A contentious battle for a spot on Penn State's board of trustees is dividing the university's alumni community. While some candidates and alums focus on the past, others want to push beyond the abuse scandal that shook the school over the last two years. With so much at stake for the much-loved school, some say the board of trustees election is playing out more like a contentious political race for mayor or Congress, not just a spot on a university board.

May 1 is when high school seniors have to send in their deposits to colleges to signal their decision to go there. Morning Edition visits Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C. to hear from Eli Clarke at the College Counseling Office, and two high school seniors, about their choices.

Suspensions in middle and high schools across the U.S. have risen dramatically in recent years. Two million students were suspended during the 2009 school year, and boys of color and children with disabilities were suspended at much higher rates than others. Host Michel Martin speaks with Daniel Losen, lead author of the new report "Out of School and Off Track," about why kids are being suspended and how that can affect them in the future.