Chapter One

what happens

Another school year is off to a booming start at Winslow High School -- an urban high school outside of Boston. Principal Steven Harper spends his days putting out fires, defending his faculty and just trying to keep it together. Lauren Davis, the idealistic head of the social studies department, and Harry Senate, a geology teacher with buried secrets, are embroiled in controversy for failing the star running back before a huge game with the cross-town rivals. But they both have bigger personal problems. Lauren has been asked out on a date by the icy vice principal and Harry has been put on probation for wielding a gun in one of his classes. When he's not dodging the star running back's lawyer or pulling a bully off the class geek, Principal Harper is trying to calm Ms. Hendricks. She left her class after scrawling ""Gone to kill myself, hope you're happy"" on the chalkboard. Meanwhile, English teacher Milton Buttle has become the star attraction on student Sheryl Holt's Web site. His un

who made it

directed

Thomas Schlamme

written

David E. Kelley

guest cast

Billed for this episode only — the turn people remember an episode for.

• Tom McCarthy as Kevin Riley
• Joey Slotnick as Milton Buttle
• Sarah Thompson as Dana Poole
• John Francis Daley as Anthony Ward
• Courtney B. Vance as Walter Harrelson
• Antwon Tanner as Kevin Jackson
• Zachery Ty Bryan as Malcolm White
• Lamya Jezek as Sheryl Holt