeah, I work for the school district now.

You guys missed a lot.

Hi. Hey.

Left or right?

Uh, left. Thank you.

Good choice. Good choice.

Girl, this Development Day has me developing a migraine.

Let me have one of those aspirins, please.

It's a sleeping pill.

Wake me if there's a fire, a tornado, or a volcanic eruption.

Good day to the fine teachers of Abbott Elementary.

What?

No comment about Gregory being "F-O-I-N, foin"?

No, Ms. Schemmenti. I was speaking to everyone.

But since all eyes are on him, uh,

Mr. Eddie, would you mind reading from the first paragraph

of your immaculately assembled binder?

Sexily?

Excuse me?

That is not only suggestive

but highly inappropriate

in front of our company.

Uh, hi. Hi, everybody.

Uh, we're from the school district.

Uh, Principal Coleman invited us to come, observe,

and collaborate with you all on this Development Day.

Yes! The importance of collaboration

is one of the many things I learned

while I was matriculating at Cambridge.

Yep. I went to Harvard this summer.

I sat right there on their campus,

and I used their free Wi-Fi

to get my degree in Education via Education Connection.

And I've learned what it actually takes

to do the job of principal.

And turns out I've been doing it all wrong.

Somebody should have told me.

Anyway, uh, now I'm engaged and alert, by the book.

Oh, yeah! I like books now.

We're super excited to be here

on behalf of the new superintendent, John Reynolds.

I'm Manny. That's my dream team over there.

That's Emily. That's Simon. And we don't come empty-handed.

We come with some iPads and SMART Boards

for your classrooms, loaded with learning apps.

New and improved models.

Same old engines.

These people aren't gonna change a blessed thing...

except how many bodies are in the room.

Thank you. And we'll see you around.

Thank you.

Gregory, we still need you to read from section "A"

there in your binder.

Um...

"Section A. Welcome back."

That concludes section "A."

Thank you, Mr. Eddie. You may be seated.

"Ask the teachers if they have any ideas

from over the summer they'd like to implement.

Try to make it fun."

Does anyone have any ideas from over the summer

that they'd like to implement?

- Oh. - Janine!

One of our most... teachers at Abbott.

So, I was thinking over the summer

while I was spending time with myself and just thinking about,

like, what really led me to this point in my life.

- Get to the point. - Get to the point, Janine.

Yes, okay. So, a Career Day.

I think we should do Career Day at the school because I checked

and we haven't had one since the only jobs for women

were typists, moms, and wet nurses.

I think it'd be a great way for the kids

to see all of the amazing jobs they can have.

And that's it. That's my idea. I'm done. Career Day.

Ava: I could go into the plethora of reasons that won't work...

scheduling, previous failed attempts,

the fact that it was your idea.

Right, but there is a way... But I'm just gonna go ahead

and say no and save you the embarrassment.

Janine: You know, this is my fourth year teaching here,

and I've wasted a lot of time trying to fight the odds.

So I've just decided to just be a good teacher, you know?

Take a page out of Barbara's book.

Just do what I can. And maybe start wearing pearls.

Hey. Janine, right? I'm Manny, which I said up there.

Um, I just wanted to say that, uh, Career Day sounded good.

It's a good idea. I would love to hear more.

Thank you! So you guys are new at the district?

Yep. Just started over the summer. Loving it so far.

Feel like we're gonna make a lot of positive changes

and do what the last administration didn't.

Nobody embezzling funds on my watch.

Love that.

Oh, hey, uh, actually, one of the things we wanted

to do today was shadow a teacher.

Can we shadow you? Yeah, sure.

I'm just gonna be setting up my classroom.

Exciting! It is exciting.

Yeah. I'm just gonna grab my co-workers.

They're talking to Principal Coleman over there.

You guys are so lucky. You have such a good principal.

Yes.

A little early for this, no?

For Christmas? Maybe.

To watch you lift heavy stuff in that shirt? Never.

This thing? Well, it is husband material.

Ha ha ha! Speaking of which...

did you hear about Mr. Morton?

What?

He eloped over the summer.

Vegas?

Hershey Park. Hm. Classy.

Wow. You approve of that,

but I bring up marriage, and I get a, "Ha ha ha."

Yeah, yeah, alright. You just concentrate

on getting that mini fridge next to an outlet.

A boyfriend brings it in the room.

A husband sets it near an outlet.

Well, a booty call would put it down

wherever I want him to, so don't make me go find one.

Ha ha ha!

So, where'd you teach before pivoting to the school district?

I didn't, actually. But I grew up here, though.

My first-hand experience is more from

when I was a student in the area.

Oh. Alright. Well, you know,

that's one of the reasons I wanted to teach at Abbott.

Because I was a student in the area, as well, so...

This is my room.

What are you making here?

Oh. A "welcome back" sign for the kids.

We're gonna decorate it together

so that everyone feels included.

I try to implement a lot of color.

Wanted to go with blue because that inspires focus.

And calm, which is so important for primary classes.

I read about that in Chalkbeat.

You read Chalkbeat? Mm-hmm.

I basically live in the comment section, so...

Oh, my God. Are you @JTeagues215?

Yes!

And @JTeagues267 when I wanna spice up the discourse.

Ms. Teagues, I'm @MannyFromTheBlock.

I'm always using this emoji.

That's you! That's me.

I love your comments.

I love your comments.

Anyway, I wanted to paint the walls blue last year,

but you guys... the district...

didn't like the idea of painting walls, so...

What?! Why not? That is so good.

I think that's exactly an idea

that we could and should implement.

It's a low-stakes, high-reward improvement.

Yes. Let's revisit that.

Are you okay?

Yeah. Just a lot of positive reinforcement.

Ahh.

Ava, I have already told you.

I'm not interested in auditioning

for "The Golden Bachelorette."

Gerald is still very much alive.

Actually, I'm here about your desks.

When I was at Harvard, I learned that communal seating

is better for kindergartners' development.