I don’t usually get enthusiastic about fictionalized portrayals of schools because they are typically sensationalized and hostile towards teachers and students. It’s easy to make a long list of such movies or TV programs, starting with “Blackboard Jungle.”
But wait!
Here’s a show you will love: “Abbott Elementary” is set in Philadelphia. The writer of the Emmy-award-winning show, Quinta Brunson, is also the star. She plays a first-year teacher in the first season. She is thrilled to be a teacher and her colleagues are helpful, funny, and the usual mix of personalities—real people. They care about the children. The children—all Black—are adorable. There’s not enough money for supplies, but everyone makes do. The spirit of the show is beautiful.
The show makes you feel like teaching is the very best job in the world. Don’t miss it!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Love Abbott Elementary
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Quinta Brunson based the show on her mother who taught kindergarten for forty years in West Philadelphia. It is a funny, heart-warming show and a love letter to teachers everywhere. Who knew under funding could be so entertaining?
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Retired, I didn’t know the back story. That’s beautiful.
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Yes Im not ususally a sitcom devotee but as someone passionate about public education I loved season one and recommend continued watching season 2. I especially appreciate that not all Black people are saints, there is a realistic mix of people with complex and even conflicted personalities, and the main message is conveyed in a package of humor. Very special!
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As a retired Philly teacher, I especially love it, as my retired teacher wife does. My one criticism is that when they had their Zoo visit episode, it should have been at the Philadelphia Zoo, at least, America’s First Zoo! Of course, I have a bias against TV shows that don’t tape on location, like the Office, pretending to be in Scranton.
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I just ordered Abbott Elementary: The Complete First Season (DVD).
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You will love this show.
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I’ve read the season will introduce a new character, who runs a charter school. There’s sure to be some interesting plot lines; I predict principal Ava will have her head turned at the possibilities for grifting!
I also saw an interview with the daughter of actor who portrays Barbara, Sheryl Lee Ralph. She says that Quinta Brunson told her when they started filming, “I’m gonna get your mom an Emmy.”
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Apparently Quinta Brunson attended a charter school in Philadelphia, then two years at Temple. She left college when her career took off.
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I always wonder about public school teachers who send their own kids to charters. Sometimes I think it’s insider knowledge that a situation may be untenable. (We jokingly told our oldest that she would be better off at home alone reading than attending a given school within our attendance zone.) Parents face Hobson’s choices far too often.
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Was it a charter when she attended? I thought it didn’t become a charter until after she left.
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Completely agree. I binged the first season in June. Am deciding if I want to do the same or watch it week by week.
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