The WORST episodes of Abbott Elementary
Every episode of Abbott Elementary ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Abbott Elementary!
A group of dedicated, passionate teachers and a slightly tone-deaf principal are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do, even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
#1 - Career Day (2)
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/7/2024
Career Day continues at Abbott; Ava's new outlook on being principal sends the teachers into a downward spiral.
#2 - Safety Day
Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/11/2026
An antidrug campaign visits the school, and Jacob is outraged by an unfair district election.
#3 - Campaign
Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/18/2026
Jacob and Ava team up for an initiative. Meanwhile, Melissa and Janine help Mr. Johnson get ready for the Janitor's Ball.
#4 - Science Fair
Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/5/2025
While supervising the kids making their science fair projects, the teachers’ competitive sides come out.
#5 - Goofgirl
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/3/2025
A new member joins Gregory's Garden Goofballs, and Janine pitches a new club idea to Ava.
#6 - Testing
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/15/2025
Janine must rethink her lesson plans after her class performs poorly on a practice test, while Jacob struggles to engage a disinterested student. The district sends a new custodian to train under Mr. Johnson.
#7 - Aide
Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 3/4/2026
Janine asks Ava for a classroom aide, and the school seeks out a new gym teacher. Meanwhile, Dominic confides in Jacob.
#8 - Pilot
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 12/7/2021
A group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible educators may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
#9 - Books
Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/5/2025
A debate over a controversial book leads Ava to remove it from the library, but some parents push for its return.
#10 - Juice
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/19/2022
Janine is thrilled to help introduce a new beverage to the cafeteria, but it ends up causing unexpected consequences for the students, teachers and school plumbing system. Elsewhere, Melissa clashes with her new aide, Ashley, who brings more disruption than help to the classroom.
#11 - Double Date
Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 5/1/2024
Two teachers head out on a double date, but when they run into familiar bar patrons, it proves to be an unfortunate distraction. At Ava’s first book club meeting, the group ends up in a debate over who would be the best post-apocalyptic leader.
#12 - Light Bulb
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/4/2022
Going against everyone’s advice, Janine takes it upon herself to fix every problem when she notices a flicking light bulb in the hallway. Despite the best intentions, Janine ends up causing new issues throughout the school. Elsewhere, Gregory asks Barbara for help talking to a parent, which leads him to spend his lunch period in an unexpected way.
#13 - No Phones
Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/5/2025
Abbott Elementary participates in the district’s "No Phones Day" initiative.
#14 - Birthday
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/10/2025
Jacob takes the lead on organizing Abbott's annual winter show, and Janine celebrates her 30th birthday, complete with a surprise visitor.
#15 - Mural Arts
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/1/2023
Jacob secures a visit from a mural arts program for his students but doesn’t agree with their chosen design and attempts to influence their decision. Barbara and Melissa learn parents are petitioning to turn Abbott into a Legendary charter school.
#16 - Alex
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 4/10/2024
Jacob is shocked when he finds out his colleagues are not invested in his frequent email messages and haven’t even been writing their own replies. Meanwhile, Gregory turns to Janine for help with a former student.
#17 - New Tech
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/18/2022
When a new computer program is introduced at Abbott, Janine is excited to finally help Barbara out with something. However, Barbara is reluctant to accept change and finds herself in a tricky situation when she decides to lie about her students’ results rather than admit defeat. Elsewhere, Melissa surprises Jacob when she offers up a friend to assist with his lesson on unions, but she ends up teaching Jacob an important lesson herself.
#18 - Ava Fest: Tokyo Drift
Season 4 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/2/2025
The Abbott teachers turn their open house into a carwash to help raise money for the school.
#19 - Strike
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/22/2025
City buses have stopped running due to a strike, resulting in many students being absent from school. The teachers at Abbott try to find creative solutions and adapt to hybrid learning. Meanwhile, Gregory and O'Shon strike up a friendship.
#20 - No Homework
Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/25/2026
Ava implements a no-homework policy at Abbott, sparking debate amongst the teachers.
#21 - Game Night
Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/22/2025
Gregory steps in to host game night at his apartment. Mr. Johnson, Ava, Barbara and Melissa head to the DMV to renew their licenses.
#22 - Mother's Day
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 5/8/2024
Barbara invites Gregory to her family’s Mother’s Day brunch. Jacob scrambles to figure out how to organize a school field trip.
#23 - Art Teacher
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/8/2022
When the school’s art teacher retires, Janine is thrilled when the replacement ends up being her best friend from college, but things quickly turn sour when Sahar gets in the way of Melissa’s class traditions. Meanwhile, Jacob and Barbara bond over their love for gardening and decide to start a school garden, but when it turns out they don’t know how to successfully grow anything, Gregory secretly gets involved to fix all of their mistakes.
#24 - Mall: Questions & Concerns (2)
Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/14/2026
Growing pains hit Abbott Elementary as the PTA pressures Janine and Gregory for answers. Meanwhile, Jacob and Barbara become suspicious of Mr. Morton.
#25 - Fight
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/11/2023
During a day of touchdowns and missed plays, the Abbott Elementary faculty find themselves learning lessons in teamwork. Two of Janine’s students aren’t getting along in class, leading her to seek advice from her colleagues on how to help repair their friendship. Meanwhile, Melissa and Ava plot to bring down Mr. Johnson in fantasy football.