Abbott Elementary (2021) s04e11 Episode Script
Strike
1
So, girl, she thought he was dead
and he was just taking a nap.
Yeah, Barb, I know.
That story happened at my house.
I'm the "she."
- Yeah. Girl, I forgot.
- [LAUGHS]
- I know.
- Hey, Debbie.
Two appointments for mani pedis.
Hello, ladies. Unfortunately,
I have no one for you today.
I tried you earlier
but didn't get an answer.
Yeah, 'cause I don't answer calls
from numbers I don't know.
Or numbers I do know. [CHUCKLES]
And I thought it was
just a reminder call.
- Where's Julie?
- SEPTA strike.
They all rely on public
transit. It's a mess.
Yeah, I knew today was going to blow.
I'm sorry. The ladies want to work.
They just can't get here.
Well, I will see about that.
You give me Julie's address, please.
Uh
Might as well do it.
I'm going to find it anyway.
She will.
One minute. [CHUCKLES]
The hell's going on here?
Julie could not get to work,
so I had to go pick her up
and bring her here.
Why didn't you just take her
to the nail salon?
- Because that would be scabbing.
- Yeah.
Well, how is Julie getting home?
I can take you two next, if you want.
Oh, hell yeah. You do cat eye?
Don't mind if I do. [CHUCKLES]
For feet that size, I charge extra.
Used to it. [CHUCKLES]
Break out the big bucket.
[MAKER'S "HOLD'EM" PLAYING]
Alright, y'all, the SEPTA
strike is officially in full effect.
That means no buses,
trains, subways, trolleys.
You name it, it's shut down.
Now, obviously, that doesn't affect me.
I drive a Lexus, but
it does affect our students.
Have we checked to see
if there's anything
the district can do to help?
The district says
it's business as usual.
There will be no additional buses
for the kids that rely on the city.
Sorry. Sorry I'm late.
Melissa made me ride my bike
because she didn't want to scab.
That's not why.
I knew this was going to happen.
Barbara, you and Melissa said
this wasn't going to happen.
But it did, Gregory. It did.
Yeah, how is that helpful
right now, pal?
I think it's helpful
to be told what you said,
but whatever.
Do we have any idea
how long it's going to last?
Well, the strike
is going to last as long
as it takes for
the workers to get that money.
Wait a minute.
Are you on the side of labor?
Yeah, I hate bosses.
That's why I became a principal,
so I don't have any.
You have bosses.
Point to them.
This is going to be a mess
for attendance.
Guys, the parents know
how important school is.
They'll find a way
to get their kids here.
Wait a minute. Where the
hell's that dunce Morton?
He couldn't get here. He uses SEPTA,
and he lost his car in the divorce.
Thought his ex-wife had a car.
Now she has two.
Yeah, well, serves him right.
Am I right, guys?
Go change.
No, I'm I'm
I'm going to teach in this.
- No. No, you should change.
- No, no, no.
Alright, we're missing one from Mercury,
Mars, and two from Neptune.
Not too shabby.
We are doing our big
solar-system project this week.
Since I learned my class responds more
to a hands-on approach,
we are creating live models
where the kids will build
and act as the solar system.
We are missing a few planets
due to the strike,
but the music of the spheres plays on.
[VOCALIZES]
Oh, hey, Lila.
Not only yellow, but some red, too?
It's a hot spot, and I am going to do
a solar flare on the other side.
Oh. I'm so happy
you're so into this project.
Did you know that the sun is a star?
I did know that.
And it's dying.
Alright.
Oh, now we're only missing
one from Neptune.
- Good morning.
- MICHELLE: I'm sorry I'm running behind.
She usually takes the bus,
so I had to call in late
to work to drive her here.
Thank you for going the extra mile.
An extra six miles.
And I can't do it again,
so I don't know if she's
going to be here tomorrow.
Oh, well, I'm sure
they'll have this figured out by then.
You know, all the city has to do is say,
"We will meet your
very reasonable demands."
Lady, this city tried
to merc Santa Claus.
They aren't meeting anyone anywhere.
Hey, Melissa, what's your attenda
Shush. Janine, Janine, be quiet.
I'm watching strike coverage.
One of the captains is wearing a GoPro,
and it's like I'm really there.
Oh, my God, I feel so alive.
Well, hope it's over soon.
I hope it never ends.
JACOB: Two, three, four.
There's seven of us.
You don't need to count.
I mean, I know RJ took SEPTA,
but I didn't realize, uh,
most of the class did.
Okay, um, everyone, close your eyes.
We are going to manifest
getting everyone back here tomorrow.
It's not going to work, Mr. C.
Yeah, without rides, it's over.
It's too far to walk here.
Man, I did walk here this
morning, and I'm tired as crap.
Okay, um, well
uh, Brandon, where
where are you going?
I just came here
to drop off the homework
because if I'm going to
make it back before dark,
then I better start walking home now.
See you, Mr. C.
Damn. Who gave you a promotion?
Shanae texted,
said she couldn't make it,
and all the Ubers are
backed up, so I'm filling in.
Now, who the hell is Shanae?
Your instinct will be
to grab the chocolate milk.
Don't.
Regular milk is better for growth.
He's lying. Look at me.
I drink chocolate milk,
and I grew five pounds last month.
