If Abbott elementary were a real school, the online reviews would probably be brutal. The students are unruly. The principal’s out to lunch. One teacher even kicked a kid. You can imagine childless neighbors complaining about their property values, former teachers ranting about why they quit and school parents cautioning other families to stay away.
Of course, Abbott Elementary isn’t a real school. It merely depicts a fictional one on ABC, and in the mockumentary style. The workplace under the microscope in this sitcom is a West Philadelphia public school that’s typical of its subject. Which is to say it’s overcrowded, underfunded and underserving its community. It’s too true to the woeful state of public education in America to seem like it could be funny.
