Inspiring mentors and idealized educators abound in fiction — from To Sir With Love to Stand and Deliver. But principal Vonda Viland of Black Rock High School in the California desert is the real deal. Directors Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe (the brilliant Lost in La Mancha) document the vibrant, highly watchable Viland as she cajoles, prods, and sometimes prevails in a series of dramas. Will new teen father Lee be able to come into his own while trying to do the right thing? Can Joey overcome his family’s legacy of drug addiction? Forthright and creatively told The Bad Kids forces us to stare between the strands of our societal safety net, balancing despair and hope as some kids fall through while others are caught. Fulton and Pepe have created a tribute to the essential work of caring adults and the ongoing difficulty of finding one’s place in the world. (PS) Presented by the University of Missouri