MR. JOHNSON: A lot of people
think that growing's just for kids,
and that's what Big Coffee
wants you to think.
As soon as you put down
the chocolate milk
and pick up the bean water,
the growing stops.
Ava, I-I'm I'm really concerned
about attendance, okay?
I only had seven students
in my first period,
six in second, five in third
Jacob, we get it.
Your students don't like you enough
to find a way to show up. [CHUCKLES]
Several of my students are
absent, and they love me.
So just do remote learning.
Remote learning is so difficult.
And the Internet here is terrible, okay?
The deli guy we steal it from,
he just refuses to upgrade.
Fine. I'll text O'Shon
and have him make sure
everything is updated.
Problem solved. Thank you, Ava.
I bet he's a terrible texter,
you know, 'cause he's so hot.
He's a good texter with me.
[GASPS]
JANINE: Alright, guys, so
we're just going to have to use
our imaginations a little bit
and pretend that the Saturn
group is over there, okay?
So it's day two of the strike,
and, um, I have to admit,
attendance did get slightly worse,
but I did hear that the union
and the city
are sitting down at the table
to negotiate,
so I think this
is going to be over really soon.
Ms. Teagues, it's not our solar system
without all the planets.
I know, I know, but the Saturn
and Jupiter groups take SEPTA,
so we're down a few.
But on the bright side,
you guys get to do more work.
But they'll all be here tomorrow?
Very soon. Hopefully.
The universe is falling apart.
Oh, no, see, that's
MELISSA: Whoo!
Yes!
[LAUGHS] Yeah.
What happened? Is the strike over?
No, no, union walked away
from the table.
They told the city to suck it.
[LAUGHS]
Whoo! Yeah! [NOISEMAKER RATTLING]
Was really hoping the strike
would be over by now.
I'm down to 12 kids.
Yeah, well, those are
the pains of a strike, Janine.
You want the workers to quit striking,
tell the city to quit being
greedy bastards. [SCOFFS]
Everyone, O'Shon is here.
He did not take the bus
because he owns a car.
I actually lease a preowned.
[SIGHS] Anyway, he's here
to set everything up
for remote learning if you need it.
Perfect. I plan on spending
the rest of the day remote cleaning.
Uh, I'm working on upgrading the routers
and putting in range extenders.
Although, it seems
like your router
is already in great shape.
Everything about me is.
Modernized remote learning.
Great, I'll finally be
able to see every booger.
I wish that was an option, but
that won't work for my class.
I just learned they respond best
to hands-on learning,
and we're in the middle
of a big solar-system project.
There's got to be
something else we can do.
Yeah, well, there is another way.
Lay it on me, sister.
Okay. First, you got to recruit
union-friendly city council candidates,
help them run their campaign,
get them elected so
they can unseat the incumbents,
and there you go. End of the strike.
Guess I'll just try remote learning.
- Mm-hmm.
- Mm.
BARBARA: Hello, class.
Um, Mrs. Howard, the
computer's blocking your face.
Okay.
Hello, class.
Tyler, I'm told if you want to speak,
you have to touch
that little microphone button.
Tyler, this is no laughing matter.
I can't see you again.
Oh, Hazel, sweetheart, please,
for the sake of the class, please stop.
Stop! Hazel!
Mrs. Howard, can I play music, too?
Samuel, you have no rhythm.
Alrighty. [RECORDER PLAYING]
Hazel, you are disrupting the class.
Oh!
Mrs. Lawson, you and
your derriere are on camera.
[RECORDER CONTINUES PLAYING]
Ah. Okay, everyone.
Our hybrid class is
now finally in session.
Okay, yep, I said class is in session,
so can we all go ahead and turn
our cameras and microphones on?
Yes. Great.
Uh, that means you, too, Chloe.
Chloe, can you turn
your camera on, please?
Sorry, Mr. C.
I really want to have on
my camera,
but I got a lot of stuff
to take care of while I'm home.
Alright, well, I
I don't want you to fall behind,
so any chance you could do it
after class?
[CLATTERING IN DISTANCE]I'm
sorry. I g I got to go, Mr. C.
Alright, well, um,
everybody else just,
you know, give me a thumbs up
and let me know that
you're paying attention, okay?
Yeah.
No, not that finger, Jordan.
Hey, no one else seems to be coming in,
but, like I always told
my college roommate,
just because no one's showing up
doesn't mean we can't party, right?
Okay, so, um so
so for my kids at home,
just try to remember what
planet group you're in, okay?
And then pretend
you're holding a planet.
And, um, just imagine rotating, right?
Imagine rotating with the planet, right?
Okay, so who remembers
how many moons Mars has, right?
How many moons does Mars have?
[STUDENTS LAUGHING]
What's funny?
No, guys. No animal filters.
Guys, please,
I need you to focus, please.
Ms. Teagues, Mars has two moons.
Yes, it does.
Mars has two moons. Thank you, Lila.
So our Mars group is not here.
They're on the computer.
And they have cow heads.
[STUDENTS LAUGH]
You know what, class? I think that
I'm sorry. We're
We're going to have to
push this project, alright?
So we'll push it to another time.
Just give me your planets.
No, Ms. Teagues, we can still do it.
