Abbott Elementary : “Harrity Elementary” (01x01) Screenplay Analysis by Jeffrey Simpson Title: Abbott Elementary Series/Episode Hook: Armed with a better handle on children, a caring, optimistic elementary teacher returns for her second year in an underfunded public school, determined to make a difference. Episode Logline: A young teacher must prove she’s the real deal to her veteran faculty members to earn their respect. “Why now?”: Abbott’s turnover rate for new teachers is a staggering 85%, Janine being the 15% retained; one out of three from a total of 20 new teachers. Why relevant: Public school systems are under great scrutiny by politicians and media pundits, and more recently, even the curricula. In August 2022, workers from the School District of Philadelphia reached a historic deal after voting to authorize a strike one week before schools opened; in 2019, a labor dispute between Chicago Public schools and the Chicago Teachers Union resulted in a strike, ten years after a one-week strike in September 2012. World of the Show/Time/Place: Abbott Elementary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Universal Theme(s): 1) Growth of children not just as students, but as people. This includes the faculty and staff, both new hires and veterans, maturing as educators and adults; 2) The tremendous impact of education on students when taught by caring, competent teachers. After all, a great teacher brought the best out of the Abbott faculty when they were young, paid forward now as dutiful citizens; 3) Lifelong learning as teachers themselves engage with like-minded colleagues, passionate about doing their best to mold young minds. Main Character Stage-of-Life: Janine is in her late 20s and still new to teaching, but nonetheless dedicated to her students. Main Character Flaw: Janine’s optimism gets in the way of her pragmatism. Her desire to make an impact on her students is unmatched by limited budgets, leaving her high expectations regularly unfulfilled. Main Character Core Wound: Nothing is clearly stated, but Janine displays a strong attachment style. It’s too little to speculate at this point, but her motherly nature, lack of desire to hang out with her peers, and axe-throwing therapy suggest she doesn’t have a good relationship with her family; at least not in a way that she feels comfortable confiding in them. Redeemable Qualities: Janine is bold, willing to take risks in service of her students. She’s the spark of Abbott, igniting her peers into action while rekindling hope in the veterans. She’s also very sweet and matronly. Main Character Dilemma: Janine is set on disrupting the status quo among school officials, but institutional pressure flows down. The situation at hand requires real-time training beyond her wildest imagination and mastery comes with time. Goal: Janine wants to be the best teacher she can be and make an impact on her students’ lives. Main Antagonist: Ava [Coleman] is the principal at Abbott, but she is unqualified for the role nor does she take it seriously. What are five setpiece moments? 1. The teacher’s lounge reveals the hierarchy, power dynamics, and relationships in place at Abbott. 2. Ava unveils the new signage at Abbott, which she spent the entire emergency budget on. 3. During the tribunal staged as a workshop, Ava attempts to hold a roast of Janine. 4. A construction worker helps Janine procure new rugs for the teachers, but does so because of the impact a teacher had on him. 5. Janine returns to Abbott, side-by-side with her colleagues, new rugs in arm. What shows are similar to and how is mine distinct: The Office and Vice Principals Vice Principals is a dark comedy series following a war of attrition between a pair of administrators vying for the role of principal, however, Abbott Elementary focuses on challenges presented to teachers at an underfunded school largely driving the dynamics between educators; it is at times darkly comedic though. Abbott Elementary is distinctly different from both The Office and Vice Principals in that it is a social commentary. ANALYSIS BELOW COLD OPEN ● (p. 1-3) anine Beeman, a Philadelphia native, is a caring, second-year teacher. ARCS: Janine enjoys working with children despite Harrity’s limited resources. She is surrounded by colleagues, veterans and newbies, each with a distinct personality and teaching approach best suited for their respective grade levels. INTRODUCTION: Janine, “late 