The top-rated ABC series Abbott Elementary has shed light on teachers’ hardships while educating the youth. And the show’s creator is creating a tangible change in the lives of real-life educators.
Quinta Brunson, the creator and star of the sitcom, sat down with NPR’s Fresh Air and revealed that ABC and the production team agreed to donate a portion of the show’s marketing money to help fund supplies for teachers.
“We chose to put the marketing money toward supplies for teachers,” Brunson said. “It’s about being able to make those kinds of decisions that really excite me, things that can really materially help people.”
Brunson, who plays a second-grade teacher at an underfunded elementary school in Philadelphia, said the environment at Abbott Elementary is similar to what her mother experienced as a teacher. The 32-year-old’s mother was an educator in a school that struggled financially for more than 40 years.
“Despite it getting harder, despite teachers not having all the support they need, despite kids growing even more unruly than they’ve been in recent time … she still loved the job,” Brunson says of her mother. “The beauty is someone being so resilient for a job that is so underpaid and so underappreciated because it makes them feel fulfilled.”
During the interview, the show’s creator explained why she decided to name the comedy after her beloved 6th-grade teacher Ms. Abbott.
“I was scared to go into the real world or what I looked at as the real world at the time, and [Ms. Abbott] just took me under her wing,” Brunson says. “She was an incredible teacher who put her all into it, making sure that her students felt special and were ready for the world.”
Decades later, Brunson used Abbott as her inspiration to create the inspiring ABC series. Before she became showrunner and producer for Abbott Elementary, she went viral for her short videos as a content creator. In addition, she worked as a producer and actor for BuzzFeed Video and was also a cast member for the first season of A Black Lady Sketch Show, NPR reported.
Recently, Brunson appeared on Good Morning America Philly and surprised 3rd-grade teacher Xiomara Johnson who teaches at the Comegys Elementary School in Philadelphia.
While this was absolutely amazing, and Surprising Xiomara was beyond words- I’ll continue to strive to make sure that all underfunded schools and classrooms are FULLY funded and that teachers like Xiomara are paid more ❤️@fundPHLschools is a great org working toward that goal!
— quinta brunson (@quintabrunson) February 28, 2022
“I don’t see it as a job. I see it as a privilege,” said Johnson, who was acknowledged for her continuous efforts as a positive role model and teacher for her students.
“While this was absolutely amazing, and surprising Xiomara was beyond words- I’ll continue to strive to make sure that all underfunded schools and classrooms are FULLY funded and that teachers like Xiomara are paid more ❤️@fundPHLschools is a great org working toward that goal!” Brunson tweeted.
