Schooled

**Schooled** is the second episode of Season 2 of *One Day at a Time*.

## Synopsis

When juggling family, work and college proves too much for Penelope, Schneider offers her a way to sharpen her focus and improve her test grades.

## Recap

Lydia comes out of her room dancing. Penelope scares her and asks where her biology textbook is. Lydia tells her that she's holding it. Penelope complains about all the stuff that she needs to cram into her head before Tuesday. She asks why a nurse practitioner needs to know about plants.

She complains about having to take Elena to another one of her protests and how Alex's cello teacher e-mailed her three times. Lydia goes back to her room. Penelope walks back out after having taken a shower. She gets upset because Alex hasn't taken out the trash. She threatens to give away his PlayStation if he doesn't do it.

She calls for Elena to hurry up. He asks her to make an appointment for him to get his braces taken off. Elena comes out and asks Penelope to take her to another march after school. Penelope says no. Lydia says that she's been having march madness. Schneider walks into the apartment dressed in his new work uniform. He's started teaching spinning. He asks Penelope to hang up some flyers at the campus but Penelope says no. Alex and Elena ask about where their lunch is but Lydia forgot to make them. Penelope gives the kids money for lunch.

Penelope arrives to work late although Doctor Berkowitz says she's on time. Berkowitz asks if schools really keeping her busy. Scott asks if she's going to hook him up with some coeds. Penelope says that she's going to be his boss soon. Scott leaves and Penelope collapses onto the table. She tells Doctor Berkowitz that she's worn out.

Doctor Berkowitz tells her that he's been exhausted for the last thirty-five years. Penelope tells him that school is hard and that it's a lot of pressure and that it's kicking her butt. Doctor Berkowitz tells her that she's superwoman and better than Scott. Penelope also confesses that she's failing school. Doctor Berkowitz tells her that he believes in her and that he's gotten the office next door for when she graduates so that they can expand.

Penelope goes home but trips over the trash that was left in the hallway. Lydia is inside doing her ballet class with the kids. Penelope asks where Alex is and Lydia says he's in her room practicing cello. Penelope pulls back the curtain and see's that he's on the phone. Elena comes out with signs for another protest and puts them on the table. Penelope tells her that that's her work space.

Elena tells them that she's going to create a Gay-Straight Alliance at school, that she's thinking ahead for when the school says no, and they have to protest. Everyone starts to ask Penelope to do stuff for them but she snaps. She tells them to do what they're supposed to do and let her do her work. Everyone goes back to what they were doing. This then frustrates Penelope even more, because there is so much noise.

She ends up going to Schneider's house to study. Schneider starts to talk to her about his spin class playlist but Penelope tells him she has to study. Schneider goes and starts to DJ but this distracts Penelope. She asks what's up with the spinning. He tells her that he's stopping his addiction of dating and collecting snow globes and that he's broken his cycle of addiction by spinning. Penelope tells him that she's having trouble keeping info in her head. Schneider suggests she try spinning that it will help. She says no but then ends up doing it. It actually helps her remember biology information.

Penelope comes home from school and tells them her test is done. Elena rips up her protest signs because the school said yes to the Gay-Straight Alliance. Penelope asks why she's so angry over this instead of happy. Elena says that there are still plenty of people out there who hate that she's gay. Penelope says that society is becoming more accepting.

Elena says not everyone and Penelope asks if she's talking about Victor. Elena tells her that it's been three months and she hasn't heard from Victor. Penelope says that she didn't know Elena felt this way about her situation with her father. Elena says she wants to hate him but he's still her dad.

Penelope tells her that she needs to celebrate all the good things in her life. Elena and Penelope dance to celebrate Elena's GSA accomplishment. Schneider shows up and asks if they have an ice pack because he may have been spinning too much. He asks Penelope if she got her test score yet.

Penelope tells them that she did badly on the test. Alex tells her that it's just one test and she'll do better next time. Penelope pulls out a stack of tests and shows them previous test scores. Elena says she needs to study more and Penelope says no that it's her. She apologizes because she'd done this for all of them and admits that she tried but she failed. Elena tells her that it was her dream. Penelope says that her family and job are also her dream. She believes that it is the right decision to quit.

Penelope tells them that maybe after the kids are out of the house she'll try again. They all hug Penelope. Later, Lydia watches Penelope sleep. She wakes her up at 4:30 am in the morning. She brings Penelope out to the kitchen where the kids have decided that she's still going to stay in school. Elena tells her that she didn't fail she just can't do it alone. They all offer to help but only if this is what she wants. Penelope says that it is.

Schneider asks if they can keep it down. Penelope asks why he's on the sofa. He says he can't feel his leg. He looks up to them and comments that they look like the people in his snow globe.

## Cast

### Main

* Justina Machado as Penelope Alvarez
* Todd Grinnell as Schneider
* Isabella Gomez as Elena Alvarez
* Marcel Ruiz as Alex Alvarez
* Stephen Tobolowsky as Leslie Berkowitz
* Rita Moreno as Lydia Riera

## Episode Guide

 Others