Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher Episode Rating Graph

The imperious Dean of Discipline, Kurt Fust, tells Nick that he must take a study course in classroom management in order to continue teaching at the school. Although he is nervous about being a student again, Nick is even more upset to learn that his instructor is Fust. Fust enjoys making the class especially difficult for Nick. To prepare for the final examination that determines whether or not Nick will remain the kids' teacher, Nick studies all night with his friends Mezz Crosby and the beautiful and caring social studies teacher Elana Lewis. When Fust declares that Nick has failed because he incorrectly answered a particularly difficult question on educational theory, Nick's highly intelligent student Sarah enlightens Fust with the latest data from a psychological journal. To the delight of the kids in his class, Nick passes! Meanwhile, worried that she will be ostracized because of her superior intelligence, Sarah changes the topic of her class presentation from a classic literar

Fust judges a school art contest, in which the students must create a sculpture of someone they admire. No longer content to be overshadowed by his pal Tyler, Jared makes a bust of Fust and wins first prize--as well as Fust's overbearing praise. But the other kids tease Jared, so he steals the bust and hides it. While Fust searches for the sculpture, Jared confides to Nick that he hid it. Nick tries to hide the statue in his classroom and accidentally shatters it. When Fust finds a broken piece, he vows to punish everyone in the class unless someone admits their guilt. Jared confesses, but the other students each claim to have broken it too. Finally, Fust gives up. The students consider Jared a hero because they think that he was sacrificing himself to protect Nick. Meanwhile, Yaroker exaggerates his personal qualities when he registers with a dating service.

Fust favors Orlando because he is on the school's winning soccer team. When Mezz fails Orlando in science, Fust is upset. Mezz gives Orlando a chance to get a good grade if he creates a science project within one day. Nick volunteers to help Orlando, but Orlando chooses to play a soccer game instead. Finally, Nick and Mezz inform Orlando that he must complete the project by himself on the day of the championship soccer game or he will fail the class. When Orlando tells Fust that he won't be able to play in the game, Fust is furious with him, but Orlando learns to be responsible. Mezz realizes he should be more flexible in his grading, and Nick admits that sometimes he needs to be stricter with the students.

Desperate for cash when his car needs repairs, Nick accepts an acting job in a cigarette commercial to be aired in France. When his students find out, they chastise Nick for being a poor role model. During filming, Nick finally realizes that his self-respect is more important than money, and he quits. Meanwhile, Orlando competes against his tough, gregarious classmate Anna-Maria Del Bono for class president. At first, he campaigns on the issues, but Anna-Maria wins potential votes by giving away free pizza. Then, at Tyler's instigation, Orlando becomes more superficial and makes outlandish campaign promises. Anna-Maria ultimately wins by threatening the other students, but Orlando learns to be true to himself.

A famous actor, Bobby Moore, once Nick's roommate, comes to Nick's class to research a movie role as a class clown. While Nick idolizes Bobby, he is also jealous of Bobby's success and insecure about his own decision not to pursue acting. At first, Bobby's antics are amusing, but he soon disrupts the class and shows disrespect for the literature that Nick teaches. Nick realizes that he is proud to be a teacher. Later, after Elana declines a date with Nick, he sees her at a restaurant with Bobby. Nick angrily confronts Bobby and tells Elana that he is attracted to her. Elana admits that she liked what Nick said. Meanwhile, when Davey has trouble learning material for a scholastic contest, Nick devises an innovative way to teach him.

It's time for the annual reading aptitude tests, which measure not only the progress of the students but the effectiveness of their teachers. Since they want to make Nick look good, the students in his class all agree to cheat by looking at the highly intelligent Sarah's perfect test answers. After Fust locks up the completed examinations, Nick finds out that his class cheated. Admonishing them that cheating is never good no matter what the motivation, he makes them retake the test. Late at night, Nick and Elana break into the school and replace the fraudulent completed tests with the honest ones. Later, the slightly above-average test results indicate that Nick is a positive influence on the students. During their undercover adventure, Nick and Elana share their first kiss, after a long period of denial and confusion about their mutual attraction.

Despite sharing their first kiss, Nick and Elana decide not to date since they work so closely together. Then an attractive student teacher Heather Kellogg is assigned to Elana's class, and Nick asks Heather on a date. When Elana gives Heather a poor review, Nick assumes that it was because Elana is petty and jealous, and they argue. But when Heather is reassigned to Nick's class, he finds out that she is incompetent and deserved the bad recommendation. He apologizes to Elana. Meanwhile, during a class assignment they work on together, Tyler and Sarah become attracted. They kiss in private. However, they revert back to their usual adversarial relationship after the other students inadvertently find out and tease them.

