Abbott Elementary Delivers Critical Commentary on the American Public Education System Through Satire

The American public education system while, having undoubtable strengths, has been a lesson in imperfection. For the past fifty years, funding constraints, compensation dilemmas, and resource shortages have been perennial plagues of an arrangement designed to educate the Union’s brightest. Abbott Elementary takes a deep dive into these issues through the eyes of comedy. Written in large as an ode to educators, Abbott delivers necessary commentary on an often-defective system. The show deftly highlights the crippling obstacles faced by the nation’s most important institutions, while unearthing nostalgia, sharing laughs, and delivering brilliant deadpans.

Abbott Elementary follows the staff and teachers at Willard R. Abbott Elementary, a fictional public school based in Philadelphia. Adopting the mockumentary format of its predecessors, the subtext of the comedy is that of a documentary crew capturing the experiences of educators in underfunded schools - in this case, the eponymous Abbott Elementary. Abbott does right by a profession often wrongly portrayed. The show atypically depicts teachers as heroes without capes who go above and beyond for their students, despite low salaries and limited resources. Uniquely, the comedic vehicle succeeds in stimulating nostalgia by forcing viewers to look back fondly at their time as grade-schoolers; and to reflect on their favorite teachers and moments.

The ABC heartwarming comedy allows audiences to meet second-grade teacher Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) and history teacher Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti). The optimistic duo are the only two recruits of a group of twenty to have survived a year at the tough institution. They work alongside more experienced educators Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walters). Barbara Howard is a self-proclaimed 'woman of god,' who is well-dressed and a 'wizard with a glue-gun'. Melissa Schemmenti is a long-serving brash second-grade teacher with 'sketchy' connections and perceptive wisdom. Abbott's newest instructor, Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) is a freshly minted substitute teacher who learns to loosen up in order to help his students excel. In humorous design, the institution is overseen by an inept and carefree Ava Coleman (Janelle James), whose misguided and out-of-touch spending priorities as principal burden an already meager school budget. With episodes such as 'new tech,' "gifted program," "student transfer," and "wishlist," the show provides a window into the realities of underfunding, resource shortages, and thankless overwork through humour. 

Quinta Brunson brought Abbott Elementary to life, being inspired by the experiences of her own mother, a forty-year veteran educator of the Philadelphia public school system. This ‘teacher’s-kid’ experience provided the writer-actress with rare insight and a unique perspective on the profession. The show’s title is aptly borrowed from Brunson’s own Philadelphia-based sixth grade teacher, ‘Joyce Abbot’ who inspired her path. In the technical department, executive producer Randall Einhorn puts his The Office experience to stellar use, working to develop the show’s tone, irresistible warmth, and snappy comedic pacing. Undoubtedly, the elusive terrain of the network sitcom is creating a vehicle that can be broadly disseminated to all households and that can be unanimously viewed. Bringing the experiences of an underfunded inner-city school to the medium, therefore, takes guts, and this underscores the ingenuity of Abbott.

Abbott Elementary delivers necessary commentary on the American public education system through satire. Critically tackled is the issue of underfunding and its consequential impacts on students, teachers, and institutions. The series highlights the experiences of Brunston’s Janine Teagues, as she battles maintenance issues, raise funds to source basic classroom supplies, and attempts to cultivate a school vegetable garden to provide healthier lunch options for students. Many of Janine’s efforts are absurdly disastrous in the first instance, but through persistence and pushiness, she often manages to achieve positive outcomes. In fact, Janine’s misadventures, though naturally humorous and comical, reflect the chronic and true-to-life issues that unfortunately face many educators today. In 2021, the Institute of Education Sciences found that approximately 94% of public-school teachers spent their own money on classroom supplies, despite modest salaries[1].

Abbot Elementary provides a window into the harsh realities of the American public education system. The delivery of  the subject is however, made more palatable through the vehicle of comedy. Abbott’s renewal for a second season provides the opportunity not only for the show to keep delivering laughs, but also to continue spotlighting the problems of a broken system.

Written by:  Shawn, the Writer

Art by: Nhi Le