20s, Black, ball of optimistic energy, quirky, bookish...,” reviews the assignment with the class, citing their favorite movie and character. It goes well, however, some of her students' responses aren’t age-appropriate viewing material, to which Janine jokes. She helps the student pick an option that can be displayed in their classroom, a small victory. Shawn, a student, cries out after being hit by classmate, Andrew. Janine warns Andrew and begins counting to three for him to return to his seat, but she ends up counting to four... and beyond. SETUP: Janine reviews U.S. presidents from the textbook, having inserted printouts of the most recent three to hold office; textbook editions are at least 12 years old. TALKING HEAD: Janine breaks the fourth wall and notes Harrity lacks funding for the schools, diverted to the Eagles’ new stadium. Undeterred, she notes her fellow colleagues “just make do,” also expressing admiration for them. INTRODUCTION: Veteran Harrity teacher Melissa Peterson, “50s, very south Philly Italian, tough mob-wife energy” teaches an attentive, orderly class from the chalkboard. INTRODUCTION: Another veteran, Barbara Watson, “50s, Black, motherly, confident, suffers no fools...,” gathered round her reading aloud. INTRODUCTION: Ms. Schwartz, “20’s, white, in over her head,” panics as children roam about freely in an uproar. From offscreen, a globe is launched at her. INTRODUCTION: Jacob Hill, “20s, white, painfully woke, a performative liberal cool nerd type” rushes in to put out a literal trash (dumpster) fire. TALKING HEAD: Janine acknowledges Harrity is rough and that her first year was no cakewalk, but feels she’s got a firm handle on things after strengthening her resolve via axe-throwing. SETUP/CALLBACK: Behind Janine’s, a student urinates on the classroom’s large area rug; Barbara’s students participate in storytime on an area rug. ACT I ● (p. 4-5) Janine removes the soiled rug, while Barbara helps her regain control of her students. ARCS: Janine’s admiration of Barbara borders on infatuation. SETUP: A student questions why Janine is removing the rug, addressing her by her first name. Janine kindly reminds the student that she is to be referred to as “Ms. Beeman.” TALKING HEAD: Janine explains that, “Losing the rug is a huge “L.” Big deal. For primary classes, the rug is like... Xanax. It's a big Xanax you can sit on.” SETUP/CALLBACK: Barbara requests Janine turn down “Baby Shark” because it’s distracting her students from their lesson. Janine obliges, instructing everyone to settle down as she begins counting; the kids ignore her again. PAYOFF: Assessing the situation, Barbara’s voice cuts like a knife, issuing a stern warning to “SIT DOWN.” Order is restored as Janine lauds Barbara’s command of the classroom. SETUP/CALLBACK: Janine pokes her head out to check on Barbara’s class, after being informed they’re in the hallway. Sure enough, they stand quietly in a single-file line greeting Janine as “Ms. Beeman.” SETUP: Barbara returns to her students, Janine in tow. She brings up an email she sent about going out for drinks that night, but Barbara replies, “must’ve gone to spam.” Janine notes that only her emails to Barbara fail to deliver, but doesn’t press the issue; Barbara glances at the camera, sheepishly at Janine’s naivete. ● (p. 6-7) Janine catches up with her coworkers in the teacher’s lounge. ARCS: Janine and Jacob’s hearts are in the right place in their desire to be great teachers, but they have a lot to learn about each other. SETUP: Janine describes her and Jacob’s friendship as one forged in fire or “trauma bonding,” Out of twenty new hires the previous year, they are but two of the three that returned. SETUP/CALLBACK: Janine asks Jacob to join her in getting cheesesteaks for lunch, but he’s off put by the cashier referring to him as “white boy.” She asks why Jacob won’t tell him to stop, then cuts him off when he begins citing Robin DiAngelo’s chapter on ‘White Fragility.’ PAYOFF/CALLBACK: Janine asks Melissa to confirm its meaning as a term of endearment, but Jacob’s not buying it and Melissa schools them both: “white boy” in Philly is an insult, unless you’re (Super Bowl Champion) Zach Ertz; 3x Pro Bowl Tight End for the Eagles. SETUP/CALLBACK: Barbara enters the lounge for a cup of coffee and is immediately asked out to lunch by Janine. She declines, but Janine remains unshaken; she’s been turned down for lunch and dinner. SETUP/CALLBACK: After learning they all need new rugs, Janine proposes requesting new rugs, to which a few agree, but Barbara not so much; Janine cited earlier that her and her coworkers “just make do” with what they have. ● (p.7-9) Principal Coleman joins her staff in the teachers lounge. ARCS: Harrity’s poor funding has become worthy of national attention. SETUP/PAYOFF: Ava Coleman, “mid-40s, Black, aloof, loud, tone-deaf, always wants to be center of attention,” enters the room full of herself, sharing her Tik Tok account. She is not equipped to be the principal nor is she held in high regard by Barbara or Melissa, who states, “She’s bad at her job... Just bad.” SETUP: Ava asks for the faculty’s thoughts on the film crew at Harrity. Melissa is annoyed, while Barbara reminds Ava they’re only at Harrity to cover “underfunded, poorly managed public schools in America.” ● (p. 9-11) Ms. Schwartz joins the teacher’s lounge. ARCS: The new teachers fail to grasp the school’s poor funding, still filled with idyllic visions of their classrooms. SETUP: Overwhelmed, Ms. Schwartz requests an aide but Ava promptly shuts it down because Harrity doesn’t have money for aides. Janine follows up with her request for new rugs, but is also dismissed. Ava then chides her younger staff for their requests and spotlights Barbara as an example of doing more with less before leaving. SETUP: The teachers return to class, while Ms. Schwartz and Janine seek help from Barbara and Melissa. The advice given offers little hope as Ms. Schwartz leaves and Janine confronts Barbara. PAYOFF/CALLBACK: Barbara dresses down each of the new teaching staff, still untrained as teachers themselves outside of a classroom. She cites Ms. Schwartz hair loss, Jacob’s recently developed smoking habit, and the abysmal turnover rate; only 3 out of 20 teachers return, a turnover of 85%. SETUP/CALLBACK: Barbara and Melissa exit, while Ms. Schwartz, Janine, and Jacob hang back. Despite Barbara’s harsh sentiments, Jacob agrees with Janine to still push for getting new rugs; more trauma bonding. ● (p. 12) Ms. Schwartz kicks a student. ARCS: Janine is forced to face the music that her and the new teachers are ill-prepared outside of the (college) classroom. SETUP: A student runs into Janine’s classroom to report Ms. Schwartz for kicking another student, Rajon, in the head. CALLBACK: Barbara asks Janine if Ms. Schwartz tried her counting technique. ACT II ● (p. 13- 15) The faculty discusses the fallout of Ms. Schwartz actions. ARCS: Jacob doesn’t tolerate conduct unbecoming of a teacher. Janine refuses to back down from any issues regarding the students. Both are willing to fight for their students. TALKING HEADS: The teachers impart the one cardinal rule of teaching: You never strike a child. CALLBACK: Janine starts to point out that if Ms. Schwartz had an aide she would not have hit Rajon. The truth is much simpler, and swinging Occam’s razor Barbara delivers another cutting blow: Ms. Schwartz is a bad teacher. PAYOFF/INTRODUCTION: Ava fires Ms. Schwartz and as a substitute assigns the custodian, Mr. Johnson, “70s, tired-looking,” and “voted for Kanye [West].”. SETUP: Jacob suggests alerting the school board, but Ava’s determined to make a scapegoat of the system, until she relents and agrees to put in a request for an emergency budget. Before Janine can seize the opportunity to propose new rugs, Ava relegates her inquiry to an email. SETUP: Gloating to Barbara, it’s another small victory for Janine. But the wind her sails is blustered after Barbara’s assessment, “it only took one of you injuring a child. Congrats.” Janine retorts that the “why” doesn’t matter. TALKING HEAD: Janine reveals her Type AB personality in an anecdote about twice being the recipient of an ‘Email of the Month’ award. ● (p. 15-17) A new sub, Gregory Wright, “20s, Black, handsome, a little self-serious and has a little trouble connecting with his emotions,” checks in at Harrity. ARCS: Gregory was set to be Harrity’s new principal, but lost out to Ava. SETUP: Briefcase in hand, Gregory meets the faculty of Harrity but it’s a lukewarm reception. Ava is overly flirty to the point of being inappropriate. Melissa is dismissive, unwilling to remember his name. Barbara is civil, hopeful at the promise of a young Black man teaching. While Jacob is over the top, attempting to spark a bromance. TALKING HEADS/PAYOFF: Gregory was a shoo-in for principal at Harrity, but