How to Sink a Sub

Katrina Meltsner takes over the literature class at Odyssey Middle School, and her high standards land with a thud - real research, real references, and no easy credit for sloppy facts. Jay and Valerie fight back with greased car handles, a chair nailed to the desk, and frogs in her pocket, while Olivia, stung by low grades from a teacher she thought was her friend, signs Valerie's "group list" without reading it. That list turns out to be a petition declaring Katrina unfit to teach... and when Principal Vogler reveals it, Katrina quietly resigns. Only then does Olivia see the truth: Katrina pushed her because she believed Olivia could win a county speech competition, and even Jay has learned more than he'll admit. Olivia rallies the class behind a new petition asking Katrina back, and apologizes for doubting someone she knew she could trust. Katrina agrees to return - with a quiz waiting on Monday, and for once, Olivia is glad to hear it.

Found on Clanging Cymbals...and the Meaning of God's Love Album 54 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0694 Anger Mismanagement When a classmate steals the spotlight on her friend's homecoming float project, Olivia must learn what to do with her anger before it costs her more than she realizes.

0695 Forgiving More...or Less When a school recording project goes sideways and a broken machine goes unconfessed, young Camilla discovers that forgiving others is a lot trickier than it sounds.

0696 You're Two Kind A student's offer to help a struggling classmate is tested when kindness, secrets, and hurt feelings collide over a class project.

0697 A Penny Earned When free-spirited artist Penny can't find a job in Odyssey, her friends scramble to help her find work before she's forced to move back home.

0698 Never for Nothing When Matthew questions why anyone should keep showing kindness to people who don't deserve it, his grandmother-in-town Lucia's story of a childhood friend who believed love is never wasted begins to reveal an unexpected answer.

0699 Emily the Genius When a school aptitude test labels Emily a genius, her family's newfound pride sets her on a path she'll do anything to stay on.

0700 How to Sink a Sub When Katrina takes over a middle school literature class, her high standards spark a student rebellion - and Olivia must decide whether to trust her friend or follow the crowd.

0701 Unbecoming Jay When a scheming Jay pawns off his visiting cousin on an unsuspecting friend, an unlikely friendship blooms - and Jay can't leave well enough alone.

0702 Childish Things Burned by a past betrayal, Penny turns to a body-language book to instantly judge who she can trust - and starts seeing deception in everyone around her.

1 of 3 0703 The Labyrinth An undercover agent's sting goes sideways in London, leaving him framed, hunted on all sides, and saddled with a streetwise young orphan who knows too much.

2 of 3 0704 The Labyrinth Framed as a traitor and hunted in London, Jason races to uncover what his enemy has planned for a gathering of world leaders at the British Museum.

3 of 3 0705 The Labyrinth Held captive by criminals with a deadly bioweapon hidden inside museum antiques, Jason must find a way to stop an attack on visiting heads of state before the exhibition opens.

0706 To Mend or Repair When fixing things is all you know, Eugene must learn that a grieving heart isn't a machine to repair.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 1 more roles

1 supporting role

Henry Vogler John Rubinow

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Kathy Buchanan Writer Bob Hoose Director · Producer Nathan Jones Sound Designer Dave Arnold Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

Katrina accepts a temporary position teaching literature at Odyssey Middle School. Jay immediately predicts that her high standards will make the class miserable, and Valerie agrees. Katrina assigns careful research, proper references, and challenging reading. Because she expects students to correct their factual errors rather than receive easy credit, they decide she is trying to prove her power over them.

Olivia initially refuses to join their campaign. She knows Katrina personally and trusts that she will not act cruelly. Yet Olivia receives lower grades than she expects on a rewritten essay and an oral report. Katrina praises her speaking ability but explains that inaccurate facts and careless research weaken her work. Olivia has worked hard, but she has not worked carefully.

Jay and Valerie organize a series of pranks: greased car handles, a chair nailed to the desk, frogs in Katrina's pocket, and a class-wide game in which everyone screams and changes seats whenever she says a chosen word. Irritated by her grades, Olivia signs what Valerie presents as a group list without examining it and begins attending their meetings.

Principal Vogler asks Olivia whether Katrina's class is functioning properly. Olivia describes Katrina's lateness, the stuck chair, the frogs, and her own disappointing grade without explaining that student pranks caused the disorder. Her vague answers make the teacher sound responsible for the chaos. Vogler decides to observe the class.

Katrina gives an excellent lesson, and Vogler openly praises her knowledge and skill. Afterward, she privately encourages Olivia to enter a county speech competition. Katrina has pushed her because she sees genuine talent and believes Olivia could win if she strengthens the substance of her presentations as much as their delivery.

Vogler then reveals that nearly the entire class has signed a petition declaring Katrina incapable of teaching them. Olivia finally learns what Valerie had her sign. Believing there is no purpose in teaching students who say they are learning nothing, Katrina resigns. Jay and Valerie celebrate, but Olivia now recognizes that Katrina's difficulty came from caring enough to demand their best. Even Jay has absorbed far more literature than he realizes.

Olivia takes responsibility and leads the class in preparing a new petition asking Katrina to return. At the Meltsner home, she apologizes for doubting someone she knew she could trust and admits that Katrina has taught them a great deal. Katrina accepts the apology and agrees to consider returning if the position remains open. She warns them that a quiz will await them Monday, and this time Olivia is glad to hear it.