Abbott Elementary – Rally

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

We open with the knowledge that in the aftermath of the Super Bowl, Philadelphia Eagles fans freed a shark from the local aquarium. That matters because the aquarium was supposed to be where they were taking the kids for this year’s end-of-the-year field trip. Gregory (Tyler James Williams), who isn’t a Philadelphia native, says that Eagles fans are unique to a room full of defensive Eagles fans. Still, this does prompt Melissa to wonder if there’s not going to be a field trip this year. But never fear, Janine (Quinta Brunson) always books a backup location. Jacob (Chris Perfetti) thinks a Broadway show would be fun, but Janine says they’re going to the Please Touch Museum. Barbara approves and thinks that maybe the shark will be found safe and sound, and the kids can see it next year. Unfortunately for her wishful thinking and the shark, Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) comes in with leftover shark fin soup. No one wants to try it, despite his freezer overflowing with it.

Later, the plan to help Ava (Janelle James) get her job back is in full swing, and Janine and Jacob come in to work dressed to impress because they’re headed to the district. They’re going to make a formal appeal before the disciplinary board. Janine says to study she and Jacob have been watching a lot of legal dramas. Gregory comes into the teacher’s lounge and announces that he’s found substitute teachers to cover their classes while they plead Ava’s case. Gregory greets a little girl named Langston (Mirabelle H. Adunagow). Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) and Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) take a separate car because they don’t want to hear Jacob and Janine’s playlist. 

Once at the school district, Ava explains that she was only trying to do what was best for the staff and students. She admits she went against district policy and extorted a local business, but that was what was best for the school due to its lack of resources. Barbara tries appealing to the disciplinary board’s God-fearing nature, but they don’t have one. Janine reiterates that Ava only did what she did because they have so little. Melissa adds that there are public parks with more resources than they have. In the end, the teachers explain that Ava only did what she did because she cares about the kids and it’d be a bad message to tell the teachers of Philadelphia to care less. The board considers this, but decide against giving Ava her job back. Upon hearing the news, the teachers decide to have a mini meeting outside and decide to own up to their role in the bribery. Miles swings by Abbott Elementary to see Gregory because Gregory wants to persuade the golf course to keep funding the school’s golf club because it’s been good for kids like RJ (Logan Carter). At first, Miles (Matt Oberg) is apprehensive because he doesn’t see what’s in it for him, but Gregory makes the case that by reclassifying the club, they’d gain more tax breaks. With that, Miles agrees to what he calls a legal bribe, and the golf course is safe. 

The teachers’ reasoning is that it’ll show the board that Ava wasn’t solely responsible, and since teachers are hard to fire, it won’t be that bad. Plus, there’s a substitute shortage happening in the city, and they think that suspending them would be more trouble than it’s worth. Unfortunately, when they all admit that they were in on the bribery, they get suspended for their trouble, and Ava remains fired.  

When the teachers arrive back at school, they have to prepare their students for a revolving door of substitutes and admit they were suspended. Jacob’s students find the suspension unfair and want to fight his suspension, but he tells them that although he appreciates them, it’s not their fight. Janine’s students, being younger, are really upset when they realize she’ll be out during Earth Day, which upsets Janine and Jacob because they love Earth Day. 

In the teacher’s lounge Barbara, Jacob, Janine and Melissa commiserate over their suspension. Barbara admits that this is the first time she’s ever been professionally reprimanded in her whole career. Janine has only ever been suspended in her worst nightmares. Melissa isn’t happy about it either but says that although it’s not ideal, Gregory being the principal isn’t the worst thing in the world. Gregory thanks her for the begrudging compliment but points out that the interim principal position is temporary; they’re interviewing a lot of candidates, so anyone could end up being Ava’s permanent replacement. Much to Jacob’s horror, it’s revealed that even Mr. Morton (Jerry Minor) is interviewing for the position. The teachers agree that they don’t want an unknown variable at Abbott, so they resolve again to get Ava her job back. 

Gregory talked to Krystal (Raven Goodwin) and Tariq (Zack Fox) on Zoom and asks if they can help out with classes next week because of the suspended teachers. They agree, but they’re angry that the board is digging its feet in about Ava, who appears to be pretty popular amongst the parents. Krystal wants to have a word with the board, but Gregory says he won’t need her until next week. 

The teachers brainstorm but keep getting interrupted by kids asking to borrow art supplies. Everyone’s a bit distracted, so they don’t think much of the requests. Jacob casually observes that if they were a charter school, none of this would’ve happened because charter schools are allowed to solicit as many donations as they want. Janine suggests that they become a charter school for a little bit and then change back. But the paperwork is tricky, so Melissa suggests the Schemmenti diversion, which calls for zip ties and a lot of dessert. 

