Abbott Elementary Season 4, Episode 14 Highlights Its Biggest Character Change

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 14, “District Budget Meeting."

While Abbott Elementary’s Ava character transformation has been gradual, season 4, episode 14 proved just how substantial this character change is. Abbott Elementary’s cast of characters are reliably hilarious, but they can also be a little stuck in their ways. Multiple episodes feature subplots in which Barbara refuses to accept that change is a necessity, whether she is pretending to understand new technology, dismissing Janine’s new library system because it is different, or complaining about students not enjoying old Halloween traditions.

This is not a major problem in Barbara’s case, but stagnant sitcom characters can drag a show down fast. Fortunately, Abbott Elementary’s impressive writing ensures that the sitcom doesn't keep its main characters static for too long. Just when Janine and Gregory’s “Will they, won’t they” dynamic was starting to get more tiresome than adorable, Abbott Elementary’s season 3 finale finally made the pair an official couple. Similarly, although Ava still has her moments of ridiculous scamming and shameless self-involvement, her character growth has been undeniable throughout the series.

Ava's Unexpected Decision Solidifies Her Image As A Great Principal

Abbott Elementary Season 4 Episode 14 Proved Ava Is A Truly Great Principal

In season 4, episode 14, “District Budget Meeting,” Ava left everyone speechless when she negotiated a huge funding increase for Abbott and then split it between three schools that hadn't received any funding. This bold move proved the fearless principal was a great leader and a genuinely kind person, as well as a talented educator. While this might not seem surprising to new viewers, it certainly made a stark contrast with the version of Ava who attended Abbott Elementary’s first district budget meeting.

The contrast between “District Budget Meeting” and “Ava vs. Superintendent” highlights just how dramatic Ava’s growth is.

In season 1, episode 12, the aptly named “Ava vs. Superintendent,” Ava was still blackmailing the school board president to keep a job she wasn’t even qualified to do. While Abbott Elementary’s Janine has also changed and grown over the last four years, the contrast between “District Budget Meeting” and “Ava vs. Superintendent” highlights just how dramatic Ava’s growth is. When Abbott Elementary began, Ava was an unqualified principal who only held on to her job thanks to an illegal scheme. By season 4, she was the lone principal who could secure funding for four schools, including Abbott.

Manny's Abbott Elementary Season 4, Episode 14 Return Highlights Ava's Character Development

Josh Segarra’s Manny Put Ava On The Educational Speaking Circuit

Ava’s cold attitude toward Janine and the rest of the staff gradually softened over seasons 2 and 3, but her increased competence as an educator is unique to season 4. In season 4, episode 6, “The Deli,” season 3’s supporting character Manny returned to tell Ava she had been chosen to present a group of principals with a talk on leadership thanks to Abbott’s impressive success in recent years. This came as a wild surprise since, in his original season 3 role, Manny seemed like nothing more than Gregory’s rival for Janine’s affection.

Manny turned out to be pivotal to Principal Ava’s character growth as he encouraged her to teach other principals her techniques while Janine helped her clean up her language for the speech. Abbott Elementary’s role for Ava’s father in season 4 proves that she still has issues to resolve, but Janelle James’ character took on an impressive level of responsibility by giving the speech. This secured Abbott the funding the school needed and, by proxy, allowed Ava to fund three other schools since she already covered Abbott's necessities by blackmailing the shady developers of a local golf course.

Sadly, Backlash On Ava's Selfless Act Could Derail Her Redemption

The Abbott Principal Now Faces Unprecedented Pressure

Sadly, this plan could soon backfire for Ava. Manny was impressed by Ava’s act of generosity, but he also warned her that the district would now be watching her school like hawks waiting for her to slip up. From Ava’s rival principal, Crystal, trying to work out where the school got its extra funds, to the school board keeping a watchful eye on her, Ava has never had a more intense test of her newfound leadership skills than she does now.

Ava’s kindness could end up costing her dearly, but Abbott Elementary’s golf course story isn’t guaranteed to end in tears. Her tentative romantic flirtations with the IT guy, O’Sean, could allow Ava to cover up her involvement with the golf course developers, and the faculty are sure to support her if the school's funding is called into question. After all, although Janine and Gregory may have spent season 1 wishing for a new principal to replace Ava, all the main characters now recognize her unconventional genius.

Abbott Elementary Actor	Character Name
Quinta Brunson	Janine Teagues
Tyler James Williams	Gregory Eddie
Lisa Ann Walter	Melissa Schemmenti
Sheryl Lee Ralph	Barbara Howard
Janelle James	Principal Ava
William Stanford Davis	Mr. Johnson
Chris Perfetti	Jacob Hill

As an administrator and an educator, Ava has gone from strength to strength in season 4. The supporting star is likely to be challenged in the coming episodes, but viewers should know better by now than to bet against her. Abbott Elementary’s principal has grown a lot and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

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