S02.E01: Development Day

[emma675]

24 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

One thing I noticed on rewatch -- I think Tariq left with a blown up air mattress on top of the car.  An Air mattress.  Still blown up. 😅

I didn't even notice that! I was too busy cracking up over how he was sad around Janine and then a split second later he was rocking out in the car with his friend as they drove off. I would not be surprised to see Tariq show up later this season, Bushwick dreams dead and looking for Janine to support him again. I hope she's healed and over him by then.

[dcalley]

On 9/22/2022 at 9:36 AM, MicheleinPhilly said:

I too was surprised that Janine is strugging financially without Tariq. I mean, I never assumed he contributed anything and she now has one less big mouth to feed.

He also drove her car around and didn't fill the tank or give her gas money!

23 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

And then when Janine was talking about yelling at Tariq for taking 2 hour showers and Jacob said, "In this climate???" Something about his delivery of that line made me howl. 

Thank you! I remembered "In this climate?!" but I couldn't remember what came before it.

[irisheyes]

On 9/22/2022 at 12:02 PM, joanne3482 said:

Yes and no. In order to receive public sector forgiveness, you have to paid 120 qualified payments. The standard amortization schedule for student loans is 10 years (120 payments) so to actually get any benefit you had to have applied for income reduced payments which extends the period of the loan. 

Because he’s at a low income school, after five years, he qualifies for $5K of loan forgiveness. (Which is a drop in the bucket, but every little bit helps.)

[EtheltoTillie]

I'm new to this show.  I tried it last year and couldn't get into it.  I could see they were going for a Parks and Rec/Office kind of vibe, which I like, but I just couldn't stand the characters at first.  The principal is so annoying, but they need a Michael Scott figure for every show of this type, right?

  I may stick with it now.  Are they setting up the lead to pair with the Everybody Hates Chris actor eventually?  I am not a teacher, but I can see that this is realistic in showing how teachers love what they do and cope with difficulties in their low-budget systems.  I see many teachers commenting on that here.  I like this type of show, where you have to watch carefully to catch the little visual jokes.

Edited September 24, 2022 by EtheltoTillie

[possibilities]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Are they setting up the lead to pair with the Everybody Hates Chris actor eventually?

I would say yes. Lots of episodes feature little moments, and sometimes fairly big ones.

[EtheltoTillie]

1 minute ago, possibilities said:

I would say yes. Lots of episodes feature little moments, and sometimes fairly big ones.

Thanks!  I'll probably go back and watch last year.  Noticing the hair part was a big moment. 

Oh, and I wanted to add that Sheryl Lee Ralph is really good.  She seems like a true teacher.  And Ms. Schimenti.  What a great Phillly/South Jersey accent.  Also seems to love her kids. 

Gritty equals Little Sebastian:  That was also very funny.  I don't know Gritty from Santa Claus, BTW. 

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I don't know Gritty from Santa Claus, BTW

I didn't either: Wikipedia.org/wiki/Gritty
Was Gritty using ASL in the episode?

[Abra]

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

5 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Are they setting up the lead to pair with the Everybody Hates Chris actor eventually?

I would say yes. Lots of episodes feature little moments, and sometimes fairly big ones.

The show has been absolutely beating us over the head to the point of concussion since the very first episode about a possible future Janine/Gregory relationship, so that's affirmative.

I love Gritty, and I'm not from Philly nor do I care for sports. All hail Gritty.

[Black Knight]

20 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I didn't either: Wikipedia.org/wiki/Gritty

Thanks for that link. I knew nothing about Gritty, but assumed from the near-universal love of the characters plus the reaction to Gregory that the mascot had existed for many years. I was surprised to learn Gritty was only just created four years ago. Quite a meteoric rise!

I was surprised at Melissa turning down the aide. Even if she wants to do all the teaching herself, surely there are all sorts of tasks she could think of to assign the aide. Stuff like xeroxing the handouts for class and so on. Tasks that are tedious and time-consuming and don't need a teacher to do them but somebody has to do them. The teachers are given so little in general. Melissa seems like the type to me to jump at any resource she's offered and make use of it, even if it's in an unconventional or unintended way.