Gregory had to stay up for most of the night, but he figured out a way to get the classes covered in the teachers’ absence. He tells the cameras that although he isn’t happy about what happened to Ava, getting to problem-solve in support of the school is reminding him of why he wanted the principal position in the first place. Dia (Pam Trotter) refuses to congratulate him but does give him his paycheck, which is a lot more than his usual teacher salary. 

The teachers are prepared to do something potentially illegal when they’re greeted by all the students in the hallway. At first, they’re confused because it isn’t recess, but then Brandon tells them they’re protesting for them. More than that, they’re planning a walkout in support of the teachers and Ava. Elizabeth (June Diane Raphael) from the school board caught wind of the walkout and comes to the school to tell the teachers the stunt won’t work, but the kids who made signs and have commandeered a megaphone planned this all on their own. The teachers are very touched, and Jacob, as a history teacher, is very, very proud that they’re peacefully protesting. 

But, Elizabeth asks the kids to please not walk out and create a horrible day for her because other members of the district are coming to the school to hear them out. Rick (Wayne Wilderson) and Thomas (Jim Rash) from the district arrive and gather the students in the auditorium and say they’re going to have a forum, but it’s clear it’s just to prevent the walkout. 

Morton starts off the remarks by saying Ava and the teachers are his best friends, and they challenge him to be better every single day. Ava arrives and is annoyed that Morton is their secret weapon. As Morton starts oversharing, Gregory cuts him off, and the students have their say. JoJo (Christopher Daniel) tells the board that the teachers do a lot for them, Brandon (Dax Rey) is upset that the district took their archery equipment away, and RJ (Logan Carter) says he went through a tough time and the teachers and Ava didn’t give up on him. He adds he doesn’t know where he’d be without them, which touches Jacob because, at the beginning of the year, RJ didn’t talk at all. 

Unfortunately, Elizabeth and company are less moved, and she says the teachers will return in a week, but they’re working very hard to find a new principal for them. Barbara asks if they’ve heard anything from the kids or faculty that matters to them, and Elizabeth says no. With that, the district officials are prepared to leave, and the teachers feel defeated. That is until the door opens, and Tariq says, “On your left.”

In actuality, he’s entering from the right, but the Avengers reference stands. The entire PTA is with him, and Krystal says the PTA won’t stand for the teachers being railroaded because it’s hurting their children’s education.  They’re not alone; the B.L.A.C.K.S, Building Love And Creating Kids’ Safety, arrive and say that Ava has turned the school around and hosted a lot of cool music events.  Then Ava’s father, Frank (Keith David), arrives and says he speaks for the local businesses when he says they’ve seen the positive changes Abbott and Ava have brought to the community. Then Miles arrives and says the issue can be put to bed by a white savior. In his line of work, Miles explains, he’s bribed a lot of people. He observes that the Abbott teachers didn’t ask for anything for themselves; everything they asked for was for the kids. After that, Crystal (Tatyanna Ali), Ava’s frenemy, arrives with other principals in tow and says that although she and Ava have had their differences, no one fights harder for their students. This confuses the teachers because they thought Crystal was the person who turned them in to the district. This leads to the entire room chanting, “Bring them back!” 

Out of exasperation, Elizabeth says that after hearing from everyone, they have to go with their original plan, which was to reinstate Ava and overturn the teachers’ suspension. This leads to cheers and a celebration afterward. Barbara is happy her record can remain spotless, and Ava thanks the teachers for seeing this through. She admits it meant a lot to her. Slowly, the line dancing dies down, and the teachers start heading home. When it’s only Janine and Ava, Janine calls Ava her friend, which Ava nixes. Then Ava talks to her father, and he tells her he’s happy she got a second chance. Ava; however, says she got a second chance because she was good at something the first time around. Frank says fair enough, but he hopes she knows he’s proud of her, even though he wasn’t always there. He adds that he’s around if she needs anything. 

Then, Ava goes to reclaim her office from Gregory. At first, she just teases him about being “evicted,” but then thanks him for holding down the fort. Before he’s gone, he has one last tense encounter with Dia and declares that she and Ava deserve each other.  We cut away and see that Tariq didn’t realize that his offer to come in and help out was no longer necessary due to the suspension being lifted, so he comes to Barbara’s class. Although they didn’t want to be suspended, Melissa and Barbara admit that they were looking forward to some downtime. So, they decide that since Tariq showed up, they’re going to use the time to relax.