ultimately lost out to a better candidate. In reality, Ava and the Superintendent of schools attend the same church, and she caught him having an affair with the deaconess. She then blackmailed him to become principal, but only because she needed a job. ● (p. 17-19) A meet-cute between Janine and Gregory. ARCS: Janine is willing to give her students the clothes off her back. Gregory wasn’t ready to become principal. SETUP: Students watch an education video and Janine works on her email, when a student, Bria, throws up. Janine takes her to the bathroom to get cleaned up. PAYOFF/SETUP: Gregory, his student’s pants in hand, bumps into Janine and Bria. Janine calls for security, until Gregory explains who he is and why he has a child’s pants; the student accidentally “‘went’ on himself.” Seeing how poorly things are going, Janine springs into action and removes her scarf for Gregory’s student, entering the bathroom and leaving Gregory squeamishly holding Bria’s hand. TALKING HEAD: Despite the gross circumstance of their introduction, it’s Gregory’s best welcome yet, and he walks away admiring Janine; their introduction had no expectations (Barbara), performative displays (Jacob), unfair judgment (Melissa), or uncomfortable advances (Ava). ● (p. 19-21) The following day, Janine faces off with Barbara in the middle of class. ARCS: Barbara is a great teacher, but has become set in her ways and in a sense, an institutional fixture. SETUP/CALLBACK: Janine bounds into Barbara during a lesson for a quick read on her email to Ava. SETUP/PAYOFF: Janine’s approach is to apply pressure to the higher-ups to help them. Barbara attempts to burst her bubble, citing the perpetual lack of funding experienced in her 20-plus year career and the let down that comes with expectation; Barbara has long since given up attempts for additional help or funding, choosing to rely on what she can count on: herself. SETUP: Via intercom, Ava announces Harrity has received much-needed improvements, and calls all faculty and their classrooms to join her outside. Janine basks in the moment, gloating, “Optimism wins again,” to Barbara. ● (p. 21-22) Ava received the emergency budget request, but already spent it. ARCS: Barbara’s hard-earned wisdom rings true. PAYOFF/CALLBACK: Ava unveils a new banner purchased for Harrity Elementary, noting “The Eagles are getting a new stadium, and that will help them play better inside of it.” PAYOFF/SETUP: After all of Janine’s glee, she has to eat crow in front of Barbara. ● (p. 22-23) Janine plots behind Ava’s back. ARCS: Janine loses sight of her initial goal, refuses to acknowledge her need, and decides to go over Ava’s head to fulfill her wants. SETUP/CALLBACK: Janine is completely taken aback by Ava’s actions, while Jacob begins to see the wisdom in Barbara and Melissa’s words. Gregory backs Janine up by showing a video of Ava performing a Tik Tok dance as proof the school needs order. SETUP/CALLBACK: Janine emails the superintendent about Ava’s behavior in hopes she will be fired; unbeknownst to Janine, Ava already blackmailed the superintendent for the position. Earlier, Janine described Ava’s approach as “unique,” wherein Melissa described Ava plainly, “She’s bad at her job.” ● (p. 23-24) On her way to lunch, Janine’s plan backfires. ARCS: Janine’s naivete leads Ava to learn the truth of her feelings. SETUP: Janine rushes to join Barbara and Melissa for lunch, bubbly again after her launching her surreptitious plan against Ava.The veteran teachers take note of her high spirits once again and Janine reveals the email sent to the superintendent, stopping Barbara and Melissa in their tracks. PAYOFF/SETUP: Barbara reveals emails to the superintendent because “He has them bounced back to the person in charge of wherever the email came from”; institutional pressure systems operate differently than those of hard science. Ava interrupts their chat via intercom, announcing an impromptu “trust workshop” set to take place during lunch break, immediately. ACT III ● (p. 25-28) Ava and the teachers meet for the “trust workshop.” ARCS: Barbara is moved by both Janine’s actions and words, remembering what it was like to want more for her kids. CALLBACK: Ava addresses the room, when Janine notices Jacob’s cheesesteak, far more enticing than her day-old burgers mashed into pizza squares. Jacob admits he caved because, “The verbal harassment is worth it. I think it might even make it