I know you want to
I can be the sun and the moon
and the planets. Please.
I've been looking forward
to this all year.
Lila made me realize that if
even one kid wants to do this,
then maybe it's worth it to keep going.
She can be the sun
and the moon and the planets.
She just can't be the Milky Way
because she's lactose intolerant.
[CHUCKLES] Which I can relate
because, uh, Milky Way?
More like, milk, get out of my way.
[CHUCKLES] Right?
Yo. Everything good?
Tablets running smooth?
Uh, yeah, yeah. I think we're all good.
Thanks.
Ooh.
You hoop?
I mean, I dabble.
Alright, well, look, I play
with some friends before work
at the rec on Chestnut, if you went in.
We could use some guys with fresh ACLs.
Yeah, I've been looking for
a new regular game.
- What time?
- Early. Like 6:00 A.M.
Perfect. I can still get
my workout in beforehand.
Cool. Uh, drop in if you want.
Alright. Bet.
Bet.
Aww, Mr. Eddie made a friend.
[STUDENTS LAUGHING]
Wait, wait, wait.
No, no, no, no, no.
Wait, wait. Please stop.
It was funny, though.
[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]
Stop running.
- CHARLIE: Ms. Teagues.
- Yes?
Is Lila here today?
Doesn't look like it, Charlie.
Aw, man.
I don't want to do
the project without her.
This sucks.
[SCOFFS]
You know what? Th This cannot stand.
What are you yammering on about?
We lost Lila.
The kid our entire solar system
revolves around isn't here.
- We can't accept this.
- Yeah, okay,
so the workers are supposed
to accept a bad contract?
Listen, Janine, like a raging river
barreling through a canyon,
we just got to let this thing
run its course.
Okay, well, I got news for you,
Melissa, alright?
I am a kayaker,
and I'm splashing through those rapids,
and I'm going to come out
on the other side bone dry.
Barbara picked up her nail lady.
I'll just pick up all the kids in
the morning and bring them here.
Yeah, it's a great idea.
With your car, it'll only take
about nine trips.
Wait. I can pick them up in a city bus.
I have a commercial driver's license.
Janine, if you drive
a city bus, you're a scab
the lowest piece of
garbage known to Philly,
and we got a lot
of pieces of garbage here.
Listen, kid, I know it's tough,
but it is what it is.
It ain't the lowest piece of
garbage. Not even close.
It's minestrone soup.
[GROANS]
This hybrid learning is rough.
Having trouble with the tech, Barb?
'Cause I got things
running smoothly in my class,
and I will happily volunteer
Jacob to help.
No, it's not that.
It's one of my students, Hazel.
In class, she is calm and focused,
but with this remote learning,
the child is out of control.
I'm having a similar issue.
Well, actually it's the opposite issue,
but similarly I am having a problem.
One of my students, Chloe,
she's on and off camera
every few minutes.
She's got so much going on at her house
that I can't seem to keep her attention.
Yeah, you know, Hazel has a sibling
that is helping her settle in,
but as soon as she leaves,
Hazel is [EXHALES SHARPLY]
bouncing off the wall.
Wait. She has a sibling. How old?
I don't know. The sister's off camera.
What's Hazel's last name?
Calton.
Oh, my great goodness.
My student is Chloe Calton.
What are the odds they'd have
the same last name?
Wait, no. They They must be sisters.
When Chloe turns off
the camera in my class,
it's to go help Hazel in your class.
Revelations.
And when Chloe goes back
to turn on the camera in your class,
that is when Hazel has her horseplay.
As long as we're teaching,
they can't pay attention
at the same time.
Whoomp! There it is. Ha-ha!
You know, I figured this out
like two minutes ago,
but it was really fun watching
you guys work through it.
- Okay, take
- Thank you.
O'Shon seems nice.
I'm happy you made a friend.
Why doesn't anyone think I have friends?
- I have friends.
- Okay.
Well, you sure I can't come
watch you play?
No, you cannot come watch me
play pickup basketball.
[GROANS] I need
something to distract me.
This strike is driving me nuts.
There is nothing we can do
to help our kids
without hurting the workers.
Look, I get it,
but these are larger problems
than we can solve.
And it's not like a solution
is just going to pop up out of nowhere.
[HORN HONKS, MUSIC BLARES]
A party bus? At Rubensteins?
[SCOFFS]
Wait, I recognize those lights.
Ooh, girl, you talking
about Saint-Tropez.
I said, "Yeah, you going to pay."
[LAUGHS]
Hi.
What are you doing here?
It's a New Year's Eve pub crawl.
It got postponed because Sydney had
an emergency wisdom tooth extraction.
[CHUCKLES]
How often are you renting a party bus?
I don't rent anything.
It's like a timeshare situation.
♪
No.
No.
H Hey. No.
Yes.
[HORN PLAYING
VENGABOYS' "WE LIKE TO PARTY!"]
NEIGHBOR: Shut the [BLEEP] up!
Okay, I e-mailed
all the parents last night.
They know the plan. I have my route.
It's 6:00 A.M., and I have two hours
to pick up 20 students
and get them to school.
Ooh, hour-and-a-half.
You have to get the kids to school
in time for breakfast, right?
Right. Yes.
I will live my life
a quarter mile at a time, then.
