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American Morning

Conflicting Views of No Child Left Behind Act; One Mother's "Extra Effort"

Aired May 06, 2005 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. It's just exactly half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
A little boy is repeating the third grade for the third time. His teacher say he should move up, but he can't, because, they say, of the No Child Left Behind rules. CNN's going to air a documentary this weekend that takes a look at what's really going on in education reform.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also in a moment here, parents dealing with an autistic child may feel alone. In our "Extra Effort" segment this morning, though, we'll tell you about a book -- extraordinary book, too, they say -- about parents, those parents who -- and it may just enlighten us all. So we'll get to it a moment here.

First, the headlines. And back to Carol. News out of Iraq starts us off. Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It does. This news just into CNN. Word of another suicide bombing, this one at a market south of Baghdad. At least 14 people have been killed. In Tikrit earlier, at least seven police officers were killed, three others wounded. This attack part of a surge in violence since the new Iraqi government was announced late month.

Janis Karpinski, the Army Reserve general in charge during the Abu Ghraib prison scandal has been demoted. President Bush lowered Karpinski's standing from brigadier general to colonel. An extensive investigation cleared Karpinski of any direct involvement in the abuse, but found her guilty of neglecting her duty and of shoplifting.

In Missouri, the mother and stepfather accused of killing the little girl once known as Precious Doe are awaiting extradition this morning. Police announced the arrest on Thursday. The man who placed the newspaper ad that led to the break in the case explained why he kept campaigning on behalf of this little girl.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALONZO WASHINGTON, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: The fact that it was so grisly, the fact that it was so grotesque, was the energy and the zeal that we needed to keep this case alive. I mean, over the years, I had began to receive criticism and ridicule because they said, you know, Alonzo's becoming obsessed. He is maybe seeking attention, he's a media hound. So I almost did not take that ad. But, you know, I stayed resilient and I said, this is for Precious Doe because any child thrown away like trash like that, she needs every advocate she can get.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And she had one in him. During the investigation, police were finally able to identify the girl, whose decapitated body was found in a wooded area. We now know her name was Erica Green.

Chicago police are questioning a man suspected of defacing an image some believed to be of the Virgin Mary. Remember this? Crowds have been flocking to the Kennedy Expressway Underpass to see the yellow and white stain in recent weeks. Well, witnesses say a man wrote the words "Big Lie" on the image in black shoe polish, forcing authorities to paint over the image. They said they just absolutely had no other choice.

And Bellamy Road is making a run for the roses. The George Steinbrenner-owned colt, with odds of five to two, is the project winner at tomorrow's Kentucky Derby. Post time for the 131st contest is 6:27 p.m. Eastern. This year's derby boasts a record purses, more than $2 million. And before the break, we asked which Kentucky Derby winner holds the fastest record? The answer is...

HEMMER: C!

COSTELLO: Oh, I knew Bill would know. Mr. Trivial Pursuit.

HEMMER: Everybody knows that.

COSTELLO: I didn't.

HEMMER: Everybody in Kentucky knows that.

COSTELLO: I guess so. That's right. You're near Cincinnati, so you know. You're from there.

HEMMER: Fast track tomorrow. Thank you, Carol.

Getting news now out of Florida, breaking news, too. Earlier in our broadcast we told you about authorities on the look-out for a convicted sex offender by the name of Patrick Bell, who apparently had cut off his own GPS ankle bracelet. They have found him and arrested him.

Last night, shortly before 9:00 in the evening in Tallahassee, Florida, he was picked up walking down the street. So Patrick Wayne Bell now back in custody. His mother had said that the state failed to find a suitable place for him to live, but at this point he'll be back with authorities. Patrick Wayne Bell, arrested in Tallahassee last night -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Bill, thanks.

Well, supporters of the No Child Left Behind Act say it will dramatically improve the country's worst performing schools, but many on the front lines, the students and the teachers and the parents, tell a different story. This Sunday, CNN presents "High Stakes: The Battle to Save Our Schools." Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have to get up at 6:00 and go to the bus stop at 7:15, get to (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every morning, Melvin Love Jr. (ph) travels to school from the cramped apartment where he lives with his mother and three siblings.

