Abbott Elementary is one of the latest TV shows to take the world by storm. Written in the style of a workplace mockumentary, the rookie sitcom spotlights the highs and lows that educators at underfunded public schools experience on a daily basis. Abbott Elementary has made history as the first comedy debut to quadruple its ratings and has already been renewed for a second season!
Abbott Elementary and ABC partnered with Scholastic to host book fairs at seven Title I schools. Through this initiative students were gifted two free books while educators received 10 for their classroom. According to Variety, participating schools included “Philadelphia’s Harrity Elementary, which “Abbott Elementary” is based on, as well as Diehl Elementary in Erie, Pa., Bond Elementary in Chicago, Dayton’s Bluff Elementary in Minneapolis, Freeman Elementary in Flint, Mich. and Cortada Elementary and Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary in Los Angeles.”
If your school hosted Scholastic book fairs when you were a kid then you know just how highly they have been regarded. Even if you weren’t into books, Scholastic made sure to peak the interest of their audience by offering a plethora of little toys and gadgets to choose from. My personal favorite was the invisible ink pen equipped with a tiny blue light that would reveal your secret message, but only when you chose to do so. Of course, like many of my classmates I didn’t get to purchase one but if you happened to be that lucky student you were instantly everyone’s favorite for the day.
Knowing that underfunded public schools is a pressing issue in the U.S. and being a show centered around education, Abbott Elementary and ABC have made it their mission to be a part of the change they wish to see regarding education funding gaps.
Shows are given a budget for marketing that can go toward advertisements ,watch parties and pop ups to get in front of their target audience. Brunson revealed that she used some of her show’s marketing budget to purchase and donate supplies to teachers. The actress and show runner is not new to the world of education. Growing up as the daughter of a teacher she has always admired her mother’s passion and resilience as an educator. Abbott Elementary itself is widely inspired by her mother’s experience as a teacher in Philadelphia.
As the new hit show and ABC continue to put back into the community, you can follow along as the show’s cast tackles new challenges without missing a punchline. Abbott Elementary airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c and can also be streamed on Hulu.
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