[ROCK MUSIC BLARING]
Uh, good morning, Melissa.
Hi. What are you doing here?
I'm making sure you don't scab.
We're picking up students only, right?
No stops. To and from
the school that's it. Okay.
You guys are taking this
to an unhealthy level.
Got to break it in.
- Yeah.
- MELISSA: Excuse me.
Have fun at basketball,
installing screens or whatever.
Setting screens, but thank you.
Good luck.
What's in his mouth?
Mouth guard. [ENGINE STARTS]
[RAP MUSIC PLAYING]
Okay. Looking pretty good so far.
It's time for the first stop.
Okay, it's not a stop. It's a pick up,
A stop's what a bus makes,
which this is not.
Well, it is a party bus.
[CHUCKLES]
- What's that now?
- I said we're here.
Hi, guys. Ah!
It's Lila.
Okay, stop, and door open.
[CHUCKLES] Hey, kids.
Hi, guys. Come on up.
Hi, Ms. Teagues.
JANINE: Hi, Lila. Please take a seat.
Hey, uh, can I just get
a ride to work? I
Nope.
BARBARA: Mm.
[MONITOR CHIMES]
- Ah.
- Mm.
So, once we realized
that these two are siblings
We decided to problem-solve
because we're teachers.
- That's what we do.
- That's right.
Us working together, the dream team.
Golly, maybe we should get
a drink after work or something.
Don't Don't answer now.
Just think about it.
No.
Alright, Chloe,
I I know it's not ideal,
but if you let your sister play
from 7:00 to 8:00,
I can go through an abbreviated
lesson plan with you,
and you'll have work
to do throughout the day,
and that way you won't miss anything.
BARBARA: And then at 8:00,
you can be there
to help Hazel get focused for my class.
Do you think you can do that, Chloe?
Yeah. It's not
going to be fun, though.
I know it's not going to be fun,
but hopefully the strike
will be over soon.
And then everything
will go back to normal,
and nobody will have fallen behind.
Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
- Thank you, Chloe.
Hi, Mrs. Howard.
I'm eating cereal.
Well, good morning, Hazel.
[MUFFLED]Good morning.
[LAUGHTER]
- Hurry up. Find a seat.
- Okay, guys, we got to get to school.
- Everybody, take a seat.
- Alrighty. Come on, guys.
When you find one,
then stay seated, okay?
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Wait a minute.
You're not a kid.
Well, that's not a grown-up.
[SCOFFS] Alright, this is
for Abbott students only.
- Get out of here.
- Get out. Bye.
[DOOR CLOSES] Take a walk.
Okay, guys, only two more stops,
and we'll be at Abbott
in time for breakfast.
STUDENTS: Yay!
Uh
TOGETHER: Philly is a union
town! Get up! Get down!
Janine, don't even think
about crossing that picket line.
But that's the way to school.
Okay, I know a shortcut
that's only five minutes longer.
That way. Pull a "U"-ey.
Alright, um, everybody, hold on tight.
Okay? Okay.
Whoa! Hold on.
I can't wait to be a fireman.
You are intense, man.
Yeah, I mainly play for cardio
and for the love of taking charges.
[CHUCKLES]
Oh.
[RAP MUSIC BLARING]
Dang. Some people really be partying
till 7:30 in the morning.
♪
We only have a few minutes left.
Ms. Teagues, I don't think
we're going to make it.
Oh, yes, we are.
[TIRES SQUEAL] Oh. Oh.
[VENGABOYS' "WE LIKE
TO PARTY!" [PLAYS] Oh!
Whoa. This is so cool.
7:32. I made it.
I can't believe you pulled it off, kid.
Yeah. Me neither.
Hey, you need to restank this bus
when you're done using it.
I have a reputation to maintain.
[SIGHS]
Look, I support the drivers striking,
and I hope they get
what they're asking for,
but, as educators, you know,
we're always going to go
the extra mile for our kids.
Even if that means finding creative ways
to get them to class
or waking up really early
to make sure a student
doesn't fall behind
or problem-solving on the fly
to adapt to a kid's needs.
So we do whatever it takes.
Alright, so the motion
of the planets around the sun
is called?
STUDENTS: Revolution!
That's right.
Okay, everyone, let's see your moves.
- Okay.
- Ready.
[SQUEALS] Don't forget
to stay in your orbit.
[STUDENTS TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
This is awesome. [CHUCKLES]
- Neptune is a disco ball.
- Mm-hmm.
Ms. Teagues, can we turn on
all the fun lights
when you drive us home?
Oh, my God. That's right.
Forgot I have to drive you guys home.
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Okay, and and the paper's
supposed to go in the trash
or just around it? Just
- Obviously in.
- Okay.
[GRUNTS]
Aw. O-Okay,
I'm more of, like, a
defense-and-intensity guy.
It's not something that
shows up on the stat sheet,
- but that doesn't mean it's not good.
- No, of course.
You can't have five shooters
on the court at one time.
It just It wou it wouldn't work.
Yeah, No, but you are supposed to, like,
get points to win, right?
That's what [CHUCKLES] I think.
You know, you shoot. I'll play defense.
- Okay. I will. Fine.
- Yeah, go.
Get that out of my classroom.
I'm sorry. That was really intense.
It was very intense.
