Sep 6, 2019-- Vonda Viland is a mother figure, coach, cheerleader, and counselor. She has to be. As the principal of Black Rock Continuation High School on the edge of California's Mojave Desert, Ms. V--as she's known to her 121 at-risk students has heard countless stories of personal or familial alcohol or drug addiction, chronic truancy, and physical and sexual abuse. Over 90 percent of the school's students live below the poverty line; most have a history of serious disciplinary issues and have fallen too far behind at traditional schools to catch up. As a new documentary about the school titled "The Bad Kids" explains, Black Rock is the students' "last chance." (3939 reads)