Jacob Hill

Jacob teaches second grade at Abbott Elementary with the eager, slightly anxious energy of someone who read every pedagogy book before setting foot in a classroom. He's socially awkward, painfully earnest about equity and progressive causes, and desperate to be liked by both his students and his skeptical colleagues, often overcompensating in ways that are more sweet than smooth.

Chris Perfetti finds the comedy in sincerity rather than mocking it — Jacob's cluelessness never curdles into cruelty, and his genuine care for his kids keeps him sympathetic even when he's insufferable. The writing lets him be wrong constantly without ever making him the butt of contempt, which is a hard balance the show pulls off gracefully.“