How Abbott Elementary Teaches Us about School

Abbott Elementary might be the most progressive network sitcom ever. What does it teach us about public education in America and why is it the perfect vehicle for affecting change? And why does Donald Glover love it so much?
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[@suzygirl1843]

Why bring up Childish Gambino before Abbott Elementary? Black women aren't tied to black males

[@graffic13]

Party!

[@lyndonwesthaven6623]

Out of curiosity, is there a reason this one's not up on Nebula....?

[@Oatmeal.Squares]

Is there a more accessible way to find your sources for further research? Like a little list? 20:06

[@yourin8er]

17:02 Harris hole. Wow stealing from wisecrack live now. Jk

[@Tijggie82]

"BLACK??” ”It's actually pronounced Zack." 😂😂😂😂

[@MannyLou]

I had to scroll down to make sure someone else also found that hilarious.

[@vinny-is-here]

Can you explain how that is funny?

[@okcool7477]

​@@vinny-is-hereno sorry

[@louie4684]

@@vinny-is-here it’s actually a simple joke but executed perfectly. What made it so funny was that he thought she was mispronouncing his name by calling him black when his name is Zack. 😂😂

[@fazormcghee7936]

​@@louie4684 he understood the joke, he was just implying that he didn't find it funny.

[@immortan-valkyrie90]

As a former middle school teacher, this feels like a documentary minus being cursed out by parents after report cards.

[@kennnnny]

My mother always said one of the worst things about being a teacher was dealing with prissy parents.

[@camerongremmels4270]

nahhh that happens

[@juandoe2696]

I bet the $150 billion that went to the Ukraine could have fixed some of those problems at the school and even for the parents.

[@nickgavis0305]

Idk how you teachers do it. Especially in high schools

[@Junkyardproduxtions]

​@Juan Doe I bet we could easily withdraw 150 million from other funding being used to kill brown people to help our own and our defense budget wouldn't even be budged by it.

[@raksrulesaks]

I attended one of those overfunded public schools in a predominantly white neighborhood. As an Indian student I was often paraded in public functions as the diversity… and used to HATE it- but the access I had to resources was insane. Our school budget was over 750 million dollars a year and tbh my school ended up being FANCIER than my university (I went to Cornell… just think about that for a second). And yet I’d visit public schools with more diversity in the area and… it was scary how very little they would have. While we had brand new fields, private locker rooms, upgraded showers, school lunch with a barista, panini station, sandwich bar, pasta bar, and salad station (as well as sushi) every AP offered, access to iPads and chrome books, an ilounge, mac computers EVERWHERE, and more, NO ONE ELSE HAD THESE RESOURCES! We even had Broadway producers work in our theater department. It was horrifying when I realized what I had access to WASNT NORMAL WHATSOEVER. And Abbott has been such an educational experience, and it’s made me an even bigger advocate for equity in public education, protections being launched to ensure public school funding is spread equitably to PUBLIC SCHOOLS (not charters) and that efforts to ensure the quality of education in every school is equitable! No child should lack opportunities to succeed and the fact race is so utterly a factor in this… I could type more and more but I shall stand in the back and listen. Because I have much to learn if I’m going to be an ally in change.

[@brooklynbattle4760]

Thank you for sharing!

[@jeseenthaannejoji9582]

your school being fancier than your college is so hilarious

[@lesbiangoddess290]

The opulence actually makes me feel ill

[@sitara7664]

where did you go?

[@garygary117]

750 MILLIPNF ICKING DOLLARS.

[@xibalba1am]

"I'm not a fast reader and I read too much." As a grad student I felt that in my soul. Re: the Philly bombing you unfortunately didn't even say the worst part. The remains of two small children was given to an ivy league school and were used in undergraduate biological anthrop[ology classes to look at trauma so hundreds if not thousands of students touched the remains of these kids. And before you ask about race. Yes, they were.

[@Slim_Ch4rles]

What. The. Phuck. Im even further disusted by the crime and its law enforcement perpetrators

[@lesbiangoddess290]

That's fucking criminal

[@tiamystic]

Those poor kids. They need to be buried properly for the sake of their family. I wonder how remaining family members feel about this?

[@gordo6908]

they were reptilians!?

[@aksprkl6594]

How was that allowed? Have they been put to rest since then?

[@rabnerd28]

Am I going into teaching? Yes. Am I already complaining about the Education System? Also yes.

[@1Hawkears1]

I would say you weren't ready if you said anything else, lol

[@benderB9]

This is the way

[@miau6451]

I like your perspective! I've been thinking about how teachers deserve the most respect ever because they go into a field consciously knowing that, even though the education system takes advantage of them, they want to fight back against it because they recognize what's wrong with it. Also, you guys help the next generation move forward! We wouldn't be awarding educational anything without teachers, so thank you for going into your field :D

[@bagfootbandit8745]

Godspeed to you, I burned out after 2 years

[@jeffersonclippership2588]

I mean it's cool you care about education but anyone who wants to teach in America is insane

[@ChrisBrooks34]

This is why so many teachers are leaving the profession. Who wants to be called a groomer and a pedophile? Nobody, especially when you're not just a teacher. You're also a nurse, a social worker, a guidance counselor/therapist, and even a part-time parent for a plethora of kids . It depends on how many classes you have and how big your school is? That's a lot of emotional labor, especially for one person, and on top of that, you're making about thirty-five thousand dollars a year with no real benefits and not even basic school supplies. That's why every teacher I had asked a student to bring in a pack of copy paper because the school sometimes wouldn't provide any.That's horrific.

[@juratory8876]

And that's part and parcel of the GOP's plan to privatize education. Conduct smear campaigns against teachers, defund public education and divert taxpayer money to private schools, and ensure that teachers are paid so low that they either have to work a second job just to make ends meet, or they leave the profession altogether.

[@totaldan99]

aand yet they get paided like shit

[@yotsubafanfan]

My Dad is a teacher and I remember him giving me a list of phone numbers for Radio stations to see if they had any leftover promotion pencils so he could help himself and his other teacher friends. It's messed up.

[@kellharris2491]

Not to mention the people wanting teachers to curry guns.

[@trayog2459]

I do remember being given a school supply list with supplies needed for the students as well as the teacher/classroom. There was even a point where I had a teacher that offered extra credit to add to our lowest grades if we brought in some type of supplies for the class.

[@skylaralley2465]

My mama is an elementary teacher and has been for about two decades. Recently, a part of her contract has been changed to essentially “signing this you understand and take the risk of being shot”. What teachers go through is absolutely heartbreaking

[@Thepeanutcollector]

At least they’re aware.

[@lisag.4054]

My goodness. I’ve been contemplating pursuing a degree in education to become an elementary school teacher because of Abbott. I don’t know how I forgot to think about the risk of the shooters. The world can be so evil. I hope your mom continues to have a great career and that she eventually retires happy with no incidents like that.

[@skylaralley2465]

@@lisag.4054 thank you. I hope so too

[@epstein_isnt_dead7726]

That's weird. I'm just a regular civilian and I'm at risk of being shot. But nobody gave me a form making me aware of that fact. Teachers must be super special

[@DLPape]

My late husband and I started watching Abbott at the start, it is such a good show, I am so glad it continues to grow. I haven't watched much TV since he passed.