- Okay.
- I'm sorry.
So, girl, she thought he was dead
and he was just taking a nap.
Yeah, Barb, I know.
That story happened at my house.
I'm the "she."
- Yeah. Girl, I forgot.
- [LAUGHS]
- I know.
- Hey, Debbie.
Two appointments for mani pedis.
Hello, ladies. Unfortunately,
I have no one for you today.
I tried you earlier
but didn't get an answer.
Yeah, 'cause I don't answer calls
from numbers I don't know.
Or numbers I do know. [CHUCKLES]
And I thought it was
just a reminder call.
- Where's Julie?
- SEPTA strike.
They all rely on public
transit. It's a mess.
Yeah, I knew today was going to blow.
I'm sorry. The ladies want to work.
They just can't get here.
Well, I will see about that.
You give me Julie's address, please.
Uh
Might as well do it.
I'm going to find it anyway.
She will.
One minute. [CHUCKLES]
The hell's going on here?
Julie could not get to work,
so I had to go pick her up
and bring her here.
Why didn't you just take her
to the nail salon?
- Because that would be scabbing.
- Yeah.
Well, how is Julie getting home?
I can take you two next, if you want.
Oh, hell yeah. You do cat eye?
Don't mind if I do. [CHUCKLES]
For feet that size, I charge extra.
Used to it. [CHUCKLES]
Break out the big bucket.
[MAKER'S "HOLD'EM" PLAYING]
Alright, y'all, the SEPTA
strike is officially in full effect.
That means no buses,
trains, subways, trolleys.
You name it, it's shut down.
Now, obviously, that doesn't affect me.
I drive a Lexus, but
it does affect our students.
Have we checked to see
if there's anything
the district can do to help?
The district says
it's business as usual.
There will be no additional buses
for the kids that rely on the city.
Sorry. Sorry I'm late.
Melissa made me ride my bike
because she didn't want to scab.
That's not why.
I knew this was going to happen.
Barbara, you and Melissa said
this wasn't going to happen.
But it did, Gregory. It did.
Yeah, how is that helpful
right now, pal?
I think it's helpful
to be told what you said,
but whatever.
Do we have any idea
how long it's going to last?
Well, the strike
is going to last as long
as it takes for
the workers to get that money.
Wait a minute.
Are you on the side of labor?
Yeah, I hate bosses.
That's why I became a principal,
so I don't have any.
You have bosses.
Point to them.
This is going to be a mess
for attendance.
Guys, the parents know
how important school is.
They'll find a way
to get their kids here.
Wait a minute. Where the
hell's that dunce Morton?
He couldn't get here. He uses SEPTA,
and he lost his car in the divorce.
Thought his ex-wife had a car.
Now she has two.
Yeah, well, serves him right.
Am I right, guys?
Go change.
No, I'm I'm
I'm going to teach in this.
- No. No, you should change.
- No, no, no.
Alright, we're missing one from Mercury,
Mars, and two from Neptune.
Not too shabby.
We are doing our big
solar-system project this week.
Since I learned my class responds more
to a hands-on approach,
we are creating live models
where the kids will build
and act as the solar system.
We are missing a few planets
due to the strike,
but the music of the spheres plays on.
[VOCALIZES]
Oh, hey, Lila.
Not only yellow, but some red, too?
It's a hot spot, and I am going to do
a solar flare on the other side.
Oh. I'm so happy
you're so into this project.
Did you know that the sun is a star?
I did know that.
And it's dying.
Alright.
Oh, now we're only missing
one from Neptune.
- Good morning.
- MICHELLE: I'm sorry I'm running behind.
She usually takes the bus,
so I had to call in late
to work to drive her here.
Thank you for going the extra mile.
An extra six miles.
And I can't do it again,
so I don't know if she's
going to be here tomorrow.
Oh, well, I'm sure
they'll have this figured out by then.
You know, all the city has to do is say,
"We will meet your
very reasonable demands."
Lady, this city tried
to merc Santa Claus.
They aren't meeting anyone anywhere.
Hey, Melissa, what's your attenda
Shush. Janine, Janine, be quiet.
I'm watching strike coverage.
One of the captains is wearing a GoPro,
and it's like I'm really there.
Oh, my God, I feel so alive.
Well, hope it's over soon.
I hope it never ends.
JACOB: Two, three, four.
There's seven of us.
You don't need to count.
I mean, I know RJ took SEPTA,
but I didn't realize, uh,
most of the class did.
Okay, um, everyone, close your eyes.
We are going to manifest
getting everyone back here tomorrow.
It's not going to work, Mr. C.
Yeah, without rides, it's over.
It's too far to walk here.
Man, I did walk here this
morning, and I'm tired as crap.
Okay, um, well
uh, Brandon, where
where are you going?
I just came here
to drop off the homework
because if I'm going to
make it back before dark,
then I better start walking home now.
See you, Mr. C.
Damn. Who gave you a promotion?
Shanae texted,
said she couldn't make it,
and all the Ubers are
backed up, so I'm filling in.
Now, who the hell is Shanae?
Your instinct will be
to grab the chocolate milk.
Don't.
Regular milk is better for growth.
He's lying. Look at me.
I drink chocolate milk,
and I grew five pounds last month.
