Contemporary drama dealing with an orphaned teenager trapped in an antiquated juvenile disciplinary system and the efforts of the institution's superintendent and a sympathetic teacher to get that system changed.

Cicely Tyson was Emmy-nominated as Outstanding Actress for her portrait of a Chicago schoolteacher whose remarkable achievements with black children labelled "unteachable" were spotlighted in a 1979 "60 Minutes" segment about how she became disillusioned with the traditional school system and decided to work outside of it, transforming her students into young scholars through her unique teaching style.