[@angijac18]

I’m so sorry honey. Sending you prayers 🙏

[@mutelarsorhougbe4606]

I pray you will be wrapped in comfort❤️

[@ahanna76]

Condolences on your loss. 🙏🏾

[@DLPape]

@@ahanna76 thank you

[@Dm34421]

I love how Abbott handles character development. The characters core traits aren’t changed completely while they learn to become better versions of themselves. Ava wants to be a better principal but she’s still herself

[@wvu05]

Indeed. It definitely seems like they followed the idea used to reform Michael Scott: make the character 10% better and the others to like the character 10% more.

[@johnmobley9369]

Very much herself. It reminds me of the office in that way.

[@JayeAaronn]

Ii 😅wl

[@qut22vp83]

It just feels so natrual how they develop💕

[@ALu-nq8rf]

My absolute favorite Ava arc is her actually learning and being interested in Jacob's history lesson.

[@ronny_ron2168]

As someone who went to public school in Philly I can confirm that this show is very accurate! I also went to elementary and middle school in the Kensington area of Philly and I went to high school in northeast Philly which is a predominantly white area and I was genuinely shocked with how behind I was being taught because of where I grew up. It made my high school experience horrible, and extremely frustrating, and made me hate school. The way black/brown areas are iced out when it comes to receiving funding is beyond upsetting. ALL programs are cut in those areas, meanwhile in white areas they have everything (sports,after school activities,good books, etc.) It’s so upsetting and it’s gotten so much worst since I graduated 12 years ago

[@DeRocco21]

my family went to a rural school. had nothing there either

[@AlvorReal]

By white, you mean they pay their property taxes. That’s how schools get their money. Maybe try not to be a bigot, or, and this is just a thought, read a book instead of expecting everyone to just give you a passing grade.

[@JBurky15]

I went to school for a while in NE Philly too, but I had some friends around Kensington. They weren't lucky enough to make it out unfortunately. It's crazy what a difference of just a few miles can make when it comes to education and school funding.

[@Xylkamela4ter]

Dude what you mean white area?

[@dcscruz2970]

@@Xylkamela4ter aka area where is mostly white people or white adjacent people lol

[@stevieatthemovies8186]

I'm a first year queer teacher, and it is scary. I hear so much casual homophobia from my students, and I do my best to call them out on it. Only some of the students know that I'm queer, and I am scared for my job security if I completely come out. At the same time, I've had closeted students tell me about how nice it is to actually know a gay person now and how they don't feel safe. It breaks my heart.

[@blacksunshine1661]

Do the kids need to know you are queer? I mean that’s queer… if you were doing it with….. why would you tell someone else’s child… you make Dos Santis relevant….😮

[@blacksunshine1661]

@@kian6813 no straight, anal sex, oral sex, abusive mates, rude kids, dying parents- the kids minds need to be free not to learn about the family life of you and me…

[@blacksunshine1661]

@@kian6813 why does a child need to know about a stinking teacher’s husband- man or woman? Is this share my family day? Teach the blasted children the curriculum- that’s what they pay you for- if you need to tell people about your husband- man or woman- tell it to your friends - not my children 👦🏿

[@kian6813]

@@blacksunshine1661 Do the kids need to know their teacher is heterosexual? I don't see you complaining about a child knowing their teacher has a spouse and kids, is married, is going to get married, or has a crush on another teacher. I've seen and heard of teachers throwing a classroom marriage ceremony if their fiancé also works at the same school they are." I mean that's queer... if you were doing it with...", You don't know a damn thing about being queer. It's not just about who we're in a relationship with or who we have sex with. You aren't clutching your pearls if a classroom of children see or are introduced to their teacher's spouse. I mean, that is the person their teacher has sex with. "Why would you tell someone else's child", Kids are curious. If you tell them no about looking something up they'll do it anyway. Many kids find out about queerness through google searches or youtubers they watch so if they think their teacher is queer they'll ask. They might even think they're queer themselves. You wouldn't get angry about a teacher inviting her class to her wedding where they can see two adults kiss. Why should the teacher tell their class about their marriage or that they're straight? Isn't that someone's child?!?!?! 😮😠

[@kian6813]

@@blacksunshine1661 "Why does a child need to know about a stinking teacher's husband-man or woman?" You didn't care about straight people until i mentioned it so quit acting like they matter all of a sudden. Maybe you should ask the thousands of teachers who said that as their personal fact during the first day of school to encourage others to share theirs. "Is this share my family day?" Clearly you haven't been inside a school in centuries. "Teach the blasted children the curriculum- that's what they pay you for- if you need to tell people about your husband- man or woman- tell it to your friends- not my children." They're teaching your snot nosed brats. It wouldn't make sense for the teacher to hide the kids from their spouse if they come in the classroom for whatever reason. If their spouse works at the school with them then the kids are going to know if they both have the same last name. Do you want teachers to stop going by their married names, take off their wedding rings, and go by Ms in public when they're Mrs just to appease to you? Nobody needs to tell anything. I mean the kids can find out on their own if they see their teacher in public with their spouse. You have the I.Q of a fish.

[@DeathPunchGodwin]

Fun fact charter school in philly was shut down a few years ago for hosting night clubs in the cafeteria.

[@Tha-mountain]

word?

[@steviebeevie]

Imagine your friends talk you into going to this new club and you end up slipping on a chocolate milk carton

[@Lets_go_lesbians]

I feel like one of the reasons I don't ever think about how kids are treated in society is because as soon as I got out of school I just NEVER wanted to look back. Even thinking about how dehumanizing it is makes my head start to spin

[@princessbablaschmabladingd7451]

Yes!! Remember when a teacher could tell you that you didn’t have the right to use the bathroom? Crazy.

[@parisortiz8731]

@@princessbablaschmabladingd7451 I remember a teacher that wouldn’t let kids go to the nurse

[@IshtarNike]

@@princessbablaschmabladingd7451 the rules arise from the extremely suboptimal system. I hated not being allowed to use the bathroom. Once I became a teacher I understood why they had that rule. The rules arise because of the few people who abuse the empathy of others. Students often use the bathroom as a means of escaping the lesson. They also use it to meet with friends and bully others or do nasty things in the toilets. But it's also more than that. Most subjects build up. Both within one lesson and within one grade, and then across the entire time at school, almost all the knowledge builds on the other knowledge. If you're absent from class due to taking toilet breaks then it becomes harder to follow the logic and flow of the lesson. This effect compounds over time as the student falls behind and also becomes more frustrated and demoralised. Students who don't understand what's going on in class often either seek to leave (going to the toilet even more) or behave worse, this disrupting other students learning. All these interconnected things led to the strict control on bathroom use. Most students aren't at the stage where they can self regulate their bathroom use. As soon as they feel the urge they will ask to go. Rather than waiting for a natural pause or whatever. They will also not do catch up work. I've probably know 5 students out of hundreds who would do that to make up for the missed time. Overall this nasty rule could be changed but it would first require a root and branch restructuring of schools so that progress isn't linear, and so students can choose their own rate of progression. Chances are everything would be pushed back because I think a large chunk of students aren't ready for what we expect of them at such a young age. That's why we need all the rules. They CAN do it. But not without rules. If you take the rules away you need to wait a few years longer to put them in that kind of environment without having absolute chaos.

[@falsevacuum4667]

@@IshtarNike I mostly agree with you except for that last part. I think it would be a big issue to lighten the curriculum. As someone who has interacted with the Chinese educational system, the primary schooling in the US is a cakewalk in comparison. I think schools should of course be more accommodating to individuals, but students also need to have much more discipline in their studies (either from the school, parents, or both). There needs to be ample tutoring, extra-curricular, and after-school funding. Students should more easily be able to advance if they understand the current material. People should be able to stagger their education, so if they excel in history they can take more advanced history courses, even if they are behind in math. If we do not do this, the US educational system will fall further and further behind that of China and other countries. This is bad for everyone within our country and without.

[@raw-b6658]

@@princessbablaschmabladingd7451 in regards to the bathroom, most of the time it’s because the teacher doesn’t want to have too many people out at once, it’s hard to keep track of. I never tell my kids that they can’t use the bathroom but often times I’ll have them wait till the person currently in gets back or if recess/lunch is only a few minutes away wait till that. I do think not letting kids use the bathroom simply for the sake of it is a bunch of bs though

[@trinaq]

I really adore this show. As a teacher myself, many of the characters and situations are instantly recognisable, and it's very well written and acted.

[@CabinBoyProductions]

Same! There was a scene in season 1 when Barbara pretends to remember an old student, and I have never felt so seen.

[@dylanrodrigues]

How do you find the time to comment on every video on the internet while being a teacher 😭😭

[@trinaq]

@@dylanrodrigues Haha, it must be a superpower, which comes with having to be in multiple places at once, looking after many children!😂😉

[@MCKevin289]

@@CabinBoyProductions Student teacher here! That happened to me when I saw my middle school VP at a teacher convention lol.

[@All-ze9cl]

Trina girl why are you everywhere bb

[@UltimateTS64]

This show came at a perfect time in my life as I'm a black male in college to be a middle school teacher, so seeing how the characters interact in the environment has shown examples of what and what not to do

[@wolfkitty42]

Good luck being a teacher!

[@UltimateTS64]

@@wolfkitty42 thank you

[@sophiitdd8540]

I'm thinking about becoming an art teacher so now I'm definitely going to watch this show!

[@UltimateTS64]

@@sophiitdd8540 Yeah it's really good, it's got a nice mix of comedy and world building

[@UltimateTS64]

@@sunmayttv yeah that's part of the reason why I chose middle school, because they may be at their toughest, but if you can get through to them you can really have an impact on them.

[@laylamonae1382]

8,000 students compared to 200,000 is insane

[@arianathough2070]

Also, as someone raised and still living in Arkansas, I'm really glad you brought up Gov. Sanders, she and her constituents have been signing some truly terrifying bills lately and I wish there was more awareness around that. There's not only the use of taxpayer funds for religious schools, but they even opened up the legal working age to children (with so many adults in recent years becoming more and more fed up with exploitative labor, gee, I can't imagine why). Very sinister stuff.

[@iamjustkiwi]

I still can't believe to this day that the black hole of charisma that she is still ended up as an influential politician, much less a governor of all things. Our country has serious problems...

[@ivoted-5489]

Texas is gearing up to take tax dollars and give it church schools. They won’t say the word “church”, but that’s what its for - religious “charter” and “private” schools and homeschooling. F that.

[@perfectallycromulent]

@@iamjustkiwi she had the name recognition that no one else could compete with from being in national media, and that let her win the primary, and anyone who has the R by their name is gonna win the election in Arkansas these days, so there you go.

[@ilovekene9697]

What’s wrong with using them for religious schools?

[@peebis6129]

I just moved out of Arkansas. So glad to be gone

[@melanino]

Its also one of the very few shows that can do internet jokes funny. The amounts of meme reference that I laughed at without cringing is amazing. And really illustrates Quinta Brunson abilities on her internet career

[@hazelsingh3887]

Absolutely, I’m sure her background is critical in writing those jokes, because so many writers fail at keeping up with internet humor.

[@kornilious]

No yeah in the last episode I think when Jacob says he’s “got that dawg in me” I was actually super pleasantly surprised and cracked up rather than cringed 💀 I don’t think I’ve ever come across a show using a current meme and/or using it well aside from Abbot!

[@jiovek]

my favourite joke in the whole show was in the halloween episode. Jacob asked Mr Johnson if he was dressed up as vision because of the gem on his forehead and he replied with “No, Lil Uzi Vert” i still die laughing whenever i even think about that scene

[@jasminematos207]

As someone who went to the same charter school from 4th grade, I saw the problems immediately and BEGGED my parents to let me go to a public school. I graduated from that school and I literally did not learn how to do high school level math. I’m in college now and I have to take remedial math classes to try and catch up.

[@unstoppabledoris]

Good luck girly, kick college ass

[@6shot9]

Damn..

[@Rea_per]

Feel you

[@yvaincallipso84]

Every time you look at a graph about the decline of any quality of life in the US (poverty, wealth gap, prison rates, ect.) and you locate where Ronald Raegan started, things make a TON of sense. I friggin hate that guy and hope he's rotting in hell.

[@phi1105]

He made the first gender neutral bathroom ❤ (talking about his grave)

[@victoriashelly5115]

@@phi1105 I absolutely love this comment holy moly! His gender neutral bathroom is the only good contribution he has ever made to American society.

[@deathdog1392]

Ok Boomer...🙄

[@gatchywatchyentertainmentb2090]

WHATEVER DOGGY KILLER! AHAHA!

[@dylanrodrigues]

The only problem with pissing on Ronald Reagan’s grave is that eventually you run out of piss….

[@jnyerere]

I think the last time I was this invested in a network sitcom was ironically Everybody Hates Chris. Well over a decade ago. Quinta Brunson has accomplished the unexpected and managed to make me care about a network sitcom again. She's managed to make me live tweet on Twitter while the show is on, something I've never done for any other sitcom before. Truly a masterpiece with an exceptional cast.

[@ForrestFox626]

Ironically Tyler is in both shows

[@laneythelame]

Lol i lovvvved that show and i love abbott the same way if not more

[@SaltoDaKid]

Same feel so human with constant event having meaning without dragging the issue making it the only focus. Making us dive into the character world and their POV

[@sakareeh]

Omg I started watching that show right after Abbott, then noticed Chris’ ears looks so familiar. Turns out it was Gregory’s actor

[@queenwednesdayart]

I love Abbott, and this is unrelated, but my Autism wants me to tell you that Ghosts is actually based on a British version of the same name and characters, so if it's ripping off anything it's itself.

[@DudeitsMalia]

And the British version is much better

[@andreja9425]

I think he was just talking about the poster design not the show itself

[@queenwednesdayart]

@@DudeitsMalia Yeah I've only seen ppl talk about that one and the American one is fine so I bet that one bangs

[@conwaytwittyer2667]

I thought he was dissing the BBC show and I was like what but that's like a good show though, but now it makes sense.

[@hollybrown887]

@@queenwednesdayart I like that you capitalized Autism, like the Lord

[@bats550]

As a former teacher, it took me a year after leaving teaching to watch Abbott Elementary because I was anxious that it would bring up bad memories of my time working in an inner-city school. But, for all the reasons you mentioned, it was refreshing to watch. The fact that it doesn't attack teachers and finds value in the optimism and change that new teachers can bring was incredibly soothing. I like that it also doesn't portray older teachers as beaten down by the system, but rather older teachers have just found a less aggressive way of working around the problems they face, even when it isn't a long-term solution.

