Episode 74: Building Better Summers: Transforming Summer School for Student Success

Summer school is no longer just a place for credit recovery or extra practice—it’s a powerful opportunity to reimagine what’s possible for student engagement and growth. In this episode of the Compass PD Podcast, Dr. Sherri Lorton is joined by three passionate educators—Dr. Kara Dalton, Dr. Elizabeth Malloy, and David Gentili—who’ve spent years leading and evolving summer programs across K–12 settings.Together, they share their candid experiences—what worked, what didn’t, and how the most meaningful transformation came not from perfection, but from reflection, feedback, and data-informed tweaks along the way. Whether you’re launching your first summer program or fine-tuning a well-established one, this episode offers practical strategies, lessons learned, and encouragement to keep evolving. Because when it comes to building better summers, it’s not about getting it perfect—it’s about getting it better, every year.