Like every third grader in the state, Melvin must pass the Florida comprehensive assessment test, or F-CAT, to be promoted to the fourth grade.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a lot of test-taking in school. We take tests every week and I don't like it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What Melvin really doesn't like are the consequences of his test scores.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I got my last report card, it said on the thing that I am retained in third grade.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most third graders are 8 or 9 years old. But Melvin is 11. That's because he has been held back three times.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me the life span of a star fish. Average life span. Melvin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seven.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Melvin is a student who I think could have handled fourth grade. He is at the top of our class. If a teacher would have had a say, he would have been in the fourth grade, and he would be just fine in fourth grade. But now he becomes another statistic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Melvin is just one of the 45,000 third graders across the state of Florida who failed the F-CAT last year.

At Melvin's school, Blanton Elementary, 41 percent of the third grade class flunked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, today, we're going to take our math practice F-CAT test.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get nervous when I take the test. There is a lot of pressure on kids.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you think about retaining a child in a grade, it is a social death. They don't move forward. If a child is retained once in a grade, there is a 50 percent chance that they will be dropouts. Twice, it's a virtual certainty. Up to 90 percent. This then becomes a pathway to the criminal justice system. Not that all of them end up there, but rather that in the criminal justice system, about 90 percent or more of them are dropouts from school. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But promoting children who fail is worse, according to Jay Greene of the Manhattan Institute.

JAY GREENE, MANHATTAN INSTITUTE: What actually produces positive psychological development is actually learning the skills that you're supposed to learn. And so, telling students, lying to students essentially by saying you're ready to go to the next grade even if you're not, doesn't even help them emotionally.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That was a piece from "CNN Presents." "High stakes: The Battle to Save Our Schools." It premieres this Sunday night. Stanley Nelson is the award-winning filmmaker who's behind the documentary. He's with us this morning.

This is such a heart-breaking story. But at issue is the question, that I think has been raised, which is, if this little boy, Melvin, is smart enough to go on to the fourth grade, why is he not passing the test?

STANLEY NELSON, FILMMAKER: Well, I think there's a number of reasons why he might not be passing the test. I mean, you know, this is a really high-stakes test, so you know, you're giving to a third grader. He could just be really nervous and not pass it because he's nervous. That could be one reason.

O'BRIEN: Do you help him, though, by moving him to fourth grade? The teacher seemed to think, hey, he could do the work in fourth grade. But then at fourth grade, there's another test, end of fifth grade, there's another test.

NELSON: Well, I think the thing is, though, that Melvin is doing all he can do. If he's getting A's and B's, if he's passing the tests that the school gives, you know, the in-class tests, then he's doing what he's supposed to do. I think the problem is that Melvin is being punished for the failure of his school.

O'BRIEN: And of course, there's no question. You look at how sad he looks when he's even discussing this. I mean, the fears of about how this is damaging him. I think one administrator called it a social death to be left back just once.

NELSON: Uh-huh. Yes, and in Florida, where he is, there's a whole program now that the school is instituting to try and help kids, third-graders, who are being left back. I mean, they left back, I think, 45,000 third-graders last year in Florida alone.

O'BRIEN: So what happens to Melvin and kids like Melvin? I mean, he goes now into this special program. And what if he doesn't sort of make it through that? What happens to this nice kid?

NELSON: Well, he's already been left back twice. So if Melvin never gets left back again, he won't graduate high school until he's 20 years old. And as the woman says in the clip, you know, there's over a 90 percent chance that he'll drop out before he gets to high school. So the question is, are we helping Melvin or hurting him?

O'BRIEN: Such high stakes, too, because, of course, at the bottom of all this is the context of money.

NELSON: Right. And I think that that's one of the real problems. You know, we are basing, you know, our children's education on money. And that's really hurting them.

O'BRIEN: And it looks like a remarkable film. And I'm looking forward to seeing it. Thank you. Stanley Nelson, nice to have you.

NELSON: OH, thank you. It's my pleasure.

O'BRIEN: Well, "CNN Presents," "High Stakes: The Battle to Save Our Schools" is going to premiere this Sunday. That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. Make sure you watch it -- Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, as you were talking, we're getting some information from here in New York City. Lower Manhattan, in fact. The Manhattan Bridge has been closed. Authorities on the scene looking into some sort of suspicious package. We're also told it was found on the subway. That subway, I believe, in that portion of Manhattan Bridge is -- goes right above the river, so it would make sense possibly that the subway would actually be on the bridge itself, or on the tracks anyway.