[DearEvette]

36 minutes ago, Black Knight said:

I was surprised at Melissa turning down the aide. Even if she wants to do all the teaching herself, surely there are all sorts of tasks she could think of to assign the aide. Stuff like xeroxing the handouts for class and so on. Tasks that are tedious and time-consuming and don't need a teacher to do them but somebody has to do them. The teachers are given so little in general. Melissa seems like the type to me to jump at any resource she's offered and make use of it, even if it's in an unconventional or unintended way.

The way they played it it seemed like Melissa was so shocked at the extra students, and third graders at that, that she didn't even process the offer especially since Ava sorta just threw it in in the end.

I will say, I liked the way they had Ava play that scene.  She wasn't wise-ass Ava, she did it straight and business like the way a Principal should when dealing with personnel matters.

[dmmetler]

I loved this episode. 

My headcanon is that Jacob has a degree from a big name school in something else, came in via TFA or something similar, and has fallen in love with teaching-but is now only starting to realize that those loans which were supposed to be easy to repay as a lawyer are harder as a teacher in an urban school, where if you want your kids to have supplies, you're probably sticking them in your Amazon cart. 

They've given us a lot of cues that Gregory is neurodiverse. The sensory issues, not understanding Gritty, not understanding the kids' pictures, not quite "getting" how to engage the kids or relax with them, his need for structure, and his statements about not qualifying for the gifted program, not even close, and "if you only get snakes, you don't think you deserve chickens". It's nice to see a functional, put together person with ND traits. And it really isn't that uncommon for ND people who did reasonably well at school to gravitate to teaching because it's familiar and has a structure. I think a lot of what they're showing us, with finding the desk, the ramp, ASL, etc, is that Abbott is a school that will accept him, too. 

In urban districts, it's fairly common for most teachers to start their career at urban schools, and to move up the ladder to more "desirable" schools. The ones who stay, stay because they want to-becuase they're making a difference. I won't be surprised if Melissa gets an offer to come teach at a private school this year and has to make a decision as to whether to stay at Abbott with increasing cutbacks and stress (teaching a split section is tough, and 3rd has a LOT of new content).

I'm glad to see the grant is being used and the sheer joy in meeting the needs for the kids that the teachers have. I currently teach at a community rec center, and this show makes me miss teaching music in an elementary school. 

[Ailianna]

On 9/22/2022 at 12:16 AM, possibilities said:

I mean, good for him, but I wanted to know why there wasn't an interpreter present. Jacob took a beginner's course, but if she is Deaf, she needs a skilled interpreter if she's not going to be lost all year. 

In my head cannon she does have an interpreter, but Jacob wanted to be able to talk to her directly. I think her smile was great. How difficult must it be as a grade schooler to not be able to talk to anyone at school except your adult interpreter? I am sure Jacob will integrate some ASL into his lessons as the year goes on.

On 9/23/2022 at 9:21 PM, irisheyes said:

Because he’s at a low income school, after five years, he qualifies for $5K of loan forgiveness. (Which is a drop in the bucket, but every little bit helps.)

Didn't they introduce he and Janine as the only ones in their year group who made it past the first two years, though? So last year would be three years and he'd still have this year and next before that drop in the bucket.

[DearEvette]

I am kinda with Gregory, I don't get Gritty an think he is just the oddest looking mascot.  But then I can't say anything really, I went to a school where our mascot was an Orange.  A damned citrus fruit, so what so I know?  And now that I think of it, out of all the professional sports, Gritty does look like he should be an NHL mascot. 

[roseslg]

I think Gritty is more representative of a vibe. It's a way of being. Sports mascots are usually nouns, gritty is an adjective. 

[peachmangosteen]

On 9/22/2022 at 12:16 AM, possibilities said:

I mean, good for him, but I wanted to know why there wasn't an interpreter present. Jacob took a beginner's course, but if she is Deaf, she needs a skilled interpreter if she's not going to be lost all year. 

4 hours ago, Ailianna said:

In my head cannon she does have an interpreter, but Jacob wanted to be able to talk to her directly.

The Deaf child had an interrupter. Her interrupter was standing beside Jacob.

[dcalley]

3 hours ago, Ailianna said:

Didn't they introduce he and Janine as the only ones in their year group who made it past the first two years, though?