[@All-ze9cl]

My parents are both teachers and watching this show feels so real. My mom doesn't even like to watch it because she needs a break from thinking about such a realistic school. They talk to each other about so much messed up stuff both of them have to deal with as teachers and the show addresses some of those complaints. Teachers are constantly scapegoats for shit going on beyond their control. I'm so glad that this show is helping people appreciate teachers

[@itspisa]

I attended high school at a charter school in Pennsylvania. The founder was arrested for theft of $8 million from taxpayers through a series of directly and indirectly controlled shell companies. A teacher years ago took his life while being investigated by police for alleged possession of illegal materials portraying minors. In recent years there have been "The [School Name] Flood" and "The Gas Leak" which many students now joke about and tell the stories as if they were folklore. A teacher was also fired for creeping on students. And certain teachers have been known to yell at students until they have an emotional breakdown. While I attended, it was also common knowledge that certain students were rather privileged to be exclusively given opportunities writing, directing, and performing. And among the student body there was a rampant issue of sexual assault and certain problematic students raising hell for everyone else, neither of which were ever addressed by the faculty. Although less serious, it was also widely known inside the district and out, although unproven, that our school poaches high performing basketball players from other schools and even created a special department specifically to cater to these students who would otherwise have no place attending the school. This is not a criticism, but we also had a bus crash the other year resulting in the tragic death of the driver and one student. It was a traumatic experience for many. Half the students from that bus were temporarily assigned to mine until a replacement bus and driver were found. However, I do feel the school could have done more to support the students involved and the grieving families. There was also a for-profit element to our school. The education itself was run by the school and handled well, but the school also had a separate company, usually referred to as The Center by students and teachers. They ran all the stage performances and anything related to them. Students in certain departments were expected to take part in performances organized by the center but were in no way compensated for their work. Any student that sought compensation was silently blacklisted and would never again by given roles. Essentially students had their labor stolen by the center, used as unpaid actors and crew for performances, and were actively fought against by the center when seeking the fair compensation of the months of constant work that went into auditioning, study roles, acting, crafting sets, wardrobe design, makeup, etc. even though the center collected a substantial profit from each performance, which consistently sold out shows through their entire run. I specialized in journalism during my time at this school so I'm careful not to name any specific people or entities so as to not open myself up to an accusation of committing libel. But I would like for you to understand that the contents of this video is very accurate to the experience of myself and my peers. PA's charter schools, while not inherently bad, are very easy to manipulate by people with ill intentions. Massive reform is desperately needed to the current laws on charter schools. During my attendance it was also constantly suggested to us that, when we can vote, we should vote for candidates who support the current state of charter schools and not for Governor Tom Wolf who wants to reform charter schools. And as was stated in this video, it's true that teachers don't need proper certification to become teachers at charter schools. My department head became a teacher at the school with no certifications, although he has them now. As have other teachers. Another interesting detail is that the school has a CEO as well as a principal. After the old CEO left following the arrest of the founder, the then principal was promoted to the position and a new principal was appointed. While I cannot comment on the old administration, I do think the current CEO and principal are good people and qualified for their positions. They are very kind people, very supportive of the school's large LGBT presence, and treat the students with respect. I also praise my department head and a prior teacher in the department for their amazing teaching and guidance. Truly they were salt of the earth or as close as you can get. There's a lot of issues with the school, but I don't wish to totally condemn it. It was a great opportunity for me as I came from a poor district with far worse faculty and quality of education. It lives in my memory as a double edged sword. It was a great opportunity and I'm glad I attended. But many students, including myself, have horrible memories from their attendance and desperately want a change in the way the school is run. The school's biggest issues are the board of directors, the corporate entity attached to it, and select faculty members. I think its also a valid criticism that charter schools suck money from the districts they recruit from. As students, we were very aware that our school tax money (our parents' really) was being taken from our home district and instead given to the charter school. Coming from a poor district, I recognized that many of my peers also come from that district and together we constituted a decent chunk of change. As people from a poor district, we invariably defunded it further in our quest for a better education. And we were not the only district like it. Many students came from low income areas, creating the same reality as we did in their own districts. Many students came from New Castle, Aliquippa, Ellwood, and many other struggling areas. While these schools were already bad when we left, our rerouted tax dollars ultimately made it just that little bit worse. I also had many peers from wealthy neighborhoods who provided a great deal of funding to the school with tax dollars that would have otherwise gone to an already well funded and esteemed school. For those students, their impact was less detrimental from their home district while being a major benefit to the charter school. I feel this has made a negative impact in the already substantial funding inequality in Pennsylvania schools. One notable difference between our school and the one portrayed in the show, however, was that many students in the district would no longer attend the school. In the case of my school, the district it was based in lacked a high school after their public school shut down for grades 7 through 12. Our school's presence provided an in-person schooling option for the students of that district who would otherwise be forced to learn online. Instead, local students attended the charter school as if it were their regular public school. But this case is somewhat unique as the neighborhood had a rather small local population, so no students were being displaced by the charter school's creation unlike in the show which has a large local population within Philadelphia. And in this case, the local public school had already been shut down and usurped by an online school, whereas in the show the school is transferring from public to charter. If you would like to learn more about my school, I'd urge you to research some of the information listed here. Particularly the $8 million theft. That man was the founder of two Pennsylvania charter schools, located in the same town. One online and one brick and mortar. I attended the brick and mortar school. Most articles emphasize the online school first as it is one of the largest virtual charter schools in the state. It was also specifically the cyber school that he stole tax money from, with no mention of the other. So I assume he did not steal from my school, or at least was not caught doing it. It's quite the rabbit hole when you get into the weeds of it all.

[@gabrielbolanos3871]

Thank you for the write-up! This was really interesting to read about.

[@proudcollectiveofcells4048]

That's wild. As someone who when to a Charter School in Wisconsin. I never understood why people disliked Charter schools so much until I started seeing stuff like this. Like this was not my experience with school at all. We had some of the best teachers in the state with two teachers per grade. A class never exseded 20 kids. And as someone who needed a little special attention. I can say that they had an amazing special ed program. The school had monthly meeting with my dad to find better ways to support me. And they actually implemented the thing my dad recommended. Now School was never my jame but I can say compared to the other schools I'd seen I was vary fortunate to have gone there. Granit, where I gew up was a little different. The country side was mostly poor farming family's like mine. But, the town where the school resided in was mostly full of uper middle class (It was an extremely weird mix of hicks and wealthy kids). So a lot of money was going into the school system. Even if over half of its student body was poor.

[@lieaparisss08]

bro wrote a novel

[@lieaparisss08]

this was really interesting to read though, jokes aside

[@sonyabrown9349]

its the funding that really gets to me. I never understand how pro-charter school people describe so many (valid) issues with public that can be fixed by funding and decide "lets defund them more! that will make it better!" Obviously parents want the best for only their children but it is disheartening when everyone suffers because people don't want the solutions that work but ask them to be "inconvienced". My personal feelings aside, I wanted to say thank you for sharing your experience!

[@bengallup9321]

Regarding media portrayals of teachers: I'd argue that they are either portrayed as saints, or they are portrayed very negatively (as in more conservative media, usually in an effort to disparage and undermine teachers' unions).

[@hankboog462]

Seen very few that portray the way a lot of, if not most, teachers are: well intentioned but fallible human beings doing their best in a broken system

[@AlexPhillipsiscool]

And if they're a young and 'hot' teacher, then they're gonna end up in an inappropriate relationship with one of the students, usually a main character. So tired of that trope in particular.

[@zaimusic_150]

@@AlexPhillipsiscoolI have known many people who have fucked their female teachers (high school). So many in fact that I have trouble calling it a trope when it’s such a common real life occurrence.

