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 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.

When Jack is disappointed with the popcorn maker he orders, he and the students plot revenge. Helen goes back to school to get her high school degree and chaos ensues in Principal Durbin's office in her absence.

Mr. Pugh plans a field trip for the Toledo chapter of the Ohio Naturalists. When Jack can't write his own book, he agrees to be ghostwrite for popular author Robin Shwank -- only to insert his own chapters into Shwank's book.

Jack has Mary drive him to the doctor, but a prank results in him getting the same procedure twice. At school, Durbin and Helen embarrass themselves and the kids compete over class superlative titles.

Principal Durbin and Helen sweep lockers. Jack finds out that Anthony has been lying about his extracurricular activities. Jack and Lynette follow Anthony to find out what he's really been up to. The search for Stef's baby donor intensifies.