Junior-high vice-principal Flynn Sullivan uses her idealism to cope with the pressures of modern education. In the opener, she deals with a student accused of writing X-rated graffiti.

Where in the world is Carlos Garcia. He's in the imagination of the faculty, who create the overachieving student as a joke on the self-assured Amanda; but it could backfire and cost them a bundle.

Shelly has a car accident with a plastic surgeon who makes her an offer she can't refuse in exchange for not reporting the crash to the insurance company. Meanwhile, Principal Skinner pledges to eat a live worm if the students can improve their math scores by 10 points.

The hills are alive with the sound of music, but Hamilton Middle School won't be unless Flynn and Herb can wrangle more money for the band from a frugal school board. Meanwhile, Shelly and Clark battle over a Civil War diary.

Amanda and Luis find the sex-education class they're t aching too hot to handle when their eyes suddenly lock; Daisy relinquishes control of the supply closet to Flynn, who unlocks it and finds that her colleagues instantly clean it out.

Shelly has little enthusiasm for the annual ""Spirit Day,"" especially after she and Flynn have an argument that carries over into the day's festivities.

While Daisy serves jury duty, a temp discovers that school property is missing, leading the staff to wonder if their secretary is a thief.

Flynn's been in a drought -- datewise -- since her divorce, but she really cleans up when she snags a contractor who's later hired as the school janitor.

There's a field trip in them thar' hills, at least that's Clark's plan, and he and Shelly would have struck gold if they hadn't gotten their busload of kids lost. Meanwhile, back at the school, Flynn's pugnacious mother visits.

Flynn is stressed out over her job and agrees to take an experimental anti-anxiety drug; Amanda needs some mothering at her first parents' night; and Herb has a reunion date with a college sweetheart.

Amanda organizes a birthday party for ""Al,"" a school-bus driver; Flynn tries to lift the spirits of a dejected Clark after he and his wife separate.

Shelly needs her spirits lifted, and sponsoring a student in the Academic Challenge seems the answer; Herb needs to lower his cholesterol and Luis is only too glad to help.

Flynn plans an 18th-birthday party for her daughter Julie, who's away at college; but when Julie backs out, mom is suspicious and does the most uncool thing of all -- she visits the dorm.