Abbott Elementary – Testing

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

Jacob (Chris Perfetti) riding the bus and talking to Billy (Anthony Molinari) bus driver about Britney Spears and whether or not she’ll perform again. Billy is pretty uninterested though, when the subject changes to a possible Septa strike. Jacob asks Billy if he thinks it’ll really happen, but Billy thinks it’s just talk. For Jacob’s part, he says he’s a union man he’s backing the bus drivers. When Jacob starts talking more about Britney Spears Billy gets annoyed and makes Jacob get off the bus four stops early.

Later, Jacob is teaching a lesson on the 1920s and calls on a student named R.J. (Logan Carter) about what the Roaring 20s were known for but he says he doesn’t know. We cut away and Jacob says that R.J. is a great kid, but he’s always a bit checked out. He’s not disruptive, but he’s not engaged at all but Jacob wants to change that. When class is over Jacob asks R.J. how things are at home and he says they haven’t changed. So, Jacob suggests he join the podcasting club so he doesn’t have to go home right away and R.J. says fine.

Elsewhere Janine (Quinta Brunson) tells us that third graders are required to take an assessment test, but before that second graders take a practice test. Today is the day for the practice test and Janine feels pretty good about it until she gets the rest back and realizes her students did terribly on the test.

Back in Ava’s (Janelle James) office, O’Shon (Matthew Law) the IT guy, is working while Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) watches while window washing. He finishes and heads upstairs and then a man named Cedric (Eric Andre) comes in and explains he was sent by the district to be trained by Mr. Johnson. Unfortunately, Mr. Johnson thinks the district is trying to replace him and doesn’t think that Cedric will be able to keep up.

In the teacher’s lounge, the TV plays news of the looming Septa strike and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) wonders if anyone else is nervous about the possible strike. Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) isn’t worried, but Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) says they should strike because the city’s always screwing them over. The conversation is cut short by Janine coming in and saying she figured out why her students did so poorly on the practice test. She tells those present that the test was culturally biased, but Barbara points out that all of Melissa’s students are Black too. We then learn that Melissa’s students all did really well on the test. Plus, they point out that Janine has the only white student in the whole school and he failed, too.

Then Janine wonders if subconsciously Melissa taught her students her whiteness and Gregory and company tell her that, that’s a horrible theory. Barbara suggests that Janine retest the kids if she thinks this is an anomaly, which Gregory says he suggested earlier. But, Gregory isn’t as majestic as Barbara according to Janine.

After school, Jacob takes R.J. to the podcasting club and introduces him to Aaliyah (Lariah Alexandria) and Jaden (Zion Isaiah). The kids try to engage R.J. by asking him questions about the school and his interests, but R.J. doesn’t come out of his shell. Jacob pulls him aside and tells R.J. that he can jump in at any point, but R.J. says he doesn’t like to talk so he doesn’t know if this is for him. Jacob says that’s okay and suggests he do research or take over for Gregory. Of course, this really offends Gregory. But R.J. says he thinks he’d just rather be at home and leaves.

The next day Janine announces to Barbara and Melissa that she’s cracked the case. With Gregory in toe, she explains she gave the test after lunch and Melissa gave the test in the morning. The problem, Janine says, is that her kids underperformed because they were tired. Melissa says it’s just a practice test, therefore not that serious. At any rate, Janine is going to give them the test again first thing in the morning.

In Gregory’s class, Mr. Johnson is teaching Cedric the ins and outs of cleaning up graffiti. He does this by writing on one of the desks in permanent marker, which bothers Gregory. Mr. Johnson ignores Gregory and tells Cedric to clean it up. When he can’t he demonstrates that his moonshine mixture is the only way. But he doesn’t finish getting the marker off and leaves much to Gregory’s annoyance.

Janine goes into Ava’s office and asks for approval to let the kids retake the test. Ava mocks her but ultimately approves the retest.  Then asks her about what it’s like dating a poor man and seems unimpressed. When Janine leaves Jacob comes in and tells Ava a bit about his R.J. problem and that he really wants to find a way to get him engaged. Ava agrees and says if he doesn’t start caring in 8th grade, he’ll be lost. Then she says she is off to Step Team practice, and out of desperation Jacob asks to bring R.J. along. Ava says fine but warns him not to let his father show up.

Melissa and Barbara get their nails done together. This isn’t Melissa’s usual nail shop but her’s burnt down, so Melissa’s in need of a new place. Barbara says she needed this because Janine was all worked up and on her nerves today. Melissa reiterates that it was just a practice test, but Barbara says she gets it, as a new teacher practice tests meant a lot to her. Then she asks Barbara if she ever thinks about retirement but Melissa is distracted by more coverage of the possible strike.

At practice, R.J. isn’t good at or enthusiastic about stepping. Ava points that out and says if Jacob wants him to want to be at school he should’ve asked him what he enjoys. Ava calls him over and asks and the boy says he likes time with friends, the quiet, and nature. It clicks and Jacob calls Gregory and tells him he’s got another garden goofball.

Mr. Johnson takes Cedric into the bathroom to teach him to unclog toilets, but the lesson is cut short because Mr. Morton (Jerry Minor) is sobbing in one of the bathroom stalls. Mr. Johnson asks what’s wrong and Mr. Morton reluctantly shares that everyone hates him. Mr. Johnson reminds him that he shouldn’t base his self-worth on other peoples’ opinions of him.

Janine’s class retook the test under the ideal conditions and they actually failed harder, despite what Janine was hoping for. Later, Barbara shares chocolate-covered raisins that Gregory doesn’t want and Janine is sad. She doesn’t get it and Melissa says the problem was Janine. Janine is shocked, but Barbara and Melissa say that the way she teaches doesn’t work on this year’s group of kids.  Lisa says that sometimes having it down means that you’ve got to change things up, so she’s going to teach a different way.

With that in mind, Janine changes up her teaching style to make it more visual and that seems to work well with the kids. Janine asks Ava to take the test again and Ava’s annoyed but agrees. Then she talks to O’Shon and Janine realizes that Ava likes O’Shon, which Ava denies. But, she does ask what it’s like to have dinner at home.

In Gregory’s classroom, we see that R.J. has joined the garden goofballs. He’s working with the plants and doing a good job, but not really talking to the other boys. Jacob notices he still looks sad, but Jacob is determined to find the right thing for R.J., whatever that turns out to be.

As it turns out, Cedric was going to try to replace Mr. Johnson, but after shadowing him he realized that he could never do what he does. Gregory is called into Ava’s office and asks Gregory questions to gain insight into the mind of a poor man. She has decided to let herself be pursued by O’Shon so she gets Gregory’s hopes up by asking him what he’d do for Janine with a $1,500 raise. She is disappointed to learn that Gregory would buy a sensible car and Gregory is disappointed to learn that he won’t be getting a raise.

Jacob is on the bus telling Billy about how he’s determined to help R.J. and Billy is reluctantly listening. Jacob thanks him, but Billy says he’s legally not allowed to wear earphones. Jacob checks his phone for a news update and it turns out that Septa’s demands weren’t met so bus drivers are on strike. With this, Jacob included, is asked to get off the bus in support of the working man. Billy tells the rest of the passengers that the strike doesn’t start till tomorrow, but for Jacob it starts today.