taste better.” SETUP: Ava’s plan is to perform a truth-telling exercise with the ulterior motive of getting the teachers to insult Janine. Ava begins, but everyone can see through her game and choose not to join in. Resorting to plan b, Ava brings in one of Janine’s student’s to participate but she is reluctant and would rather be at lunch. SETUP: Mr. Johnson chimes in, specifically on Janine’s “big feet.” PAYOFF/SETUP: Janine stands up for herself, admitting the truth to everyone: she sent an email to the superintendent trying to get Ava fired because she spent the school’s money on a new sign. “ I did it because I care about kids in this school, that shouldn’t be a bad thing...” PAYOFF: Dejected, Janine leaves as Ava teases, “...Not a compelling speaker. Charisma vacuum.” It’s the final straw for Barbara, who stands up in defense of Janine because despite her naive, “overbearing” personality, her heart is in the right place. SETUP: The teachers walk out of the lounge to check on Janine, and eat lunch. ● (p. 28-30) The teachers rally around Janine. ARCS: Barbara and Melissa come to admire Janine’s tenacity and acknowledge that she was called to the teaching profession, just like them. CALLBACK/SETUP: Barbara catches Janine gazing into her classroom and consoles her, noting that big feet are a sign of fertility. PAYOFF: Janine reveals a student of hers, Jamal, “comes from a rough home” and doesn’t get much sleep; Barbara had him the year before and is aware of his situation. Janine made a deal with Jamal that he can nap at his desk during lunch, but he chooses the rug because it’s softer than his bed at home. SETUP/PAYOFF/CALLBACK: Barbara proposes they all pitch in to get a new rug, but Janine declines knowing they can’t afford it because she shares their salary. Barbara muses as to whether she is going to steal a rug, when Janine turns to Melissa, stating “Not me... but I know a guy who knows a guy”; Janine decides to work with what she’s got: veteran leadership. ● (p. 30-31) Melissa takes everyone to meet up with her “guy.” ARCS: Janine glimpses the lifelong impact of good teachers. SETUP/PAYOFF/CALLBACK: In the middle of procuring a new rug, Melissa and Janine are caught in the act. Janine fesses up immediately, breaking into a long-winded metaphor about teaching. The construction worker cuts her off to say “You’re bad at giving speeches, but I get it. A teacher changed my life, too”; Ava said she’s “not a compelling speaker” during lunch. Nonetheless, her persistence paid off in getting new rugs for everyone. CALLBACK: The construction worker reciprocates, “Thanks, white boy,” leaving Jacob astonished; the construction worker is white; maybe Italian? ● (p. 31-32) The teachers return bearing new rugs. ARCS: Janine is both seen and felt an equal among her peers. PAYOFF/SETUP: Janine strides into Harrity, side-by-side with fellow teachers Barbara, Melissa, and Jacob. Barbara thanks Melissa and Janine, who “Feels good!” about their efforts. Melissa questions the sentiment, which sounds like another one of Janine’s small victory celebrations, but Janine elaborates that she “finally feels like a teacher.” SETUP/CALLBACK: Janine catches up with Gregory, joking about her afternoon heist. Though mostly incognito, Janine expresses hope that Gregory will stay for the kids because they “don’t need anymore turnovers.” TALKING HEAD/SETUP: Gregory expresses interest in staying for another week, having been won over on Harrity by Janine. ● (p. 32-33) Janine sets up the new rug in her classroom. ARCS: Janine learns, “Teachers really are the only ones that can make change.” CALLBACK: Janine watches a YouTube video on how to fix the reversy-toilet, acknowledging that a bigger budget would still help. SETUP: Ava enters Janines’ classroom and thanks her for a limited edition Eagles jockstrap. Janine is confused, but Ava explains that Barbara and Melissa already told her Janine got it after lunch “to apologize for being vicious backstabbers!” PAYOFF/TALKING HEADS: Melissa and Barbara reveal the truth of the matter: Melissa swiped the jockstrap when no one was looking, while Barbara explains a “key to making it in this job- learn to make your incompetent boss feel special.” TAG ● (p. 34) Mr. Johnson films Ava performing a Tik Tok. CALLBACK: Mr. Johnson reveals he’s a viral sensation on Tik Tok, sharing a clip of sponsored content created in partnership with Philadelphia Flyers’ mascot, GRITTY.