Jack Griffin is a Harvard philosophy scholar who loses out on his dream job and goes to work as a high school Advanced Placement biology teacher in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. He quickly makes it clear he will not be teaching any biology, however, and, realizing he has a room full of overachieving honor roll students at his disposal, decides instead to use the kids to enact revenge on his rival and take the job that is rightfully his.

When Jack leaves his class unattended, a student injury sets off an official investigation and lands Jack in "teacher jail." An aggressive teacher's union rep sets her sights on Principal Durbin. The students' excitement for a substitute teacher are dashed when they find out it's Helen.

While Principal Durbin struggles with budget cuts, Jack discovers his students pity him - so he rallies, making a splash at the school bake sale and getting kicked out of the bookstore for life.

When Jack gets into a petty dispute with the student council president, the situation escalates much too far; Stef sells makeup at school as a side business.

Jack reluctantly agrees to go out on the town with Mary, Stef, and Michelle; his superiority complex proves difficult for the women to overcome; principal Durbin feels threatened when Helen fills in for him on the school's morning announcements.

When Jack is attracted to a student's mother at a parent-teacher conference, he feigns interest in her son; a group of parents complain to principal Durbin when they notice a piece of controversial student art from Mary's class.

Jack receives an offer from Miles' publisher to write a book of feel-good philosophy that could be his ticket out of Toledo. Durbin accidentally sets off an emotional firestorm when he reveals that while Stef chose Mary as her emergency contact, Mary chose Michelle.

When one of Jack's students anonymously reports him for canceling their much-anticipated fetal pig dissection, he sets out to find the snitch. Durbin's chances at Principal of the Year are in jeopardy when the superintendent visits.

Jack takes interest in a revenge mission on behalf of the kids; Mary, Stef and Michelle believe they've discovered an otherworldly presence.

In the hectic thirty minutes that start every day at Whitlock, Jack tries to retrieve his massage chair from Whitlock's intriguing payroll accountant, Lynette. Durbin and Helen prepare for the morning announcements. Michelle gives a eulogy.

Jack uses Michelle's annual murder mystery party to impress Lynette. Meanwhile, in a moment of desperation, the students break into Whitlock High to steal the A.P. Bio practice exams.

Jack is outraged when his old high school bully is hired as a motivational speaker at Whitlock. Mary, Stef and Michelle set their own personal goals of female empowerment, unintentionally causing a rift between Helen and Durbin.

When he's kicked off his Harvard phone plan, Jack is offered a chance to leapfrog onto Mary's on one condition: He helps her break up with her scuzzy boyfriend. Meanwhile, Anthony becomes Durbin's right-hand man.

After his computer breaks, Jack rallies his class to win the annual Whitlock's Got Talent competition so the prize money can go towards a new laptop. Helen and Durbin put on their best tuxes to host while Mary, Stef and Michelle prepare a hand-bell routine.

It's the most exciting time of the year at Whitlock: Durbin's birthday and Spirit Week. Jack does his best to steer clear of any school spirit as everyone else comes together to take down their hated rivals at Prairie High.

Jack accidentally loses a significant amount of money and it falls in the hands of the students. As Principal Durbin and Helen investigate who stole the money, the students and teachers admit to other wrongdoings.

Principal Durbin takes it upon himself to help Jack advance his book with an appearance on Toledo's morning TV show but lets his five minutes of fame get the best of him. The other teachers lead a competition within the Young Entrepreneurs Club.

While the rest of the town prepares for the celebration of Toledo's annual Katie Holmes Day, Jack and Marissa plot to ruin the holiday pageant.