From the pilot:

JANINE: "Jacob and I came in together last year with 20 other teachers. We're two of the three left. So trauma bonding, I guess?"

I suspect Melissa realizing she does need an aide will come up in a future episode.

[possibilities]

I also suspect Melissa doesn't want the hassle of an aide who she figures she will have to train and supervise, and who will be observing her and perhaps criticizing or snitching on her for not being strictly by the book. Kind of a "this is my domain, I don't want some random person in here who I have to deal with"-- but it's going to be tough and she probably will need someone. I figure the show also wasn't sure about adding another member to the cast. When they brought in someone to help with art, they vandalized her books. She's not going to be as trusting about whoever comes next.

[kathyk24]

I liked this episode except for the Janine subplot. It makes no sense that Janine was late with her bills considering that she was paying for everything with Tariq. I loved Gritty and the references to the Eagles. Women can be sports fans. I want to see Barbara's disabled student. It makes no sense that there wouldn't be any disabled students at Abbott.

[Jobiska]

Philadelphia City Council's resolution welcoming Gritty to Philadelphia

"Gritty may be a hideous monster, but he is our hideous monster."

As a Philly resident--my sentiments exactly.  I'm glad Gregory "got" him at the end.

[Ailianna]

1 hour ago, kathyk24 said:

I liked this episode except for the Janine subplot. It makes no sense that Janine was late with her bills considering that she was paying for everything with Tariq. I loved Gritty and the references to the Eagles. Women can be sports fans. I want to see Barbara's disabled student. It makes no sense that there wouldn't be any disabled students at Abbott.

Janine was obviously living very close to the bone last year, so losing even the 20% Tariq paid on her rent had a devastating impact when she lost it. I've had times that were that tight, and you fudge what you have to. Sounds like her landlord was initially willing to let her run late, but it had gone on too long.

I liked what we saw of Barbara's wheelchair bound student. (Did we get his name?) He has a lovely smile, and seemed to appreciate the ramp, desk, and her care. I've recently been confined to a wheelchair, and I can only imagine what it was like for him, for the classroom to be clearly designed by Barbara to welcome him. So many spaces and people are not ready to work with the chair, even if you'd think it was part of their regular job. I hope we see him at least a couple more times.

[Black Knight]

On 9/22/2022 at 7:50 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I wasn't sure, though, what the difference was between the ADA-compliant desk and the other desks.  Is it supposed to be a different height?  It didn't look that way compared to the other desks in the same row, although the desks in the back row did look higher.

The other desks were the kind where there is a lid that lifts to reveal storage space underneath. Someone in a wheelchair cannot wheel their legs under a desk like that, and consequently they can't get close enough to the desk to be able to write comfortably on it, lay their textbooks on it for reading, etc. The ADA-compliant desk Gregory found had no storage compartment. In the episode we see how, after Barbara wheels her student into place, he's so close he's able to put his elbows on the desk and rest his head in his hands.

[LydiaMoon1]

On 9/21/2022 at 10:05 PM, Crashcourse said:

Tariq cracked me up when he joyfully got in the car with his friend.  I guess he called Tyrone to come help him get his shit?

Yeah, Tariq was really devastated, wasn't he? That guy is about as deep as a thimble. The breakup wont even register with him until it's time for him to pay his rent.

Speaking of rent, 80/20, Janine? 80/20??? I am disgusted! Janine/Tariq is a whole cautionary tale about why women should leave unproductive men ALONE!

So how much of that game day parking $$ will the school actually get?

I'll take the beef tips and some pork though.

Because it can't be said enough, Sea Barbara is different from Land Barbara. I guess Ms. Howard be getting buck on the open water. Go ahead, girl.

So how was y'all summer? RHETORICAL!!

Whoa! They turned on Gregory quick about Gritty.

So Melissa now has a combined 2nd/3rd grade class and (at least) 10 more students? I foresee a Schemmenti meltdown in 5,4,3,2,1.....

I'm not playing with that boy this year!

Janine is in denial.

It was funny when Mr. Johnson asked who owns a beat-up sedan and all the teachers raised their hands. At least, until I realized that I also drive a beat-up sedan.......silver. Lordt! Am I poor too?!

When Janine said that she used to pay Tariq's parking tickets, look at Gregory's face. That was the exact expression on my face.