MR. JOHNSON: A lot of people
think that growing's just for kids,
and that's what Big Coffee
wants you to think.
As soon as you put down
the chocolate milk
and pick up the bean water,
the growing stops.
Ava, I-I'm I'm really concerned
about attendance, okay?
I only had seven students
in my first period,
six in second, five in third
Jacob, we get it.
Your students don't like you enough
to find a way to show up. [CHUCKLES]
Several of my students are
absent, and they love me.
So just do remote learning.
Remote learning is so difficult.
And the Internet here is terrible, okay?
The deli guy we steal it from,
he just refuses to upgrade.
Fine. I'll text O'Shon
and have him make sure
everything is updated.
Problem solved. Thank you, Ava.
I bet he's a terrible texter,
you know, 'cause he's so hot.
He's a good texter with me.
[GASPS]
JANINE: Alright, guys, so
we're just going to have to use
our imaginations a little bit
and pretend that the Saturn
group is over there, okay?
So it's day two of the strike,
and, um, I have to admit,
attendance did get slightly worse,
but I did hear that the union
and the city
are sitting down at the table
to negotiate,
so I think this
is going to be over really soon.
Ms. Teagues, it's not our solar system
without all the planets.
I know, I know, but the Saturn
and Jupiter groups take SEPTA,
so we're down a few.
But on the bright side,
you guys get to do more work.
But they'll all be here tomorrow?
Very soon. Hopefully.
The universe is falling apart.
Oh, no, see, that's
MELISSA: Whoo!
Yes!
[LAUGHS] Yeah.
What happened? Is the strike over?
No, no, union walked away
from the table.
They told the city to suck it.
[LAUGHS]
Whoo! Yeah! [NOISEMAKER RATTLING]
Was really hoping the strike
would be over by now.
I'm down to 12 kids.
Yeah, well, those are
the pains of a strike, Janine.
You want the workers to quit striking,
tell the city to quit being
greedy bastards. [SCOFFS]
Everyone, O'Shon is here.
He did not take the bus
because he owns a car.
I actually lease a preowned.
[SIGHS] Anyway, he's here
to set everything up
for remote learning if you need it.
Perfect. I plan on spending
the rest of the day remote cleaning.
Uh, I'm working on upgrading the routers
and putting in range extenders.
Although, it seems
like your router
is already in great shape.
Everything about me is.
Modernized remote learning.
Great, I'll finally be
able to see every booger.
I wish that was an option, but
that won't work for my class.
I just learned they respond best
to hands-on learning,
and we're in the middle
of a big solar-system project.
There's got to be
something else we can do.
Yeah, well, there is another way.
Lay it on me, sister.
Okay. First, you got to recruit
union-friendly city council candidates,
help them run their campaign,
get them elected so
they can unseat the incumbents,
and there you go. End of the strike.
Guess I'll just try remote learning.
- Mm-hmm.
- Mm.
BARBARA: Hello, class.
Um, Mrs. Howard, the
computer's blocking your face.
Okay.
Hello, class.
Tyler, I'm told if you want to speak,
you have to touch
that little microphone button.
Tyler, this is no laughing matter.
I can't see you again.
Oh, Hazel, sweetheart, please,
for the sake of the class, please stop.
Stop! Hazel!
Mrs. Howard, can I play music, too?
Samuel, you have no rhythm.
Alrighty. [RECORDER PLAYING]
Hazel, you are disrupting the class.
Oh!
Mrs. Lawson, you and
your derriere are on camera.
[RECORDER CONTINUES PLAYING]
Ah. Okay, everyone.
Our hybrid class is
now finally in session.
Okay, yep, I said class is in session,
so can we all go ahead and turn
our cameras and microphones on?
Yes. Great.
Uh, that means you, too, Chloe.
Chloe, can you turn
your camera on, please?
Sorry, Mr. C.
I really want to have on
my camera,
but I got a lot of stuff
to take care of while I'm home.
Alright, well, I
I don't want you to fall behind,
so any chance you could do it
after class?
[CLATTERING IN DISTANCE]I'm
sorry. I g I got to go, Mr. C.
Alright, well, um,
everybody else just,
you know, give me a thumbs up
and let me know that
you're paying attention, okay?
Yeah.
No, not that finger, Jordan.
Hey, no one else seems to be coming in,
but, like I always told
my college roommate,
just because no one's showing up
doesn't mean we can't party, right?
Okay, so, um so
so for my kids at home,
just try to remember what
planet group you're in, okay?
And then pretend
you're holding a planet.
And, um, just imagine rotating, right?
Imagine rotating with the planet, right?
Okay, so who remembers
how many moons Mars has, right?
How many moons does Mars have?
[STUDENTS LAUGHING]
What's funny?
No, guys. No animal filters.
Guys, please,
I need you to focus, please.
Ms. Teagues, Mars has two moons.
Yes, it does.
Mars has two moons. Thank you, Lila.
So our Mars group is not here.
They're on the computer.
And they have cow heads.
[STUDENTS LAUGH]
You know what, class? I think that
I'm sorry. We're
We're going to have to
push this project, alright?
So we'll push it to another time.
Just give me your planets.
No, Ms. Teagues, we can still do it.
I know you want to
I can be the sun and the moon
and the planets. Please.