This is lower Manhattan, that connects lower Manhattan with Brooklyn, along the Q line, the Q train that runs in that part of New York City. So, do not have much more information other than that and that live picture you're looking at right now. But they're checking out the suspicious package as we talk here. More when we get it.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: In a moment, the challenges of motherhood intensified by a medical disorder understood by so many.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joey in particular with the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning, and I know he will be the very last thing that I think of as I draw my last breath.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: One mother's fight to help her son and thousands of other children just like him dealing with autism. Her "Extra Effort" is our focus, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Business news now. Bangladesh getting a boost from a billionaire, and it's derby time, especially for Visa. With those stories, plus a look at the markets, Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."

Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.

Stocks trading up this hour, as you might expect, because we had that jobs report at 8:30 that came in well above expectations. Dow up 47 points there. 274,000 jobs added for the month of April. Unemployment rate stays steady. That's well above 100,000-plus jobs, more than we expected. That's good news.

Paul Allen is the co-founder of Microsoft and a billionaire with a $21 billion fortune. There he is. This morning announcing he's investing $1.6 billion in the nation of Bangladesh -- interesting stuff -- to build power plants and fertilizer plants. He's going to build power plants equivalent to produce the equivalent of 50 percent of the nation's capacity right now. I mean, it's a huge -- one of the biggest investments ever in this country. Half the nation lives below the poverty level. The third largest population of poor people, right after India and China. So a big move for him. It will be interesting.

And now let's talk about the running of the roses. That is tomorrow, of course, the Kentucky Derby. And we have some derby news. We have George Steinbrenner's horse here. He's got to do something that's going to do well this spring, because the Yankees sure aren't, by the way. Visa will be ending its sponsorship of the Triple Crown, which it's had since 1996. And there's a good reason why it's ends its sponsorship of the Triple Crown, because no one's won the Triple crown since 1978 when Affirmed got that title. Visa will be the sponsor of the Kentucky Derby starting next year. And, again, we're going to have a horse...

HEMMER: But they were offering cash, right, if you do it? How much?

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: I don't know. Yes, I think it was something like that. I'm not sure exactly what it was. So they got publicity for saying that, and of course they never had to produce.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Because you need the -- handing over of the check is the shot that everybody wants.

(CROSSTALK)

SERWER: ... the payoff, so to speak.

O'BRIEN: Yes. Thanks, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: One more batch with Jack and the Question of the Day.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, if you don't have any weekend plans, the kids at MIT in Massachusetts are holding a time-travel conference this weekend. You may want to book some tickets for that. We thought we'd ask in conjunction with that -- it's a good piece in the "Times" today about it -- if you could travel through time, where would you go?

"Destry Rides Again." That was the name of a Zain Gray (ph) book. Destry in New York, "I'd travel back in time to ensure Jack has a better childhood so he's not so grumpy."

Tim in Des Moines, Iowa -- this is good -- "I would go eight hours into the future, then the workday would be over. I wouldn't have to attend all the meetings that are on my schedule, and the weekend would just be beginning. And then on Monday morning, I'd go back 64 hours and do it again, and again and again."

And James in Jersey city writes, "Well, I shouldn't wouldn't go to that convention again. What a snooze."

O'BRIEN: That is brilliant.

SERWER: That's very cute. A lot of people thinking, you know?

O'BRIEN: That is very clever.

HEMMER: What's happening this weekend?

CAFFERTY: "IN THE MONEY," we present this fine business program on Saturday and Sunday, at 1:00 to 3:00. Time was 50-year-olds at a company have the most job security than anyone. Now they have the least. And on "IN THE MONEY" this weekend, we'll talk about why that is with the author of a new "Fortune" magazine piece entitled "Permanent Vacation, 50 and Fired." That's tomorrow at 1:00 and Sunday at 3:00. Hope you'll join us.

HEMMER: Good topic. And a fine program, every week.

O'BRIEN: Yes, it is.

HEMMER: Every weekend. Thanks.

O'BRIEN: Well, "CNN LIVE TODAY" coming up next. Let's get right to Daryn Kagan, talk about what they're working on this morning. Hello. Good morning.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

First, I can answer your Triple Crown question: $5 million is the payout.

SERWER: Thank you, Daryn.

You're welcome, Andy. Here to serve.

KAGAN: Coming up at the top of the hour. He is a former cop. Now he is an accused murderer. We're going to go beyond the headlines for more on this dangerous fugitive, who's the focus of an international manhunt.

And speaking of the Kentucky Derby, very heartfelt story coming up. One of the horses, Afleet (ph) Alex, you might not know this. This horse is named for a courageous little girl, Alex Scott, an amazing story behind this horse's race to the finish line. We're going to have it for you on "CNN LIVE TODAY" just ahead, talk with Alex Scott's mom.