Two-hour showers!!!  Janine.........girl.  What were you doing????

Jacob translating for Gritty was priceless.

Poor Janine. Gritty was sweet to her.

Janine is in the middle of having an emotional breakdown and Ava takes a selfie? She really DGAF.

For once, I didn't mind what Janine was wearing. It seemed appropriate for setting up a classroom.

LOVED how excited the little boy in the wheelchair was to be at school and Imani's smile was everything.

Jacob was very sweet and supportive all episode.  I just don't understand his haircut.

Gregory's going to be a great principal someday.

I still find Gritty a little disturbing....

Edited September 26, 2022 by LydiaMoon1

[DearEvette]

15 hours ago, Ailianna said:

I liked what we saw of Barbara's wheelchair bound student. (Did we get his name?) He has a lovely smile, and seemed to appreciate the ramp, desk, and her care. I've recently been confined to a wheelchair, and I can only imagine what it was like for him, for the classroom to be clearly designed by Barbara to welcome him.

I also just loved her delight in the ramp.  Just wonderful!

[satrunrose]

For Melissa's situation, a good aide is worth their weight in gold and a candidate for sainthood as they are horrifically underpaid for a job that, in my district only officially exists for kids who are violent, run away or need toileting help. The trouble is, even if you get a human saint, getting an aide means you have to be at once a teacher and a manager, and that sometimes feels like even more work than muddling through on your own. It's reasonably easy for most experienced teachers to explain a lesson in a kid-friendly way, but the behind the scenes adult planning exists only in your head and with a few key words on your lesson plan. All the extra stuff that the kids don't see (how this ties into curriculum, how I've incorporated inquiry methods, how independent I want them to be etc etc) you need to explain to your aide (unless they're, again, very experienced human saints) and that feels like just.one.more.thing. This extra work lasts at least until you and the aide have gotten used to each other at which points Aids Are Awesome!!

It's also possible that Melissa said no because she knows the district will only pay for so much support staff and there are other kids (like Barbara's student or Imani-who-may-or-may-not-have-an-interpreter)who need it more.

Edited September 27, 2022 by satrunrose

[lovinbob]

This might be my favorite show of all time. This episode was pitch perfect in every way. 

Sheryl Lee Ralph was even better in this episode than she was in her Emmy winning season! 

On 9/22/2022 at 12:11 PM, DearEvette said:

I love how Gregory's initial opinion of Gritty (and the subsequent reaction by everyone) is reminiscent of Pizza-gate. Especially the way Melissa said his name 'Gregory' there was an implied neck roll and eye roll in the way she said his name.

Loved that. It was the pizza situation 100%. 

On 9/25/2022 at 6:50 PM, possibilities said:

I also suspect Melissa doesn't want the hassle of an aide who she figures she will have to train and supervise, and who will be observing her and perhaps criticizing or snitching on her for not being strictly by the book. 

If I were Melissa I'd be suspicious of an Ava aide. 

[Lila82]

My favorite thing about this show is that it doesn’t just celebrate teachers, but specifically public school teachers—the same episode that featured Ava delivering a throwaway line about the local charter recruiting all the 3rd graders with high test scores not only highlighted, but celebrated the diversity of Abbott’s student body. I appreciate that juxtaposition.

My only complaint is that there was no flashback of Sea Barbara in her element. 

[possibilities]

57 minutes ago, lovinbob said:

If I were Melissa I'd be suspicious of an Ava aide. 

I agree. ANYTHING Ava offers would be suspicious.

[lucindabelle]

As a public school teacher felt like cheering about the line about charter schools. I hate them so much. Some are good but all siphon money from public schools and many are wildly unregulated for profit beasts that keep their scores and grades up by just kicking out students who don’t perform!

im at a Title 1 school too, it’s week 4, our copiers don’t work and we don’t have devices yet…. Ho hum…

[mostlylurking]

On 9/22/2022 at 2:41 PM, chitowngirl said:

She should move the plates down to the bottom shelf! 😆 5’2” checking in!

5’1 here and I can tell you there are never enough low cabinets!  Something has to go on top.  My stepstool is my best friend!  Don’t even get me started on laundry, I damn near fall into my washing machine trying to get shit out of the bottom.