[@PeacefullyHaunted]

Charter schools don't care about disabled students either, I was in one for the first two years of high school and they didn't allow me to get on zoom meetings when I was sick because I didn't have covid. They actively did everything they could to block me from bringing my service dog into the classroom. We originally signed up because I'm autistic and wanted a smaller class size (the school in my district has 30+ kids in each class). This charter was "One of the good ones" that took everyone that applied and "treated their teachers well." even if those same teachers were forced back into the classroom during the height of covid. I've talked to many other disabled kids with similar experiences, and it's sad to know we would've gotten better accommodations when these schools advertise as safe havens for us.

[@andreasanchez1453]

Public school was no different especially my high school. My accommodations were rarely followed and met because I opted for the Pilot Program. The program meant when I was a freshman I could earn my credits for graduation faster and be placed with the older students in the sophomore to senior grades. Thus I could graduate on time. Plus early career training and certification. Because my schedule was different from all the other inclusion students my IEP could be followed because they couldn’t afford an extra paraprofessional teacher or get a teacher to help me in my classes. I had work my butt off and I had to forgo many events like pep rallies and school events plus to stay on track I had to do double tutoring for every subject Monday to Friday both before and after school.

[@thewildcardperson]

no job is gonna accomdate you either grow the fuk up

[@esverker7018]

Sorry but public schools aren't any different. And some charters that I've known are great for disabled students, like the very good deaf school near me. It's a really mixed bag.

[@charliemcqueen2023]

I have not felt more seen/connected to than when he said teachers aren’t represented in tv. Basically every other woman I’ve ever met is a teacher. It makes absolutely zero sense that this show hadn’t been made before and seeing someone fill an obvious need so thoroughly is soooooooooo satisfying. When I saw the shows premise I was mad that I couldn’t have come up with the idea first because that show is gonna go on foooooooorrrrrreeeeeeevvvvveeeeeer

[@LegendsP137]

As a former charter school student. The McDonald's and Pizza Hut family nights that the School would hype up though out the year are finally starting to make more sense. Hahaha 😆

[@Lalaundercover389]

Hey,what’s the difference between a charter school and a private school in the US Sending hugs from South Africa

[@kianna1082]

​@@Lalaundercover389 charter schools are often based on a lottery system. Private schools are paid for by parents

[@sonyabrown9349]

@@Lalaundercover389 the main difference is like what kianna commented but in most charter schools the parents still have to pay tuition for their child after the lottery. even some who win the entrance lottery, may still have to pay tuition. both charters and privates schools offer scholarships but not all of them and some of the schools that do still don't cover the entire tuition amount.

[@elizabethklisiewecz9345]

@@sonyabrown9349 those are private schools, charter schools are public. you do not pay to go to a charter school, at all. private schools, you do. charter schools are public schools that receive considerably less funding and are exempt from a lot of curriculum regulations of the state. but you do not pay for charter schools, that's just a myth.

[@sonyabrown9349]

@@elizabethklisiewecz9345 that may be true for the charter schools in your area. however there are two charter schools in my city that are tuition based for students whose families are above a certain income level. so you're correct the vast majority do not but there are some exceptions I have encountered.

[@GothVampiress]

I work as a contractor in Philadelphia public schools. Since I'm not a teacher I pretty much have the viewpoint of a film crew member in the show and it's wild to me how the show is accurate for a best case scenario. I work in charter schools as well, so it's interesting to see how the show handles everything Compared to my experiences in the field In every part of the city and suburbs.

[@dcscruz2970]

Also if you’re concerned that a kid is being taught about slavery in a country who was born on slavery and it makes uncomfortable, you ain’t being conservative, you’re afraid of being called out on being racist. Only does who are racist want to ignore the fact it happened, cause it makes them think and they don’t want to realize they have to use more than a brain cell.

[@morrisginzburg1978]

I'm an English teacher in Argentina and even though our school systems are very different from USA's, I do relate to the teachers in Abbott a lot. We are also dealing with an underfunding issue, coupled with a media attack on teachers. We are not only underpaid, but we are also told we are lazy, uncultured and are choosing this profession as a "back-up". Even though we're state employees, we have less job security than people working illegally. Abbott I think also shows that really well. I can laugh and cry while watching it, and I'm glad someone is showing the world we are people, who love our jobs but that we shouldn't sacrifice our lives for it.

[@Aaa-dv3oi]

Banca no sabía que los colegios públicos enseñaban inglés

[@morrisginzburg1978]

@@Aaa-dv3oi de Buenos Aires al menos si, hace unos años lo volvieron obligatorio para todas. No estoy segura el resto de Argentina

[@Deviknyte_]

1. Fund all schools by state and fed level. 2. Ban charters and vouchers. 3. Ban tax breaks and grants for private schools. 4. Federal school district law. 5. Rules about donations/fund raisers so poorer areas get money as well.

[@lNoWayAroundItl]

I think it is super sad how easily people forget how public education is an essential. When we had to go to distance learning, within weeks, parents were begging/praying for the day their kids could get back to school. Yet teachers rely on donations to run or dig out of their pockets. Their buildings are toxic. And parents can be a constant pita. It is ridiculous how the necessary doesn't get taken care of. Eta Betsy Devos is the worsttt 37:15 I thought Betsy also tried to pull that move.

[@Min-xh8ho]

My mom is a teacher in Sweden and it’s crazy how realistic and relatable this show is even though its set in a completely different country

[@Bell_plejdo568p]

I thought Sweden was good there’s a lot of propaganda about how it is

[@Min-xh8ho]

@@Bell_plejdo568pit’s better for students but teachers aren’t treated any better, they barely get payed and the school board problems and red tape is very similar to how it is in America and on the show. Parents are also just as irrational and rude, and solutions to problems are pretty much the same, (small spoiler alert) in season 3 they need a sign language interpreter for a student and it’s nearly impossible until they think of going to the kids parents, because the only people who have any real power to change things in schools in both Sweden and America are the students parents. My mom has always said to me that I can do anything I want and have any job I want except teaching, it’s just not worth it since it pays so badly and you get burnt out so easily

[@vincentroberts8327]

Hi. Former small town school board reporter here. This mess of funding is ALSO how small town schools work, except there they've added a privately funded pipeline directly to the local meat-packing plant to fill the gaps. It's all disgusting.

[@hblackburn5580]

As far as funding goes, it's the rural "podunk" schools that are just as in need of funding as well. My high school was essentially 3 metal dilapidated buildings, not unlike a rundown Family Dollar. The resources were no doubt funneled to the football team who had a university level field and practice facility made my freshman year. I moved from a well-to-do DC suburb to a hicktown, and it's beyond sad knowing that if they were to have been funded the same way the schools where I lived in DC were, I know I would have done far better.

[@ashbat8613]

As someone who used to religiously watch buzzfeed and adored Quinta I have so excited for people to realize her genius and skill

[@charlirogers6235]

The episode where the teacher was told she would have to teach two different grades in her class at the same time...I turned to my husband and told him that was crazy!!! Well... guess who's teaching 7th and 8th grade at the same time in the same class this semester...and I'm the high school teacher!

[@blacksunshine1661]

Multigrade teaching is common in some parts of the world such as Columbia

[@Pekoe.]