O'BRIEN: All right. All right, Daryn. Looking forward to that. Thanks.

Many people don't really understand what life is like for an autistic child. Coming up this morning, we're going to meet a mother who is offering an unusual glimpse at some of the faces and the souls of autism. A closer look at her "Extra Effort." And we're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: A mom making a difference in the fight against autism. Sharon Rosenbloom is the mother of an autistic child and she is helping to raise awareness of the disorder with a new book. And in an "Extra Effort," she is donating some of her profits to researchers. Dr. Sanjay Gupta's got her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Won't that put blips in the schedule, Mom?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Baby, really, you're bribing me, aren't you?

SHARON ROSENBLOOM, MOTHER OF CHILD WITH AUTISM: Joey in particular is the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and I know he will be the very last thing that I think of as I draw my last breath.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's because Sharon Rosenbloom's 17-year-old son Joey has autism. Children diagnosed under the vast description of autism spectrum disorder suffer from a neurological disorder. They often display repetitive behavior, lack social skills and have difficulty communicating. They have a very hard time showing their emotions without therapy. They may not even speak.

So for Sharon, husband Bob and their 14-year-old daughter Raya (ph), Joey's autism has shaped all of their lives.

ROSENBLOOM: The challenges and the struggles bring their own joy, with Joey, but they also allow me the ability to have a profound appreciation for things that people just take so for granted.

GUPTA: For the past 15 years, Sharon, who's also a speech therapist, has worked with Joey and other children with autism.

ROSENBLOOM: I was outraged at people's perceptions of individuals with autism. And I thought if I could do one thing, it would be to talk about autism from a different vantage point, to write something for parents that would be a voice for them.

GUPTA: So Sharon wrote a book, and with the help of photographer Thomas Balsamo (ph), shared some of her thoughts. These remarkable pictures are all of children with autism.

ROSENBLOOM: People with autism do not experience the world as other do. They don't experience the world in the same way. And that's important to understand, so that we can better help them.

GUPTA: The book is intense, offering an unusual glimpse at some of the faces and into the souls of autism. Some of Balsamo's (ph) portraits and Sharon's words were also turned into a DVD.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Lying here with you...

GUPTA: And the images show children smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Looking in your eyes...

GUPTA (on camera): As children writes in her book, and perhaps the most important lesson: "Just because children with autism have difficulty showing their emotions doesn't mean they don't have emotions."

ROSENBLOOM: Nothing of this world compares with the embrace of a person with autism.

GUPTA: According to the CDC, some studies suggests one in 166 children in the U.S. have some form of autism, and boys outnumber girls four to one.

ROSENBLOOM: I think one of the big frustrations for those of us in the trenches is, if one in every 166 children in this country were being kidnapped, would someone do something about it? That there's not more outrage, that there's an indifference.

GUPTA: But Sharon uses her frustration to help others. Sometimes the pictures are enough.

ROSENBLOOM: I can only imagine what I am to become because of, not in spite of, my child with autism.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: The book's publisher, McGraw Hill, is also making an extra effort. It's donating proceeds from Rosenbloom's book to her Ray of Hope research group.

Well, another story of motherhood. Mother's Day is this weekend, of course. "CNN SUNDAY MORNING" is going to take a look at the debate that's raged ever since women entered the workforce by the millions. Is it wrong for moms to work outside the home? The author of "The Truth Behind the Mommy Wars" takes a look at that. He joins CNN live to take a look at what's best for the kids. That's CNN Sunday morning, 9:00 Eastern.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Before we get out of here, we want to check in with Aaron Brown, figure out what's happening later tonight on "NEWSNIGHT." Here's Aaron.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill. Tonight on "NEWSNIGHT," they were children of the Third Reicht, conceived to be leaders of the next Reicht. 60 years later, one of those children is coming to grips with her terrifying heritage.

We'll tell you her story, plus other stories from one of the darkest chapters in history. That and all the other day's news, morning papers and everything else that makes "NEWSNIGHT," "NEWSNIGHT." CNN tonight, 10:00 p.m. Eastern -- Bill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: About 12 hours. Aaron, thanks for that.

O'BRIEN: That's it. We're out of time. On a Friday, so we're really out of time.

COSTELLO: So we're really just out of here.

