User Reviews

It's dinner time and Ward is stuck listening to a neighbor, Willis Cornelius, brag about his sons and daughter. Apparently, there is going to be a school-wide test tomorrow, and he is sure his kids will be at the top. When Ward finally gets home he wants to know if anything is going on at school, especially anything about a big test. Wally and Beaver vaguely recall there is some test, but they aren't worried. Ward is though. He's up in their room trying to prep them. Ward's doing the times tables with Beaver but runs into a problem pretty quickly. Then Ward is told it's an IQ test, and he becomes resigned to whatever happens.

Miss Canfield is getting Beaver's class through the rigors of testing and finally it's over. Ward gets a phone call from Mrs. Rayburn that Beaver scored the highest in the school on the test, and second highest in the history of the test. Ward is popping buttons; he would be if that actually happened. He really wants to call his neighbor, Willis Cornelius, and brag to him about Beaver, now that he has something to brag about. For Ward, bragging is something served best when the dish is hot. But we know there is a second shoe to drop out there somewhere.

In the morning, Ward calls Willis to brag. Once he has Willis in the phone, Ward is loath to let him go. At school, Beaver's friends aren't so happy about Beaver's success. He is nothing but a sneaky genius. Miss Canfield is somewhat surprised with Beaver's score also. Mrs. Rayburn wants the Cleavers to consider sending Beaver to an advanced school like Hawthorne.

Beaver is out on an interview at Hawthorne school, the school for the progressive student. Doctor Compton has a question or two of the "Beaver," and Beaver has questions also. Where's the baseball field? They don't go in for competitive sports there, not good for the ego. For Beaver, that's a setback, Beaver likes baseball. Beaver's responses to Dr. Compton are unusual at best. When asked what plans Beaver has for his future, he responds, garbage man.

Back at home Beaver is talking with Wally. Beaver's not too thrilled with the school, or the possibility of being a genius. And then the second shoe drops. Miss Canfield has news. Charles Fredricks, the new kid in the school, changed papers with Beaver. Why did he do that? Charles has always been the smartest kid in class, and he has always been picked on. Just for once he wanted friends. He saw that everyone liked Beaver and he always had someone to play with; he wasn't shunned because he was smart. As it turns out, Ward and June are sort of pleased the way things turned out. They like their son just the way he is.

Miss Canfield asks the Cleavers if they would just let things as they are. Not spoil the opportunity for Charles. They agree but there is a bit of disappointment for Ward. But then Willis calls to make sure Ward is picking him up for work. Then there are the IQ test results, Willis' boys didn't do well. Not to worry say Ward; at the Cleaver house, they don't feel any need to brag. June looks quizzically at Ward. We did promise Miss Canfield not to reveal the results, says Ward.

An episode a bit prescient regarding bullying of the brightest. A not uncommon problem when I was growing up, and just now it's getting some exposure. It is still a problem. One of my students received a full scholarship to an Ivy League college, undergraduate through her master's program. She would drop by to see me on occasion because she was so frustrated. She was in the engineering program and was the only girl. She was poorly treated by both her "fellow" classmates and her professors. As a girl in the engineering school, she was a fish out of water. She did graduate and found a place where she was able to establish some fit. A happy ending of a sort but it should have been happier.

(*Ward Cleaver quote*) - "The test is coming up tomorrow and they're completely unconcerned."

Ward's co-worker, Willis Cornelius sure likes to brag about how well his sons are doing in school.

The entire Grant Avenue School is having their students do an I. Q. test to see where they all stand in the matter of intelligence.

Beaver's classmate, Charles Frederick switches his high-scoring test paper with Beaver's and so Beaver looks like he's a genius when the scores come in.