Latino and black students are punished more harshly and are suspended at much higher rates than other groups, while having less access to challenging classes and more experienced teachers.

In an undisclosed location in the college town of Athens, Georgia, a group of students quietly gather in secret. They are aspiring professors, diplomats and engineers who have been banned from Georgia's top five public universities. The students are undocumented.

As the war on drugs enters its sixth year, it's bringing a new problem to Texas schools: Thousands of students suffering from emotional troubles not unlike those endured by soldiers returning from battle. In response, some districts have started offering the type of classes and counseling more common to the military.

The surge in Hispanic students across the nation is forcing schools to reckon with a deep shortage of teachers who share their cultural heritage.

Nationwide, the percentage of Latino children enrolled in pre-school significantly decreased from 2005 to 2009 as the economic recession took hold. The drop-off could have been as high as 10 percent, jeopardizing efforts to close achievement gaps in early childhood education between Latinos and other ethnic groups.