Mezz wants to date Diane Fox, the school's sexy computer specialist whom he has known since they attended school together. Diane was never interested in Mezz because she is adventurous, so Nick vows to remove Mezz's inhibitions. Nick invites Mezz, Diane and Elana to dinner at a restaurant on top of a tall building. While the women are in the bathroom after dinner, Nick and Mezz climb out onto an overhanging gargoyle. Instead of being impressed, their dates have no idea where they went. Stranded, the guys must be rescued by a police helicopter. Meanwhile, when Fust rejects the students' ideas for the school newspaper, the kids revolt in pursuit of journalistic freedom.

Fust wants to impress the visiting school board chairperson, Mrs. Fleckner, so she will promote him to assistant principal. Meanwhile, to show that his students have a lot to learn from their elders, Nick invites the school's beloved old security guard Phil to tell the kids about his life. When Mrs. Fleckner visits Nick's classroom, Nick surprises Phil with a 73rd-birthday party. Mrs. Fleckner immediately tells Fust that if he wants to become the assistant principal he must terminate Phil because he is past the mandatory retirement age. Despite Nick's begging and a coordinated effort from the students, Fust refuses to reconsider terminating Phil. Then, at the board meeting where Fust is to be promoted, Nick and his students burst in to support Phil. Fust finally relents. During a romantic dinner, he convinces Mrs. Fleckner to promote Phil to security consultant--with no age limit—and hire a younger guard. However, Fust sacrifices his own promotion. Meanwhile, Nick and Mezz are afraid t

Tyler's wealthy, divorced father wants to enroll him in a more prestigious school, but Tyler confides in Nick that he would rather stay where he is. When Tyler confronts his parents based on Nick's advice, they argue. Tyler moves into Nick's apartment, uninvited. He also asks his young friends to come over for a party. However, at the same time, Nick's apartment unexpectedly becomes the site of a wild bachelor party for Yaroker, who plans to marry a woman he impregnated while fighting in the Korean War. During the chaos caused by both parties, Tyler's father arrives and is outraged. Later, however, he realizes that Nick actually is a good role model. He allows Tyler to stay at the school. Meanwhile, Yaroker's fiancée decides that she would rather live in Korea with her teenage son than marry Yaroker.

When Nick scares the other teachers with a prank, they vow revenge. Later, Elana introduces Nick to her sexy accountant friend Suzanne Wilkinson, whom he quickly asks on a date. They have a great time. After a second date, Suzanne calls Nick incessantly and sends gifts. Nick becomes worried that she is obsessed with him. Elana informs him that Suzanne is afraid of commitment, so Nick should propose marriage to scare her away. Unfortunately, Suzanne accepts—to the delight of her brutish policeman brothers and priest uncle. Finally, everyone tells the terrified Nick that it was all a practical joke on him. Meanwhile, Sarah and Orlando agree that Valentine's Day is silly. They decide to kiss and find out why everyone thinks it is so great. After some overanalyzing and lack of confidence, they kiss--and discover they like it. Also, Tyler tries to find out who sent him an anonymous Valentine. And Tyler and Jared give romantic advice to a love-sick Davey.

Nick organizes the annual student/teacher talent show. In keeping with the 1970s theme, everyone prepares to impersonate their favorite popular icons. Fust and Mezz argue over which of them should portray a particular soul singer. Elana wants to sing a depressing rock ballad. When Nick meets Elana's divorced mother and realizes that she's the famous entertainer Lainie Lane, he makes her the star of the show. Nick always idolized and lusted after her from afar. Lainie offers to sing an upbeat rendition of the same ballad that Elana practiced, not knowing her daughter planned to sing that song. Later, realizing that this upset Elana, Nick tries to tell Lainie. But Lainie kisses him before he can explain, and Elana accidentally witnesses it. Nick apologizes to Elana. He also helps her communicate better with Lainie. The show is a success.

Nick must finally get rid of his dilapidated old car. When he visits a sly car dealer, Nick becomes enamored with an expensive sports car and buys it. He dotes on it so obsessively that the other teachers worry about his sanity. Meanwhile, Jared feels sorry for a stray dog and, since his parents forbid pets, he hides it in Nick's classroom, to Fust's dismay. Unfortunately, the dog escapes. While searching for it with Jared, Nick leaves his car unattended. Later, he finds the dog but also finds his beloved car vandalized. Nick is upset, but he realizes that a living animal is more important than an inanimate automobile. Jared helps the dog find a good home, and Nick continues to drive his new car—which now, stripped of its fancy accouterments, looks a lot like his old car did....

After being relieved of his teaching duties for refusing to administer a career-aptitude test that he considers unfair, Nick accepts an invitation from his former high school girlfriend to attend a rock music festival. Meanwhile, Fust denies Orlando admission to an art-enrichment program because the test results show that Orlando has no potential to be an artist. Upset, Orlando tries to sell his drawings on the street. Nick finally overcomes his desire to be irresponsible after Mezz and the students show him how much he means to them. And Elana provides another incentive for Nick to return when she kisses him. Nick confronts the school board, insists that Orlando be allowed to enroll in the art course and gets his job back.