O'BRIEN: We're really outty, as they say. Guys, we'll see you back here on Monday. Let's get right to Daryn Kagan. She's at the CNN Center, going to take you through the next few hours on "CNN LIVE TODAY." Daryn, good morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired May 6, 2005 - 09:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. It's just exactly half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
A little boy is repeating the third grade for the third time. His teacher say he should move up, but he can't, because, they say, of the No Child Left Behind rules. CNN's going to air a documentary this weekend that takes a look at what's really going on in education reform.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also in a moment here, parents dealing with an autistic child may feel alone. In our "Extra Effort" segment this morning, though, we'll tell you about a book -- extraordinary book, too, they say -- about parents, those parents who -- and it may just enlighten us all. So we'll get to it a moment here.

First, the headlines. And back to Carol. News out of Iraq starts us off. Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It does. This news just into CNN. Word of another suicide bombing, this one at a market south of Baghdad. At least 14 people have been killed. In Tikrit earlier, at least seven police officers were killed, three others wounded. This attack part of a surge in violence since the new Iraqi government was announced late month.

Janis Karpinski, the Army Reserve general in charge during the Abu Ghraib prison scandal has been demoted. President Bush lowered Karpinski's standing from brigadier general to colonel. An extensive investigation cleared Karpinski of any direct involvement in the abuse, but found her guilty of neglecting her duty and of shoplifting.

In Missouri, the mother and stepfather accused of killing the little girl once known as Precious Doe are awaiting extradition this morning. Police announced the arrest on Thursday. The man who placed the newspaper ad that led to the break in the case explained why he kept campaigning on behalf of this little girl.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALONZO WASHINGTON, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: The fact that it was so grisly, the fact that it was so grotesque, was the energy and the zeal that we needed to keep this case alive. I mean, over the years, I had began to receive criticism and ridicule because they said, you know, Alonzo's becoming obsessed. He is maybe seeking attention, he's a media hound. So I almost did not take that ad. But, you know, I stayed resilient and I said, this is for Precious Doe because any child thrown away like trash like that, she needs every advocate she can get.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And she had one in him. During the investigation, police were finally able to identify the girl, whose decapitated body was found in a wooded area. We now know her name was Erica Green.

Chicago police are questioning a man suspected of defacing an image some believed to be of the Virgin Mary. Remember this? Crowds have been flocking to the Kennedy Expressway Underpass to see the yellow and white stain in recent weeks. Well, witnesses say a man wrote the words "Big Lie" on the image in black shoe polish, forcing authorities to paint over the image. They said they just absolutely had no other choice.

And Bellamy Road is making a run for the roses. The George Steinbrenner-owned colt, with odds of five to two, is the project winner at tomorrow's Kentucky Derby. Post time for the 131st contest is 6:27 p.m. Eastern. This year's derby boasts a record purses, more than $2 million. And before the break, we asked which Kentucky Derby winner holds the fastest record? The answer is...

HEMMER: C!

COSTELLO: Oh, I knew Bill would know. Mr. Trivial Pursuit.

HEMMER: Everybody knows that.

COSTELLO: I didn't.

HEMMER: Everybody in Kentucky knows that.

COSTELLO: I guess so. That's right. You're near Cincinnati, so you know. You're from there.

HEMMER: Fast track tomorrow. Thank you, Carol.

Getting news now out of Florida, breaking news, too. Earlier in our broadcast we told you about authorities on the look-out for a convicted sex offender by the name of Patrick Bell, who apparently had cut off his own GPS ankle bracelet. They have found him and arrested him.

Last night, shortly before 9:00 in the evening in Tallahassee, Florida, he was picked up walking down the street. So Patrick Wayne Bell now back in custody. His mother had said that the state failed to find a suitable place for him to live, but at this point he'll be back with authorities. Patrick Wayne Bell, arrested in Tallahassee last night -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Bill, thanks.

Well, supporters of the No Child Left Behind Act say it will dramatically improve the country's worst performing schools, but many on the front lines, the students and the teachers and the parents, tell a different story. This Sunday, CNN presents "High Stakes: The Battle to Save Our Schools." Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have to get up at 6:00 and go to the bus stop at 7:15, get to (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every morning, Melvin Love Jr. (ph) travels to school from the cramped apartment where he lives with his mother and three siblings.

Like every third grader in the state, Melvin must pass the Florida comprehensive assessment test, or F-CAT, to be promoted to the fourth grade.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a lot of test-taking in school. We take tests every week and I don't like it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What Melvin really doesn't like are the consequences of his test scores.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I got my last report card, it said on the thing that I am retained in third grade.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most third graders are 8 or 9 years old. But Melvin is 11. That's because he has been held back three times.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me the life span of a star fish. Average life span. Melvin.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seven.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Melvin is a student who I think could have handled fourth grade. He is at the top of our class. If a teacher would have had a say, he would have been in the fourth grade, and he would be just fine in fourth grade. But now he becomes another statistic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Melvin is just one of the 45,000 third graders across the state of Florida who failed the F-CAT last year.