@@blacksunshine1661 in Canada middle schools have split classes often, I was in a 6/7 grade and a 7/8 grade

[@jessicavandervelde3067]

@@Pekoe.I’m in Canada too! The kindergarten to grade 8 school that I went to had one full class and one split class for each grade, super common in my area (especially in the small schools)

[@snowycatpurrs]

I'm in Canada too and in Elementary school I was in a 2/3, 3/4 and a 4/5. It's very common where I live lol!

[@General_Ictus]

Important correction: Amy Sichel, who was the superintendent at Abington when I went there, retired (stepped down) after it became clear that Abington HS's new science wing would be funded in part by the largest single donation the district had ever seen, 25 million dollars, which was given by someone who was trying to take evolution out of the science program. I will also add that the residents of Abington SD at the time were INCREDIBLY unhappy about how much she was making (including the benefits package that she had gotten for herself, which included health insurance for life). We all thought the whole situation was pretty messed up.

[@dylanrodrigues]

I don’t think is a correction or detracts from his point at all. The fact that such a person and scandal existed in an area like that shows how messed up the system is.

[@General_Ictus]

@@dylanrodrigues Yes, the point that I'm making is supportive of the essay: Amy Sichel made way too much money, and pretty much every Abington local agreed to this at the time. It is an important point to make because I think someone watching this video might see Abington locals as naive, when in reality, we all knew something was up and expressed so in public forums, both in-person and online.... And indeed, something WAS up, which I also explained. Also, she's not superintendent anymore. That IS an important correction to make on it's own.

[@PoppoYoppo]

I remember watching Quinta in buzzfeed videos years back. Glad to see she escaped that and got an emmy writing her own show

[@Incurtus]

I just graduated last year from a high school in Pennsylvania and I just want to comment over covid we had 3 male teachers all arrested for possessing child pornography of the students so that was really fun. We also got our pool shut down, our teachers stopped having classrooms to themselves instead had to push their belongings around on little carts, as most of them also got their planning periods cut so that they could teach another class. Yeah Pennsylvanias doing great rn

[@agme8045]

How do teachers get the porn In the first place? Like did they groom their students? Also, teachers having their own classroom is weird. In most of the world, it’s actually the kids who have a designated classroom they take all or most of their classes in, and the teachers are the ones who go from classroom to classroom. They don’t have carts or something like that, they simply have a purse or backpack with the essentials that they need to teach, I mean it’s high school what else do they need aside from a pen, markers and some paper sheets?

[@Incurtus]

@@agme8045 the one guy was the gym teacher, and like i get that but then also those teachers in other countries get offices and these teachers dont yk

[@Incurtus]

meaning like he had access to the locker rooms

[@agme8045]

@@Incurtus offices?? Lol the only thing they get is a teacher’s room, that they all share. I mean, im sure there are a couple of schools in the world in which they get offices, however that’s not the usual thing, it’s more like an exception just like American teachers having full on classrooms to themselves.

[@jaclynotoole445]

I went to a private Christian school in elementary. I had considerably less money than my classmates (I got in because my mom taught there). Every year we had to write essays about how much we love our school and how state funding should be given to our private school because it both needed it and was so *great*. The best essayists won scarfs (funnily enough, our heating broke on the regular and these were some of the only scarves allowed in class other than our school scarves which were too expensive for my family). As I've grown up I've wondered if any of our essays were part of catalysts for "school choice" laws being passed in our state. I've never tried as hard on an assignment as I did for that scarf in fifth grade...kinda feel bad about it.

[@joselocalau123]

i love this channel because there's never a video where i don't end up feeling more educated and open minded than before

[@adamazzalino5247]

That Last of Us vid though lol

[@kostajovanovic3711]

​@@adamazzalino5247 what?

[@marissawilson4644]

The person who accused the show of only having people laugh at serious issues forget how much money Abbott Elementary has raised for teachers.

[@zoejpg8102]

I watch this show with my mom who's been an elementary teacher for a bajillion years, I've seen her cry more than once because "they genuinely get it, they actually get it"

[@thepubknight6144]

Yup I love it a great show

[@Romourus]

Can confirm the study done in Florida, both of my teachers didn’t have degrees and we were taught with bias rather than actual fact in a rotting mold filled trailer.

[@johnmobley9369]

Donald Glover is very aware of how network television has declined in quality over the years, but I still see if you could shows, but they just fall under the radar but I think I’ve been elementary gives such office vibes by being completely unique that it was just bound to be successful. I literally remember seeing the ads and commercials advertise for me and usually I don’t pay that much attention, but it actually looked entertaining and managed to make me laugh. I was watching it while I was airing and I still had the cable to do so

[@sonyabrown9349]

its on hulu if you still want to watch!

[@125loopy]

I absolutely cant get into the office but Abbott Elementary is my favorite sitcom. Im so invested in Janine and Gregory.

[@sonyabrown9349]

same! hate the office, obsessed with abbott elementary

[@tonytestosteroni2273]

One thing I learned in GA about teaching: if the money isn't spent, it won't be given again. I used to think my school misappropriated their funds, and I think they still do. But it's not always the school's fault. If they don't use the funds on something, they might not have the chance to get the funds for a long time. "Well we have this money and we spent it on this, but we think we need to spend it on THAT instead, but if we have X left over from sports, we aren't allowed to spend it on AP classes since that wasn't the budget so..." Actually I had more of a point that I will re-iterate tomorrow since I am incapable of spending the mental funds on finishing this comment because this thing I was told to think about doesn't have the budget and I need to save it for tomorrow because that's how a budget SHOULD work. I shouldn't have to spend all of my mental energy at once when I don't know where it needs to go but if I don't spend it now I'll never have it again. [I spent it on being dunk, but that's besides the point {I had a real point but I am actually drunk which is why I'm not making it}]

[@ForrestFox626]

How is that possible!?

[@KingBongsly]

Also I love how the kids in abbot aren't bad or dumb kids because they live in the inner city and go to an underfunded school regardless of that they're good smart kids but still black.

[@snakesnoteyes]

I come from a family of public school teachers and Abbott is a hit with all of them because it’s funny and feels real.

[@averyboredhumanoid8418]

I watch this show with my mom who used to work at an Elementary School so broke they didn’t have a playground. She relates to the teacher characters so much and finds it absolutely hilarious.

[@XanStephP]

Its easy to dimiss Abbott Elementary as network television sitcom fluff but when I got going I had the first genuine laugh I'd had in 3 or more years. This show deserves all the praise it gets and more❤💫

[@chrisstetsko5020]

As someone who has taught in public schools let me say this show barely scratches the surface of the problems.

[@emilornbrynjuson1494]

"Black?!" "It's actually pronounced Zach :)" I'd completely forgotten this line and that cut floored me

[@jamzfromtheznn]

I was one of the kids that had the lottery system that got me into a growing Charter school franchise in Jersey just like Legacy. When I started, there were only 3 schools but now there are like 10+ pretty much taking over all the schools. We were pretty much learning high school work in middle school and college work in highschool. Seeing this show makes me see it from the perspective of the teachers and students from a more intimate connection with the school which makes me feel for them cause i was always pro charter school seeing as how poorly ran the public schools were. Its like being pro gentrification and not taking into consideration who is already there.

[@OsirisMalkovich]

As an elementary school janitor, I can confirm we have unseen mystical powers.