Poor Janine.  I really felt for her when she said she’s not a good healer.  That’s sad.  I kind of started to like Tariq last season but yeah, they needed to move on.

I love everyone, the cast works together amazingly. So glad this show is back!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 9/25/2022 at 8:37 PM, kathyk24 said:

I liked this episode except for the Janine subplot. It makes no sense that Janine was late with her bills considering that she was paying for everything with Tariq.

It didn't make sense to me that she would be 3 months behind. Assuming Tariq also contributed 20% to the utilities, I would expect she would not have had enough to pay the 1st month's rent after he left, but would have paid it by the time the next month's was due, to be repeated the next month. In other words, she'd always be one month behind. (Unless the final water bill after Tariq left was so outrageous that it pushed her 2 months behind.)

Even after she uses Jacob's loan to get caught up on her rent and then pays the tickets, how is she going to make her full rent every month? Are we supposed to think there is something major she can economize on? (And she should also be paying back Jacob a little each month.)

Edited September 29, 2022 by ItCouldBeWorse

[sweetandsour]

On 9/22/2022 at 8:11 AM, Snapdragon said:

On a side note, does anyone else want Keith David to play Barbara's brother at some point?  Every time I hear Sheryl Lee Ralph speak, I just think that she sounds like a female Keith David.  

I think you (and Barbara) mean David Keith, the white actor?  He's right up there with Brian Austin Green, Carrie Underwood, and Tommy Lee Jones.

[mostlylurking]

On 9/24/2022 at 10:17 AM, EtheltoTillie said:

And Ms. Schimenti.  What a great Phillly/South Jersey accent.  Also seems to love her kids. 

Did I hear Ava wrong or is Melissa now teaching second and third graders??  I could see having all the extra students would be a challenge in itself, but how is she supposed to manage students in two different grades?

[EtheltoTillie]

1 minute ago, mostlylurking said:

Did I hear Ava wrong or is Melissa now teaching second and third graders??  I could see having all the extra students would be a challenge in itself, but how is she supposed to manage students in two different grades?

No, you did not hear wrong, and it is becoming an important plot point. 

[mostlylurking]

4 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

No, you did not hear wrong, and it is becoming an important plot point. 

That’s nuts!  How would a second grade teacher even know what material to teach third graders??  Is this something that actually happens in real schools?!  If so, just another reason to not envy teachers.  Teachers are so undervalued it’s absurd.

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

49 minutes ago, mostlylurking said:

That’s nuts!  How would a second grade teacher even know what material to teach third graders??  Is this something that actually happens in real schools?!  If so, just another reason to not envy teachers.  Teachers are so undervalued it’s absurd.

Teachers in Pennsylvania have certification in multiple grades, and often, a teacher can be reassigned to a different grade level every year. I’m in special education and we have students with IEPs, so they have individual goals and we work with them one on one or in small groups, but our classrooms are much smaller than a general ed class. For Melissa, it’s doable, though exhausting, but realistically only with a trained classroom aide to help her facilitate things, like having the aide monitor the third graders while Melissa teaches a second grade lesson, and then switching for the next subject. 
 

You're right, though, it is nuts. Especially since Melissa is almost definitely not getting a raise beyond a tiny COL increase, and the aide would make about $17 an hour possibly with benefits. Ah, American education. 

Edited October 11, 2022 by ZuluQueenOfDwarves

[mansonlamps]

16 hours ago, mostlylurking said:

That’s nuts!  How would a second grade teacher even know what material to teach third graders??  Is this something that actually happens in real schools?!  If so, just another reason to not envy teachers.  Teachers are so undervalued it’s absurd.

When I was in second grade,  I was in a class mixed with third graders for the same reasons the show explained.  I honestly don't remember any problems or confusion and we never had an aide.  We wouldn't have dared to act up though, Mrs. Hemesath didn't take any crap lol!

[TigerLily20]

When I was first teaching in a small private school there were many years I taught multiple grades, K5/1st, 1st/2nd, we also had other grades combined. Now we generally were a much smaller school so class sizes were smaller but it was still a challenge.  I love this show and while most of my experience is in private school they are usually much smaller and deal with just as little funds if not less (well the ones I've been at lol)