At Melvin's school, Blanton Elementary, 41 percent of the third grade class flunked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, today, we're going to take our math practice F-CAT test.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get nervous when I take the test. There is a lot of pressure on kids.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you think about retaining a child in a grade, it is a social death. They don't move forward. If a child is retained once in a grade, there is a 50 percent chance that they will be dropouts. Twice, it's a virtual certainty. Up to 90 percent. This then becomes a pathway to the criminal justice system. Not that all of them end up there, but rather that in the criminal justice system, about 90 percent or more of them are dropouts from school. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But promoting children who fail is worse, according to Jay Greene of the Manhattan Institute.

JAY GREENE, MANHATTAN INSTITUTE: What actually produces positive psychological development is actually learning the skills that you're supposed to learn. And so, telling students, lying to students essentially by saying you're ready to go to the next grade even if you're not, doesn't even help them emotionally.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That was a piece from "CNN Presents." "High stakes: The Battle to Save Our Schools." It premieres this Sunday night. Stanley Nelson is the award-winning filmmaker who's behind the documentary. He's with us this morning.

This is such a heart-breaking story. But at issue is the question, that I think has been raised, which is, if this little boy, Melvin, is smart enough to go on to the fourth grade, why is he not passing the test?

STANLEY NELSON, FILMMAKER: Well, I think there's a number of reasons why he might not be passing the test. I mean, you know, this is a really high-stakes test, so you know, you're giving to a third grader. He could just be really nervous and not pass it because he's nervous. That could be one reason.

O'BRIEN: Do you help him, though, by moving him to fourth grade? The teacher seemed to think, hey, he could do the work in fourth grade. But then at fourth grade, there's another test, end of fifth grade, there's another test.

NELSON: Well, I think the thing is, though, that Melvin is doing all he can do. If he's getting A's and B's, if he's passing the tests that the school gives, you know, the in-class tests, then he's doing what he's supposed to do. I think the problem is that Melvin is being punished for the failure of his school.

O'BRIEN: And of course, there's no question. You look at how sad he looks when he's even discussing this. I mean, the fears of about how this is damaging him. I think one administrator called it a social death to be left back just once.

NELSON: Uh-huh. Yes, and in Florida, where he is, there's a whole program now that the school is instituting to try and help kids, third-graders, who are being left back. I mean, they left back, I think, 45,000 third-graders last year in Florida alone.

O'BRIEN: So what happens to Melvin and kids like Melvin? I mean, he goes now into this special program. And what if he doesn't sort of make it through that? What happens to this nice kid?

NELSON: Well, he's already been left back twice. So if Melvin never gets left back again, he won't graduate high school until he's 20 years old. And as the woman says in the clip, you know, there's over a 90 percent chance that he'll drop out before he gets to high school. So the question is, are we helping Melvin or hurting him?

O'BRIEN: Such high stakes, too, because, of course, at the bottom of all this is the context of money.

NELSON: Right. And I think that that's one of the real problems. You know, we are basing, you know, our children's education on money. And that's really hurting them.

O'BRIEN: And it looks like a remarkable film. And I'm looking forward to seeing it. Thank you. Stanley Nelson, nice to have you.

NELSON: OH, thank you. It's my pleasure.

O'BRIEN: Well, "CNN Presents," "High Stakes: The Battle to Save Our Schools" is going to premiere this Sunday. That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. Make sure you watch it -- Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, as you were talking, we're getting some information from here in New York City. Lower Manhattan, in fact. The Manhattan Bridge has been closed. Authorities on the scene looking into some sort of suspicious package. We're also told it was found on the subway. That subway, I believe, in that portion of Manhattan Bridge is -- goes right above the river, so it would make sense possibly that the subway would actually be on the bridge itself, or on the tracks anyway.

This is lower Manhattan, that connects lower Manhattan with Brooklyn, along the Q line, the Q train that runs in that part of New York City. So, do not have much more information other than that and that live picture you're looking at right now. But they're checking out the suspicious package as we talk here. More when we get it.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: In a moment, the challenges of motherhood intensified by a medical disorder understood by so many.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joey in particular with the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning, and I know he will be the very last thing that I think of as I draw my last breath.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: One mother's fight to help her son and thousands of other children just like him dealing with autism. Her "Extra Effort" is our focus, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Business news now. Bangladesh getting a boost from a billionaire, and it's derby time, especially for Visa. With those stories, plus a look at the markets, Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."

Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Soledad.

Stocks trading up this hour, as you might expect, because we had that jobs report at 8:30 that came in well above expectations. Dow up 47 points there. 274,000 jobs added for the month of April. Unemployment rate stays steady. That's well above 100,000-plus jobs, more than we expected. That's good news.

Paul Allen is the co-founder of Microsoft and a billionaire with a $21 billion fortune. There he is. This morning announcing he's investing $1.6 billion in the nation of Bangladesh -- interesting stuff -- to build power plants and fertilizer plants. He's going to build power plants equivalent to produce the equivalent of 50 percent of the nation's capacity right now. I mean, it's a huge -- one of the biggest investments ever in this country. Half the nation lives below the poverty level. The third largest population of poor people, right after India and China. So a big move for him. It will be interesting.

And now let's talk about the running of the roses. That is tomorrow, of course, the Kentucky Derby. And we have some derby news. We have George Steinbrenner's horse here. He's got to do something that's going to do well this spring, because the Yankees sure aren't, by the way. Visa will be ending its sponsorship of the Triple Crown, which it's had since 1996. And there's a good reason why it's ends its sponsorship of the Triple Crown, because no one's won the Triple crown since 1978 when Affirmed got that title. Visa will be the sponsor of the Kentucky Derby starting next year. And, again, we're going to have a horse...

HEMMER: But they were offering cash, right, if you do it? How much?

(CROSSTALK)

CAFFERTY: I don't know. Yes, I think it was something like that. I'm not sure exactly what it was. So they got publicity for saying that, and of course they never had to produce.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Because you need the -- handing over of the check is the shot that everybody wants.

(CROSSTALK)

SERWER: ... the payoff, so to speak.

O'BRIEN: Yes. Thanks, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: One more batch with Jack and the Question of the Day.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, if you don't have any weekend plans, the kids at MIT in Massachusetts are holding a time-travel conference this weekend. You may want to book some tickets for that. We thought we'd ask in conjunction with that -- it's a good piece in the "Times" today about it -- if you could travel through time, where would you go?

"Destry Rides Again." That was the name of a Zain Gray (ph) book. Destry in New York, "I'd travel back in time to ensure Jack has a better childhood so he's not so grumpy."

Tim in Des Moines, Iowa -- this is good -- "I would go eight hours into the future, then the workday would be over. I wouldn't have to attend all the meetings that are on my schedule, and the weekend would just be beginning. And then on Monday morning, I'd go back 64 hours and do it again, and again and again."

And James in Jersey city writes, "Well, I shouldn't wouldn't go to that convention again. What a snooze."

O'BRIEN: That is brilliant.

SERWER: That's very cute. A lot of people thinking, you know?

O'BRIEN: That is very clever.

HEMMER: What's happening this weekend?

CAFFERTY: "IN THE MONEY," we present this fine business program on Saturday and Sunday, at 1:00 to 3:00. Time was 50-year-olds at a company have the most job security than anyone. Now they have the least. And on "IN THE MONEY" this weekend, we'll talk about why that is with the author of a new "Fortune" magazine piece entitled "Permanent Vacation, 50 and Fired." That's tomorrow at 1:00 and Sunday at 3:00. Hope you'll join us.

HEMMER: Good topic. And a fine program, every week.

O'BRIEN: Yes, it is.

HEMMER: Every weekend. Thanks.

O'BRIEN: Well, "CNN LIVE TODAY" coming up next. Let's get right to Daryn Kagan, talk about what they're working on this morning. Hello. Good morning.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

First, I can answer your Triple Crown question: $5 million is the payout.

SERWER: Thank you, Daryn.

You're welcome, Andy. Here to serve.

KAGAN: Coming up at the top of the hour. He is a former cop. Now he is an accused murderer. We're going to go beyond the headlines for more on this dangerous fugitive, who's the focus of an international manhunt.

And speaking of the Kentucky Derby, very heartfelt story coming up. One of the horses, Afleet (ph) Alex, you might not know this. This horse is named for a courageous little girl, Alex Scott, an amazing story behind this horse's race to the finish line. We're going to have it for you on "CNN LIVE TODAY" just ahead, talk with Alex Scott's mom.

