The Partridge Family - Season 4, Episode 18 (92)

Title: Miss Partridge, Teacher

First aired: February 23, 1974

Synopsis:

Laurie returns home very excited. She’s been selected as a peer teacher for two weeks in 7th grade English, Miss Halstead’s class. Danny is not happy because it means that Laurie will be his teacher.

Laurie takes her job very seriously, she even dresses like a real teacher. From the start she is very strict, gives a lot of homework and it looks like she specifically treats Danny badly. She takes her work home and corrects Reuben’s and Shirley’s linguistic errors because she behaves like a teacher all the time.

Everybody is very excited because of the upcoming summer tour in Europe, but after some days of Laurie teaching English in Danny’s class, Shirley gets a note stating that if Danny doesn’t improve his grades he will have to go to summer school, and the family will not be able to go to Europe.

Danny is really upset, and he asks to be excused from the rehearsals for just one song, because he has to write a short story for the next day. Keith checks up on his brother and finds Danny having a lot of trouble doing his homework. Keith wants to help him, and he also doesn’t like the way Laurie treats their younger brother.

Keith has an idea to set a trap for Laurie, and discredit her as a teacher. Keith dictates Ernest Hemingway’s youthful short story to Danny, which he presents the following day as his. Everyone in his class is impressed, but not Laurie. She gives Danny a ‘D’. This is very unfair, and Keith and Danny tell their mother about their cheating and that it's proof that Laurie is really too strict. Shirley is angry with them, but she also thinks that things have gone too far. Because Laurie is still at school, Shirley goes there to talk with her and Miss Halstead. Laurie tells her mum that she’s decided to change Danny’s grade from ‘D’ to ‘C-minus’. Shirley also talks with Miss Halstead who knows about Laurie’s behaviour, because all her lessons are taped. Laurie finds it very difficult to watch herself and realise how strict and unjust she was. Miss Halstead tells her not to worry because the teaching experience is to learn something and it’s normal for young teachers to be strict. Laurie apologizes to her younger brother and also tells Keith and Danny that she knows the real author of Danny’s short story.
Synopsis written by Weronika Cyrynger

Songs:
I Wouldn't Put Nothin' Over You

Cast:
Shirley Partridge - Shirley Jones
Keith Partridge - David Cassidy
Laurie Partridge - Susan Dey
Danny Partridge - Danny Bonaduce
Chris Partridge - Brian Forster
Tracy Partridge - Suzanne Crough
Reuben Kincaid - Dave Madden

Directed by: Roger Duchowny

Written by: Art Baer & Ben Joelson

Guest stars : Maxine Stuart as Miss Halstead, Gary Durbin as Punky Lazaar

Screen Shots: