The Bad Kids

On a remote patch of the Mojave Desert, amidst dusty tumbleweeds and rangy Joshua Trees, sits an anomaly: a high school where educators believe empathy, life skills, and the constancy of a caring adult are the differences that will give at-risk students command of their fates. On any given day, principal Vonda Viland calls kids at the crack of dawn to see if theyll make it to school. And if they need a ride? Well, shell pick them up. Vonda knows each students challenges and coaches them tirelessly, never fostering false hopes. Her philosophy combines loving compassion with realism, and given her schools rising graduation rate, it seems to be working.