Courtney Thorne Smith

Summer School is a 1987 movie starring Mark Harmon, Kristie Alley and (of course) Courtney Thorne-Smith.

Summer School tells the tale of gym teacher Freddy Shoop (Harmon) who couldn’t like his job less and who, on the final day of the school year, is ready to head off with his girlfriend on vacation. But his plans go awry when a group of summer school students (including Pam, played by Smith) lose their remedial English teacher to a successful lottery draw. Shoop is scammed into becoming the teacher.

Teaching proves difficult, however, and for the first little while Shoop simply lets the kids have fun. But once the principal finds out he issues Shoop an ultimatum: either the kids all pass or he’s out of a job. Shoop buckles down and, in exchange for their studying, he offers each student a different prize (taking one of Lamaze classes, allowing another to throw a party in his house, and letting Pam move in with him). And it seems to work.

However a few of the students still don’t pass the final exam, and he’s on the edge of being canned when the parents come to the rescue, insisting that their kids have improved greatly, whether they passed or not. And the principal has no choice but to accept that verdict.