An ambitious divorcee Latina school teacher must overcome ingrained sexism from her boss and fellow teachers alike as she rises in the ranks with flower-power in her early 1970’s education career.

SYNOPSIS:

Half-hour TV comedy. In the vein of Abbott Elementary — set in the groovy ‘70s.

Overview: Schoolmarm has at its core a young woman who is driven to be the best teacher, the best educator, the best feminist she can be. She is young-ish, divorced, with Hispanic heritage. That’s three strikes against her.

WHY ME??: I was a schoolteacher for 20+ years. I spent most of my life in a classroom, and so I speak the language of education and have known teachers of all stripes. I also grew up in the ‘70’s and was raised among strong, empowered women.

TONE: Schoolmarm is irreverent but still believes in the mission (Abbott-style).

CHARACTERS: as a divorcee, LYN LOPEZ (early 30s) must prove herself over and over because people think something must be wrong with her to have lost a husband. Could she be a witch? You can’t be too sure. Someone must have coerced her ex-husband screw his shrink.

Lyn’s confidence and self-esteem ebbs and flows. She might enter sunny and poised, yet not everyone vibes with her flowery outlook. Besides being a strong, empowered woman, Lyn is a change agent. Societal change does not happen without people like her.

TAMMY NEWSOM (early 40s): the beehive-wearing Black partner teacher. She does not take risks like Lyn does because she has kids and a mortgage. But she supports Lyn’s cause(s) best she can, with “Go girl!” and helping Lyn when she needs it.

MIKE “MUTTON CHOPS” COHEN (late 40s): Don’t get Lyn’s principal wrong, he’s happy people have rights and schools are equitable, he just was more comfortable with people like him in charge. As for Lyn, he knows she’s the future of education. But does it have to be now? Lyn convinces Mutton Chops to release the dusty 1950’s-era puberty-ed title, Young Brian is Going Through Something-Something, from his “vault,” (his briefcase) which counts as progress.

AGNES (50s): the older bully (smoker) teacher, Agnes was much happier in the days before women’s liberation. She can read the future. She knows that Lyn and women like her will be in power sooner rather than later and she fights Lyn at every turn.

MARLENE (40s): less bitter than Agnes, Marlene not so secretly has been attracted to Lyn (it’s the eyes). She is often bullied by Agnes to go against Lyn.

Custodian MR. MILLER (40s), who calls women “broads” and won’t let Lyn lift anything, futilely battles teenagers who mess with his school daily.

ANTAGONISTS: Agnes, Marlene, and the system. The whole system often works against Lyn. It’s fine that she’s a schoolteacher; for a woman that’s a normal job – but she takes an extra step and fights against the system and that’s dangerous!

PILOT: In the pilot, “Petition,” Lyn shows up for her first day of work, has a strange meeting with members of staff, her partner teacher Tammy, and the odd custodian. After being called “honey” and “baby” and “sugar butt” Lyn takes on ending all harassment in the workplace by passing around a petition. Lyn pitches the petition to a member of the school board, but the man tells her she needs to wait. Bide her time. Lyn has no intention of doing this.

In the B story, Tammy convinces Mutton Chops to convert the Library-Mobile into an actual real library with walls.

In the C story, the custodian Mr. Miller tries to catch the vandals, nay, the scoundrels, who are putting messages like “Poop Rules,” and “Wolves Fart” on the school sign.

BEYOND: In her first year as teacher at San Berdoo Elementary, Lyn Lopez tries to make a difference while bringing purple & pink flowers into everyone’s lives. Lyn will continually get in trouble for being a change agent. She’ll have to wiggle out of trouble with the board and her boss while she shows off her students’ progress. Outside events also affect the school. The Vietnam War is coming to an end, and it will haunt the school; Watergate rocks the school as well. Themes of truth and war will be explored, while keeping flower power, equality, and Lyn’s fight against the system at the forefront. WHERE IT FITS: Schoolmarm is a half-hour comedy that will work for the networks or streaming. It is PG and can be viewed and enjoyed by a wide audience.