Abbott Elementary: Ava and Her Band of Teachers
As co-showrunner Patrick Schumaker hinted in an interview, Ava’s firing was a plot decision to illustrate “just how much the school and the people who really are the school mean to the community.” We love Abbott Elementary for its witty jokes, loveable cast, and adorable little ones, but we stay because the show’s brilliance is in the way it depicts an idealized but still realistic community, which is something we all subconsciously yearn for during a time when loneliness and isolation are concerningly high. At times, Abbott’s optimism borders on utopianism in contrast with the current state of the world, but the show remains grounded in reality through its battles with external issues and commitment to the belief that empathy and care will always triumph in the bleakest circumstances.
Abbott solves the issue of Ava’s firing in the same way it injects so much optimism into every episode by providing an example of community as the ultimate antidote to the solipsistic conditions we find ourselves in. I firmly believe that the ability to imagine better solutions is the first step of change — which sounds obvious, but if we’ve learned anything in the last decade, it’s the now cliche term “representation matters” — and Abbott consistently offers models of what is possible when we prioritize each other. “Rally” is a testament to this core belief system as everyone who has been touched by the school’s altruistic dedication to its community gathers to fight for Ava to reascend the throne. We all knew it was coming, it was just a matter of how. And when the staff exhausts all options in their appeals to the board, it’s only natural that the community comes to pick up the pieces.
The initial meeting with the board is one of those external issues that brings a sardonic realism to Abbott’s idealistic world; despite their best efforts, including Janine donning an adorable three-piece suit, the powers that be (we welcome back June Diane Raphael as Elizabeth Washington) won’t budge on their decision to fire Ava for bribery. First, the teachers argue that they shouldn’t fire Ava because she was merely doing what was best for the school with the minimal resources they had, suggesting it would be a bad look to terminate someone “for caring too much.” When this brand of saccharine humanitarian doesn’t move the district, Janine lies to stall for more time by declaring that they have “smoking gun” evidence. During a brief recess, Janine suggests the teachers take full responsibility for the contraband from Girard Creek since it’s harder to fire them all due to their union status, and it would be impossible to find enough substitutes to fill in.
Well, apparently, it’s not so far-fetched to find a mere four people to replace Janine, Barbara, Melissa, and Jacob. Or at least the district wouldn’t know or care how hard it is to find subs because it’s not their “jurisdiction,” and they suspend all four of them for a week. (Melissa hilariously tries to fight it by saying Sweet Cheeks is her legal dependent, so the district suspends him, too). Jacobs breaks the news of his pending absence to his students by saying he’s taking a “principled vacation in support of principal Coleman,” but they see through his euphemism and note how unfair the suspension is, with some of them, including RJ, proposing that they should do something. Jacob discourages the kids fighting a battle that isn’t theirs, but it’s clear the students throughout the school are disappointed by the decision.
While the rest of the gang strategizes to bring Ava back, Gregory finds his rhythm as interim principal, even wearing a red shirt instead of his signature neutrals, signifying his growing confidence. He begins to realize that if Ava’s superpower is avoiding bureaucracy, then his superpower is meticulously studying the system to beat it at its own game. Greg flexes this aplomb by successfully persuading Miles from Girard Creek to continue the golf club regardless of their arrangement. Through what would probably be painstaking research for anyone else, Gregory found out that if Miles re-classified the club under a specific non-profit tax code, the club would net more than revenue, thus making the activity mutually beneficial. Then, when he learns that four of his teachers are suspended for a week, he rallies the troops, the PTA, and scrapes together a schedule where Tariq and Crystal fill in the gaps.
It’s this rigorous kind of attention and diligent problem-solving that makes Gregory such a good principal, which is so satisfying to watch (especially seeing him open up his paycheck) until I remember that I’m supposed to be rooting for Ava’s return. Plus, as Gregory points out, just because he’s interim principal doesn’t mean he’s promised the job, and the district is actively interviewing other candidates, including, to Jacob’s dismay and threats of rioting, Mr. Morton. Refusing to allow their suspension to be a dead end, the teachers continue to brainstorm ways to bring Ava back, including becoming a charter school (this idea died the instant they saw they would need to create an online account) and invoking squatters rights (Mr. Johnson’s contribution). With no other options, Melissa suggests “The Schemmenti Diversion,” which is some scheme involving a dozen balaclavas, a tray of baklava, an ice cream truck, a boatload of zip ties, an oxygen tank, and Mr. Johnson in a clown wig.