O'BRIEN: All right. All right, Daryn. Looking forward to that. Thanks.

Many people don't really understand what life is like for an autistic child. Coming up this morning, we're going to meet a mother who is offering an unusual glimpse at some of the faces and the souls of autism. A closer look at her "Extra Effort." And we're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: A mom making a difference in the fight against autism. Sharon Rosenbloom is the mother of an autistic child and she is helping to raise awareness of the disorder with a new book. And in an "Extra Effort," she is donating some of her profits to researchers. Dr. Sanjay Gupta's got her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Won't that put blips in the schedule, Mom?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Baby, really, you're bribing me, aren't you?

SHARON ROSENBLOOM, MOTHER OF CHILD WITH AUTISM: Joey in particular is the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and I know he will be the very last thing that I think of as I draw my last breath.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's because Sharon Rosenbloom's 17-year-old son Joey has autism. Children diagnosed under the vast description of autism spectrum disorder suffer from a neurological disorder. They often display repetitive behavior, lack social skills and have difficulty communicating. They have a very hard time showing their emotions without therapy. They may not even speak.

So for Sharon, husband Bob and their 14-year-old daughter Raya (ph), Joey's autism has shaped all of their lives.

ROSENBLOOM: The challenges and the struggles bring their own joy, with Joey, but they also allow me the ability to have a profound appreciation for things that people just take so for granted.

GUPTA: For the past 15 years, Sharon, who's also a speech therapist, has worked with Joey and other children with autism.

ROSENBLOOM: I was outraged at people's perceptions of individuals with autism. And I thought if I could do one thing, it would be to talk about autism from a different vantage point, to write something for parents that would be a voice for them.

GUPTA: So Sharon wrote a book, and with the help of photographer Thomas Balsamo (ph), shared some of her thoughts. These remarkable pictures are all of children with autism.

ROSENBLOOM: People with autism do not experience the world as other do. They don't experience the world in the same way. And that's important to understand, so that we can better help them.

GUPTA: The book is intense, offering an unusual glimpse at some of the faces and into the souls of autism. Some of Balsamo's (ph) portraits and Sharon's words were also turned into a DVD.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Lying here with you...

GUPTA: And the images show children smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Looking in your eyes...

GUPTA (on camera): As children writes in her book, and perhaps the most important lesson: "Just because children with autism have difficulty showing their emotions doesn't mean they don't have emotions."

ROSENBLOOM: Nothing of this world compares with the embrace of a person with autism.

GUPTA: According to the CDC, some studies suggests one in 166 children in the U.S. have some form of autism, and boys outnumber girls four to one.

ROSENBLOOM: I think one of the big frustrations for those of us in the trenches is, if one in every 166 children in this country were being kidnapped, would someone do something about it? That there's not more outrage, that there's an indifference.

GUPTA: But Sharon uses her frustration to help others. Sometimes the pictures are enough.

ROSENBLOOM: I can only imagine what I am to become because of, not in spite of, my child with autism.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: The book's publisher, McGraw Hill, is also making an extra effort. It's donating proceeds from Rosenbloom's book to her Ray of Hope research group.

Well, another story of motherhood. Mother's Day is this weekend, of course. "CNN SUNDAY MORNING" is going to take a look at the debate that's raged ever since women entered the workforce by the millions. Is it wrong for moms to work outside the home? The author of "The Truth Behind the Mommy Wars" takes a look at that. He joins CNN live to take a look at what's best for the kids. That's CNN Sunday morning, 9:00 Eastern.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Before we get out of here, we want to check in with Aaron Brown, figure out what's happening later tonight on "NEWSNIGHT." Here's Aaron.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill. Tonight on "NEWSNIGHT," they were children of the Third Reicht, conceived to be leaders of the next Reicht. 60 years later, one of those children is coming to grips with her terrifying heritage.

We'll tell you her story, plus other stories from one of the darkest chapters in history. That and all the other day's news, morning papers and everything else that makes "NEWSNIGHT," "NEWSNIGHT." CNN tonight, 10:00 p.m. Eastern -- Bill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: About 12 hours. Aaron, thanks for that.

O'BRIEN: That's it. We're out of time. On a Friday, so we're really out of time.

COSTELLO: So we're really just out of here.

O'BRIEN: We're really outty, as they say. Guys, we'll see you back here on Monday. Let's get right to Daryn Kagan. She's at the CNN Center, going to take you through the next few hours on "CNN LIVE TODAY." Daryn, good morning.

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