[@lydia1634]

My local city district recently went on strike over ensuring in writing that each school building will have working heating and air conditioning. The one saving grace over the disaster was thinking about Abbott possibly having a strike plotline in the future (like season 6 or 7. This show could run for over a decade). And I could already tell that Jacob and Melissa would be in a weird alliance to be pro-strike and Barbara would be anti-strike and Janine would be in the middle and it really helped me find the comedy in a complete shit show. The strike worked by the way. The district tried to open without teachers and...it was hilarious.

[@badartwineaunt]

The bit about maximizing earnings hit me. I am likely going into teaching despite having parents who make money with no inherited wealth. Something about me seems to make them and a lot of people around me uncomfortable because I'll talk about class and talk about my unwillingness to compromise my morals for money.

[@CorJakRaeKia1]

Can you elaborate? I feel like I 60% understand what you mean😅

[@reneeagatsuma1579]

This show speaks to my soul as a public school teacher. I love it so much. It perfectly captures the BS we have to deal with from the system but also the joy of teaching and the reason we do it

[@Juicedude502]

this show is pure genius I haven't watched TV forreal in years but I hate missing Abbott Elementary. They talk about real topics and issues from an educated stand point, educated and black at that and that is hard borderline impossible for network television.

[@assassin8636]

I'm pretty sure that other shows have something similar to this

[@michealvega1373]

Love a teacher who works with the Mob.

[@SaltoDaKid]

Mob > Republican

[@Eruza9306]

I come from West Michigan and this is so spot on. I was at a school that was probably 2/3s white, 1/3 POC students. There was another school close by that was seen as 'rough' and 'full of poor kids'. I now know why people said that. A black classmate I knew got very uncomfortable when other white students joked about the other school being 'poor' and not having as nice of a prom as us. I now know it's because of purposeful segregation and it was no accident our school and the private charter schools had more funding than the school people made fun of.

[@ShadowDurgen42]

I literally wrote my educational philosophy essay on funding and this exact cycle, and how the people who promise to change these issues never do, trapping (especially urban areas) schools in a vicious cycle 16:09

[@Sarah1921]

I’ve been interested in becoming a public school teacher for a long time. I think actually making steps into that career change the past few months for me has been at least partially influenced by Abbott Elementary. I cry over the scenes and monologues about the passion and empathy and care these teachers have. What an amazing representation of people I want to be like. What a hard life, what an underrated life. Sounds perfect. 😅

[@sarainicolette3112]

I went to a Charter school in Pennsylvania 😳 I can confirm that a set of lockers fell on a girl right after she got an arm and leg cast off because the school forgot to bolt it down. She was trying to open it and was stuck until the ambulance came to help. This was elementary school. I have so many stories from then. I transferred to Public school and it was way better

[@lukashandanos5040]

Teacher here🙋‍♂️This vid is eliteeee👏Entertaining, informational, and important. I so appreciate you spending the time to make this video. Makes me really wanna watch Abbott now

[@CitizenKen1]

I’ve grown up in Philly and it’s no joke around here. I’ve seen schools close, then reopen, then closes again, with at least one or two getting torn down and replaced with options of gentrified grocery chains/restaurants, or “Luxury” apartments. Meanwhile the suburbs less than 3 miles outside Strawberry Mansion in north philly sits Montgomery County, which has one of the highest property taxes in the state of PA that goes to funding what many have said are best public schools in the state! One of which is Lower Merion High School where I ended up going and yes, is the same school Kobey Bryant got drafted out of. The teachers in the school district actually get paid reasonably well too. I can’t say the same for the schools in Philly however. This issue with public schools isn’t unique to Philadelphia. It’s all over cities in the US which is why Abbot Elementary is probably one of the most relatable shows because how schools are run has affected all of us at some point in our lives. Whether as the teachers, as parents or as students our selves. No tv producer or writer who’s never left LA or NY and has ONLY had the privilege to experiencing private institutions of education would NEVER have been able to make this show like this! So glad we have a philly native in Quinta Brunson to thank for this series!

[@JustHereForCats]

My favorite thing about Abbott is seeing the teachers character arcs still being primarily about the students. Although we get their personal lives and dynamics, the show is truly about teachers and how they perform all kinds of gymnastics to give their students the best they can. The children are written in a way that’s funny, but still allows them to be children. It’s just the best show on right now I find it particularly disgusting that that school districts can accrue interest on loans they’re taking out to fund the school. That should be incredibly illegal. Who authorized this shit?

[@we_never_met_never_will]

So I go to a highschool that is quite literally falling apart and is so cramped and understaffed that I have 32 people in my Spanish class which is one room that was split in half with the other half being the French class room. Now I'm not going to name my school but I am going to talk about it a bit. So, for another thing to put things in perspective, my school is the poorest school in my county and is majority haispanic and black (I'm one of literally 7 white people in my grade) Just a short (not) list of shitty things we have to deal with: -Ceiling tiles fall out all the time. In fact, just last week, one nearly hit a student -Are vending machines have been broken since the 90s but there's no money to get them fixed or moved -air conditioning either doesn't work at all OR the rooms are so cold that I can literally see my breath -all of the instruments for rent have something wrong with them (my viola which costs an arm and a leg doesn't stay in tune longer than 10 minutes) -my softball team has to share the 3 helmeted we have (no I'm not kidding it sucks) -the lights in the girls locker room are broken but there's no money to fix it rn -My history classroom is only half of a classroom split by a thin divider (no its not one of those rooms built to divide) -Are theater department has literally no funding at all that's not an exaggeration or anything all costumes and sets are ones from old plays or come out of are own pockets -Because my Spanish classroom is so small there are no desks we just sit in chairs with clip boards -there is one elevator in the whole school and it's in the back conner of the building away from everything (I'm partially handicapped so I have to take it) -we have 6 busses so they've had to implement the double load system where you could have to wait for an entire buss route before you get picked up (before my mom started picking me up I didn't leave school till 4:50 every day not getting home till about 5:15 cause there are so many stops and I qasnt even the last) This all is a major problem and nothing is being done to fix it, we've gone to the school board but because "academics and more are down we do not see it necessary" but have they ever thought maybe that's because we go to a school that's breaking at every corner and can't even afford to fix the lights! It enrages me to no end and honestly that's not even the half of it. Sorry if there was any bad grammar I was just mad, thank you for reading.

[@KingBongsly]

As someone who watched quintas career from KZbin on it is so fun to see the cute creative she has become she started as the no nonsense black friend type cast in skits to a comedy giant that is very versatile glad auto correct quita from quinta very inclusive of you

[@simoneanne01]

I was expecting a review of one of my favorite shows and came away having learned so much. This video is incredible. Thank you for the work you put into it and for educating me on what's going on in public schools.

[@mr.gryphon]

As a public school teacher, this show is recommended to me so many times. Makes me happy our school situation is depicted in such a realistic fashion.

[@ellicel]

How is this the first time I’m hearing about the MOVE bombing? Ruby Ridge, Waco, and others have become major touch points in recent history with I don’t know how many movies and documentaries. In those cases, standoffs lasted for prolonged periods and had national attention. The Philadelphia building was bombed hours into the conflict and hurt the entire innocent neighborhood.

[@justingerald]

You know why

[@MegaHAZE21]

Because America couldn't give 2 shits about black people (and violence against non white people in general).

[@nathanielthrush5581]

35:22 actually, ironically a lot of Philly Italians are still angry about Columbus. In south Philly, a Columbus statue was covered up (Marconi park) and there have been a bunch of protests from Italians

[@abrielle13]

I went to a really small school in 4th grade because my mom was the Special Ed teacher. My class was a mixed 4th, 5th ,and 6th grade class. Luckily, there were 2 teachers, and they could pull the room divider closed to do different lessons for the higher grades.