As much as we all want to see what kind of plan Melissa was cooking up before they fully initiate The Schemmenti Diversion, they’re interrupted by an impromptu walk-out and peaceful demonstration led by the students in the hallway, leading to Jacob tearing up with pride. They cause such a commotion that Elizabeth arrives with the rest of the district to diffuse the situation with a “forum.” Janine alerts Ava to join the forum, and she gets to hear the students defend her honor in real-time. However, the district remains unyielding in its decision to fire Ava and suspend the teachers, smugly believing that “feeling heard” was more than enough. Janine won’t allow this to be the end of the road of her quest to put Abbott Elementary back together again, and right as Barbara sternly tells her it’s over (we all know Barbara always gets the final word with Janine), the PTA bursts through the doors in protest.
Soon, a slew of supporting characters and guest stars enter the gymnasium to support Ava, with Krystal from Forever Bitch Apparel saying they won’t stand by while the district “hurts” their children’s education before the B.L.A.C.K.S join, saying how they’ve seen first-hand how Ava transformed Abbott from “a run-down elementary school” to “an unpredictable music venue.” Then, the small-business owners, led by Ava’s dad himself, walk into the gym, sharing their testimony on the positive changes Abbott and its leadership contributed to the community, with the nail salon owners assuring that if Abbott supported them during the strike, they’ll be there for Abbott now. Even Miles peels through the crowd, saying the whole issue can be put to bed by “a white savior” before excitedly saying that his deal with Abbott was the only time his bribes benefited children and not corrupt officials.
Finally, Ava’s nemesis, Crystal, joins the movement with other principals from the district. Although the show insinuated that it was Crystal who snitched about the illicit ways Ava amassed resources for the school, anyone who has been around Black sororities knows that those girls’ loyalty runs deep. Hence, it’s no surprise that when shit hit the fan, Crystal was there to back up her sorority sister. She might be Ava’s number one hater, but as she tells the district, all the principals know that no one fights harder for their school than Ava and the teachers and that anyone in the district would be lucky to have them. This speech inspires a rousing chant pleading to bring the educators back, and at the threat of mass dissension, Elizabeth says they have no choice but to reinstate “Ava and her band of teachers,” though, of course, she insists it was her original idea.
Ava thanks her staff for their sacrifices and truly brings things back to normal by thanking herself because “if it weren’t for how good, wonderful, and impactful I am, you’d have nothing to fight for,” before saying since her internal clock is used to sleeping in until 10 a.m. that she’ll be late until she can reset. Then, we get a rare glimpse of her vulnerability when her father tells her that he’s proud of her, and even though she avoids being completely open through humor, the two make a small step in reconciling their relationship. The final detail of Ava reclaiming her spot is bittersweet as she must dethrone Gregory in the process. He takes the blow valiantly, removing all the personal details he added to her office, though no one could miss the disappointment on his face when he has to remove his Principal Eddie nameplate from the desk. Ava thanks him for holding down the fort so well in her absence, and finally, peace is restored at Abbott Elementary.
Teacher’s Notes
• We did not get enough of Zac Fox this season, but his presence in this episode made up for the lost time. Closing the episode with Tariq filling in as a substitute so Melissa and Barbara — who wanted to catch up on the spirit tunnel on the “Kate Hudson Show,” though she meant Jennifer — can still have time off despite no longer being suspended was the perfect ending; I’d love to see the text they drafted to his landlord requesting a rent reduction.
• And finally, some of the silliest lines of the episode:
Barbara: “Barbara Howard, the martyr, does have a nice ring to it.”
Melissa, when the district says they’ll be suspended for a mere five business days: “Do you have any idea how much property damage can be accomplished in five business days?”
Barbara: “My record, like my spirit, remains unsullied!”
Jacob: “I am vibrating with adrenaline. Is this how it feels to play a team sport?”