I've been looking forward
to this all year.
Lila made me realize that if
even one kid wants to do this,
then maybe it's worth it to keep going.
She can be the sun
and the moon and the planets.
She just can't be the Milky Way
because she's lactose intolerant.
[CHUCKLES] Which I can relate
because, uh, Milky Way?
More like, milk, get out of my way.
[CHUCKLES] Right?
Yo. Everything good?
Tablets running smooth?
Uh, yeah, yeah. I think we're all good.
Thanks.
Ooh.
You hoop?
I mean, I dabble.
Alright, well, look, I play
with some friends before work
at the rec on Chestnut, if you went in.
We could use some guys with fresh ACLs.
Yeah, I've been looking for
a new regular game.
- What time?
- Early. Like 6:00 A.M.
Perfect. I can still get
my workout in beforehand.
Cool. Uh, drop in if you want.
Alright. Bet.
Bet.
Aww, Mr. Eddie made a friend.
[STUDENTS LAUGHING]
Wait, wait, wait.
No, no, no, no, no.
Wait, wait. Please stop.
It was funny, though.
[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]
Stop running.
- CHARLIE: Ms. Teagues.
- Yes?
Is Lila here today?
Doesn't look like it, Charlie.
Aw, man.
I don't want to do
the project without her.
This sucks.
[SCOFFS]
You know what? Th This cannot stand.
What are you yammering on about?
We lost Lila.
The kid our entire solar system
revolves around isn't here.
- We can't accept this.
- Yeah, okay,
so the workers are supposed
to accept a bad contract?
Listen, Janine, like a raging river
barreling through a canyon,
we just got to let this thing
run its course.
Okay, well, I got news for you,
Melissa, alright?
I am a kayaker,
and I'm splashing through those rapids,
and I'm going to come out
on the other side bone dry.
Barbara picked up her nail lady.
I'll just pick up all the kids in
the morning and bring them here.
Yeah, it's a great idea.
With your car, it'll only take
about nine trips.
Wait. I can pick them up in a city bus.
I have a commercial driver's license.
Janine, if you drive
a city bus, you're a scab
the lowest piece of
garbage known to Philly,
and we got a lot
of pieces of garbage here.
Listen, kid, I know it's tough,
but it is what it is.
It ain't the lowest piece of
garbage. Not even close.
It's minestrone soup.
[GROANS]
This hybrid learning is rough.
Having trouble with the tech, Barb?
'Cause I got things
running smoothly in my class,
and I will happily volunteer
Jacob to help.
No, it's not that.
It's one of my students, Hazel.
In class, she is calm and focused,
but with this remote learning,
the child is out of control.
I'm having a similar issue.
Well, actually it's the opposite issue,
but similarly I am having a problem.
One of my students, Chloe,
she's on and off camera
every few minutes.
She's got so much going on at her house
that I can't seem to keep her attention.
Yeah, you know, Hazel has a sibling
that is helping her settle in,
but as soon as she leaves,
Hazel is [EXHALES SHARPLY]
bouncing off the wall.
Wait. She has a sibling. How old?
I don't know. The sister's off camera.
What's Hazel's last name?
Calton.
Oh, my great goodness.
My student is Chloe Calton.
What are the odds they'd have
the same last name?
Wait, no. They They must be sisters.
When Chloe turns off
the camera in my class,
it's to go help Hazel in your class.
Revelations.
And when Chloe goes back
to turn on the camera in your class,
that is when Hazel has her horseplay.
As long as we're teaching,
they can't pay attention
at the same time.
Whoomp! There it is. Ha-ha!
You know, I figured this out
like two minutes ago,
but it was really fun watching
you guys work through it.
- Okay, take
- Thank you.
O'Shon seems nice.
I'm happy you made a friend.
Why doesn't anyone think I have friends?
- I have friends.
- Okay.
Well, you sure I can't come
watch you play?
No, you cannot come watch me
play pickup basketball.
[GROANS] I need
something to distract me.
This strike is driving me nuts.
There is nothing we can do
to help our kids
without hurting the workers.
Look, I get it,
but these are larger problems
than we can solve.
And it's not like a solution
is just going to pop up out of nowhere.
[HORN HONKS, MUSIC BLARES]
A party bus? At Rubensteins?
[SCOFFS]
Wait, I recognize those lights.
Ooh, girl, you talking
about Saint-Tropez.
I said, "Yeah, you going to pay."
[LAUGHS]
Hi.
What are you doing here?
It's a New Year's Eve pub crawl.
It got postponed because Sydney had
an emergency wisdom tooth extraction.
[CHUCKLES]
How often are you renting a party bus?
I don't rent anything.
It's like a timeshare situation.
♪
No.
No.
H Hey. No.
Yes.
[HORN PLAYING
VENGABOYS' "WE LIKE TO PARTY!"]
NEIGHBOR: Shut the [BLEEP] up!
Okay, I e-mailed
all the parents last night.
They know the plan. I have my route.
It's 6:00 A.M., and I have two hours
to pick up 20 students
and get them to school.
Ooh, hour-and-a-half.
You have to get the kids to school
in time for breakfast, right?
Right. Yes.
I will live my life
a quarter mile at a time, then.
[ROCK MUSIC BLARING]
Uh, good morning, Melissa.