[@lucasa6253]

Why did this 45 minute video teach me more about the current state of urban education better than the college course I payed to take about the very same topic

[@murilosalvador9377]

Hey, great video as always! I'm a teacher (although I teach at an elite private school in a different country) and someone recommend me Abbot Elementary after one day where I was (semi-joking) ranting on Twitter about how all workplace sitcoms are capitalist propaganda to make you think work is fun. Then I said I wish there was a show about schools from the perspective of teachers and someone was like "there is!" and I was instantly hooked. It's great to see so many relatable problems teachers face, even from such different backgrounds. Ps: I have the same skull tattoo as you, that's so weird I got it years ago and I thought it was an original work from my tattoo artist lol

[@kodykoolrocks]

i literally said "it's a trick question they're all real" to myself lmao. the last two sounded so ridiculous too

[@bretthansen3739]

I correctly guessed that the four sitcoms with one fake was a trick question, but I truly had no idea whether they were all real or all fake.

[@LErinJones]

(non American here) Woah! You mentioned a lot of crazy things that I did not know. Of course I've heard about that awful legislation restricting kids learning about reach other and relevant American history wrt racism, but the stuff about the debt financing and for profit management companies treating schools as an asset was shocking. Only in America! And those quotes from current politicians/candidates brazenly denying any responsibility to fund education is tragic.

[@ElmokillaXDK]

Anyone who went to a inner city school will tell you how true this is 😂

[@ZunkleFunkle]

As someone working in education and living so close to Philly, Abbott Elementary hits close to home geographically and emotionally. I absolutely adore this show. This video was the first one of yours I've had pop up in my recommendations and it was a great one!

[@lilybroyles8415]

My one friend became a middle school teacher at a poorer school in the center of Philadelphia. He complains about these issues all the time. ie. He’s dying of heat exhaustion in the classroom… the sweltering summer heat is ghastly and the school has no AC. A big convo starter is apparently asking which Philly high school you went to and comparing them.

[@SD-tl4wf]

When you got to the charter school section, I immediately thought of another example shown in shameless. Instead of the teacher perspective, it’s from the perspective of “the bright child caught in a losing system with no home support”.

[@toomuchsci-fi]

I actually like welcome to flatch because a lot of small towns are dying and I can identify with a lot of what happens. The gossip, the random dislike of a town a few miles away....

[@lesliehylaris9847]

William Hite isn't the superintendent anymore. It's Tony Watlington now. He started this school year.

[@miloformiles]

I went to a 'charter school' (albeit in the UK, so actually called an academy) from years 7-11 (grades 6-10). Even then, the underfunding was obvious. Because they wanted private donors to feel like they were heard, a lot of the big stuff - renovations, school trips (they took the WHOLE SCHOOL to Thorpe Park once), and prom (a boat on the Thames just going back and forth from central London to the East End docklands for three hours) - was taken care of. However the small stuff - SEN (special educational needs), safeguarding, the Detention Industrial Complex, actual day-to-day equipment - was never actually taken care of, because it's harder to show a class that's taken care of to donors than the donors' kids all happy because they got to go to Thorpe Park for the day. So what ended up happening was that the school was kinda shit with some very, VERY bright gems. The only thing that pandering to donors was useful for was when they threatened to pull their funding when the school hired Barry Smith (a headmaster famous for being the 'strictest teacher in the UK') to whip us into shape when a kid in my year got hit in the head with a rock by another kid and ended up developing chronic pain right before his exams.

[@user-tm4my4jb6d]

I just realized that most of the cast is Black. I'm Black and it didn't even occur to me. I was just watching people/teachers.

[@300-blkout]

I went to a charter school, man I remember we almost never had money. I know it's not the same as every other school but it's crazy the gap in between. We had a lot of great teachers but they were all underfunded every year. My mom and my best friend's mom both taught K1 so this show really hits close to home.

[@lisahoshowsky4251]

Excuse me, ghosts is incredible!!! I watched the original British version and was very hesitant when they announced the American one, because British humour doesn’t do well with most American audiences, but they’ve managed to nail it. It’s not a ground breaking show by any means, but it’s entertaining and an easy watch that also benefitted from having an established form coming from being based on a UK version so they characters felt fairly lived in right from the beginning so there wasn’t that weird growing pain phase of feeling them out too much. In an era of all these shows getting rebooted or going on so long they’re literally regressing their characters I’ll take a well done remake of an across the pond show any day. Also, I did sadly know all of those were real shows😂😂 there’s way too many commercials on cable so you can’t help but pick up on them😅

[@hazelsingh3887]

he was talking about the poster design, not the show itself.

[@SuperExplosivegames]

Nobody talking about how he got a cameo from Doug Dimmadome owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome?

[@edthecarcinogen2094]

This video is an absolute banger. And it comes at a great time, too. Unfortunately, I live in Louisiana, an extremely poor state, but just about Less than a week ago, our parish(county) attempted to pass a 1% tax on non essentials. Literally 1%. Which would have raised teachers' pay by 2500 a year at the minimum. Which just baffles me bc it wouldn't really have harmed anyone, yet the great minds here decided to vote against it. I doubt any like-minded people are watching this, but hopefully, at least 1 person changes their mind for the betterment of our society.

[@nelsonwilkins347]

This is why the two party format is so flawed they see it as two teams fighting each other not one nation. We should just all be one team one country not their side vs our side. Them vs us. This causes a hive mind of people all thinking the same thing because everyone else is doing it. We should just vote based on our beliefs not because im a republican i cant let the democrats win so ill vote republican. This stops both voters and politicians from having diverse beliefs. You have to vote for a republican with all the “right republican beliefs” while you support banning guns but dont support abortions or vice versa. youre stuck deciding with one side or the other you cant “mix beliefs” or support both you have to pick one because both repub and dem politicians only support one

[@MrBaskins2010]

pause at 17:55 and read their stories if you can. the last one from that fourth grader really made me cry.

[@FangirlSuelo]

So I come from 3 generations of public school teachers: my great grandma was a teacher, my grandma was/is a teacher, and my mom is a teacher. The last two taught in predominantly black/ Latino school’s that made them happy because they felt like they made a difference in the community. My mom said this show made her feel seen and my grandma loves the show and has ranted to me About how in all the shows on teaching she’s seen, none showed the truth of being a teacher like that show

[@WillTheGreatest]

I remember a fan theory of Gregory's presentation also all being signs of an autism diagnosis and now I can't unsee. Which if true also does a solid job trying to provide empathy for people of different abilities too

[@star_babe_]

Honestly living in philly and seeing the difference from a mostly white suburb school to a most black outer city school 10 mins away, it’s like going to two different tax brackets. Abbott is the first show I think rly showed philly schools as they are, bc everyone knows the system is failing fast, but it’s just smth u live with

[@Sootielove]

"Who's out here still claiming Christopher Columbus?" My colleague (we are both British) went on a massive rant about how Columbus has been demonised in recent history because "the natives were betraying themselves." I have never wanted to punch a man in a public space more

[@johnallenbailey1103]

They're never responsible for anything. It's nuts

[@Sootielove]

@@johnallenbailey1103 Hell, even if Native Americans fought each other, it wouldn't have excused the colonisation. Europe fucking tore itself to shreds through petty war