“Abbott Elementary” graced the small screen for the first time on Dec. 7, 2021, under the direction of writer, co-executive producer and actor Quinta Brunson. The mockumentary-style comedy show has been a sensation earning 4 Emmys, three Golden Globesand numerous nominations.
The star-studded cast has received many awards themselves and brought the story set in the underfunded Philadelphia public school of “Abbott Elementary” to life.
With annual season releases, the recent drop of season four and collaboration with “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” has many fans excited for the future of the show. The excitement has led many viewers to believe the show is setting a new standard for the structure of comedic television.
“Abbott Elementary” is praised for its highlighting of the education crisis going on in America. Education is a topic of contingency in recent years, with book bannings, teacher strikes and shortages, school-based legislation and student loan debt causing a deficit in U.S. education.
The Annenberg Institute at Brown University found there are at least 55,000 teaching vacancies nationally, with Florida having the most and Utah having the fewest. Scholaroo, a scholarship search platform, found states like Vermont, Connecticut, Maine and New York had the greatest teacher-to-student ratios in the nation.
In October 2023, the average annual salary for teachers was $68,000, which is 8% less than the average annual salary for all national workers.
“Abbott Elementary” has been a voice to this issue. Actor Sheryl Lee Ralph spoke with PBS on the advocacy work connected to the show's message.
“(Teachers) deserve more,” Ralph said. “They deserve more respect. They deserve more support. They deserve to be paid more, more should be given to those who mold the hearts and the minds of America's children…Do not underestimate that. Because when you underestimate that you underestimate the possibility of America's children.”
Ralph also praised Brunson’s initiative to represent the issues underfunded public schools face. Brunson utilized her background, as her mother was a public school teacher in Philadelphia.
In 2022, American Education saw some of its lowest test scores in decades. The average test scores declined by four points in reading and nine points in math.
2024 saw a slight improvement in test scores in California, with 47% of the state’s students meeting or exceeding proficiency standards in reading, up from 46.7% in 2023. Similarly, 30.7% of students met or exceeded proficiency standards in math and science, compared to 30.2% the previous year.
However, nationwide achievement levels are not where they were before, leaving much progress to be desired.
“Abbott Elementary” has highlighted these issues and brought comedy and light-heartedness into the conversation. The show has been changing the narrative surroundingurban public schools and showing that challenges are not always scary.
Viewers find “Abbott Elementary” successful because it is filled with the understanding of the urban public education system in its writing room. Representation is present in the writing room mirroring its way into the content of the show.
Brittani Nichols, one of the 11 writers for the show, wrote about the joy she gets from working on the show.
“There are 10 writers including Quinta, plus one writer who works once a week,” Nichols said. “It's really fun to be in a writers' room full of talented, funny, and kind people and talk about characters who are also talented, funny and kind.”
In the entertainment industry post writers’ strike, many viewers see “Abbott Elementary” as leading the charge on the importance and treatment of writers by showing that representation and creativity need to be in the writing room.
With the upcoming “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “Abbott Elementary” crossover, fans are excited about the union of the two shows and what that means for the possibility of the “Abbott Elementary” universe.
Brunson wants to keep shining the light on everyday people. Whatever the future holds for “Abbott Elementary,” it seems filled with creativity and innovation keeping representation in television.