Hi. What are you doing here?
I'm making sure you don't scab.
We're picking up students only, right?
No stops. To and from
the school that's it. Okay.
You guys are taking this
to an unhealthy level.
Got to break it in.
- Yeah.
- MELISSA: Excuse me.
Have fun at basketball,
installing screens or whatever.
Setting screens, but thank you.
Good luck.
What's in his mouth?
Mouth guard. [ENGINE STARTS]
[RAP MUSIC PLAYING]
Okay. Looking pretty good so far.
It's time for the first stop.
Okay, it's not a stop. It's a pick up,
A stop's what a bus makes,
which this is not.
Well, it is a party bus.
[CHUCKLES]
- What's that now?
- I said we're here.
Hi, guys. Ah!
It's Lila.
Okay, stop, and door open.
[CHUCKLES] Hey, kids.
Hi, guys. Come on up.
Hi, Ms. Teagues.
JANINE: Hi, Lila. Please take a seat.
Hey, uh, can I just get
a ride to work? I
Nope.
BARBARA: Mm.
[MONITOR CHIMES]
- Ah.
- Mm.
So, once we realized
that these two are siblings
We decided to problem-solve
because we're teachers.
- That's what we do.
- That's right.
Us working together, the dream team.
Golly, maybe we should get
a drink after work or something.
Don't Don't answer now.
Just think about it.
No.
Alright, Chloe,
I I know it's not ideal,
but if you let your sister play
from 7:00 to 8:00,
I can go through an abbreviated
lesson plan with you,
and you'll have work
to do throughout the day,
and that way you won't miss anything.
BARBARA: And then at 8:00,
you can be there
to help Hazel get focused for my class.
Do you think you can do that, Chloe?
Yeah. It's not
going to be fun, though.
I know it's not going to be fun,
but hopefully the strike
will be over soon.
And then everything
will go back to normal,
and nobody will have fallen behind.
Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
- Thank you, Chloe.
Hi, Mrs. Howard.
I'm eating cereal.
Well, good morning, Hazel.
[MUFFLED]Good morning.
[LAUGHTER]
- Hurry up. Find a seat.
- Okay, guys, we got to get to school.
- Everybody, take a seat.
- Alrighty. Come on, guys.
When you find one,
then stay seated, okay?
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Wait a minute.
You're not a kid.
Well, that's not a grown-up.
[SCOFFS] Alright, this is
for Abbott students only.
- Get out of here.
- Get out. Bye.
[DOOR CLOSES] Take a walk.
Okay, guys, only two more stops,
and we'll be at Abbott
in time for breakfast.
STUDENTS: Yay!
Uh
TOGETHER: Philly is a union
town! Get up! Get down!
Janine, don't even think
about crossing that picket line.
But that's the way to school.
Okay, I know a shortcut
that's only five minutes longer.
That way. Pull a "U"-ey.
Alright, um, everybody, hold on tight.
Okay? Okay.
Whoa! Hold on.
I can't wait to be a fireman.
You are intense, man.
Yeah, I mainly play for cardio
and for the love of taking charges.
[CHUCKLES]
Oh.
[RAP MUSIC BLARING]
Dang. Some people really be partying
till 7:30 in the morning.
♪
We only have a few minutes left.
Ms. Teagues, I don't think
we're going to make it.
Oh, yes, we are.
[TIRES SQUEAL] Oh. Oh.
[VENGABOYS' "WE LIKE
TO PARTY!" [PLAYS] Oh!
Whoa. This is so cool.
7:32. I made it.
I can't believe you pulled it off, kid.
Yeah. Me neither.
Hey, you need to restank this bus
when you're done using it.
I have a reputation to maintain.
[SIGHS]
Look, I support the drivers striking,
and I hope they get
what they're asking for,
but, as educators, you know,
we're always going to go
the extra mile for our kids.
Even if that means finding creative ways
to get them to class
or waking up really early
to make sure a student
doesn't fall behind
or problem-solving on the fly
to adapt to a kid's needs.
So we do whatever it takes.
Alright, so the motion
of the planets around the sun
is called?
STUDENTS: Revolution!
That's right.
Okay, everyone, let's see your moves.
- Okay.
- Ready.
[SQUEALS] Don't forget
to stay in your orbit.
[STUDENTS TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
This is awesome. [CHUCKLES]
- Neptune is a disco ball.
- Mm-hmm.
Ms. Teagues, can we turn on
all the fun lights
when you drive us home?
Oh, my God. That's right.
Forgot I have to drive you guys home.
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Okay, and and the paper's
supposed to go in the trash
or just around it? Just
- Obviously in.
- Okay.
[GRUNTS]
Aw. O-Okay,
I'm more of, like, a
defense-and-intensity guy.
It's not something that
shows up on the stat sheet,
- but that doesn't mean it's not good.
- No, of course.
You can't have five shooters
on the court at one time.
It just It wou it wouldn't work.
Yeah, No, but you are supposed to, like,
get points to win, right?
That's what [CHUCKLES] I think.
You know, you shoot. I'll play defense.
- Okay. I will. Fine.
- Yeah, go.
Get that out of my classroom.
I'm sorry. That was really intense.
It was very intense.
- Okay.
- I'm sorry.