[Anyone] Why tommy can't read.

[anubis at laplaza.org]

Geez, Mikey, you restore my faith in bottom feeders; I thought the Weekly World News tabloid went 
belly up, but look what "Sea Cucumber" Mikey dragged up from somewhere. - Somewhat funny and 
totally irrelevant, as usual. 


Mike in Taos <mikeintaos at hotmail.com> said:

> 
> Now I understand why tommy can't read.
> 
> 
> 
> Retired Teacher Reveals He Was Illiterate Until Age 48
> 
> OCEANSIDE, Calif. -- John Corcoran graduated from college and taught high school for 17 years 
without being able to read, write or spell.
> 
> Corcoran's life of secrecy started at a young age. He said his teachers moved him up from grade to 
grade. Often placed in what he calls the "dumb row," the images of his tribulations in the classroom 
are still vividly clear.
> 
> "I can remember when I was 8 years old saying my prayers at night saying, 'please, God, tomorrow 
when it's my turn to read please let me read.' You just pretend that you are invisible and when the 
teacher says, 'Johnnie read,' you just wait the teacher out because you know the teacher has to go 
away at some point," said Corcoran.
> 
> Corcoran eventually started acting up to hide his illiteracy. From fifth through seventh grade he 
was expelled, suspended and spent most of his days at the principal's office.
> 
> The former teacher said he came from a loving family that always supported him.
> 
> "My parents came to school and it no longer was a problem for me reading because this boy 
Johnnie the -- native alien I call him -- he didn't have a reading problem as far as the teachers were 
concerned. He had an emotional problem. He had a psychological problem. He had a behavioral 
problem," said Corcoran.
> 
> Corcoran later attended Palo Verde High School in Blythe, Calif. He cheated his way through high 
school, receiving his diploma in June 1956.
> 
> "When I was a child I was just sort of just moved along when I got to high school I wanted to 
participate in athletics. At that time in high school I went underground. I decided to behave myself 
and do what it took. I started cheating by turning in other peoples' paper, dated the valedictorian, 
and ran around with college prep kids," said Corcoran.
> 
> "I couldn't read words but I could read the system and I could read people," adds Corcoran.
> 
> He stole tests and persuaded friends to complete his assignments. Corcoran earned an athletic 
scholarship to Texas Western College. He said his cheating intensified, claiming he cheated in every 
class.
> 
> "I passed a bluebook out the window to a friend I painstakingly copied four essay questions off the 
board in U.S. government class that was required, and hoped my friend would get it back to me with 
the right answers," Corcoran said.
> 
> In 1961, Corcoran graduated with a bachelor's degree in education, while still illiterate he 
contends. He then went on to become a teacher during a teacher shortage.
> 
> "When I graduated from the university, the school district in El Paso, where I went to school, gave 
almost all the college education graduates a job," said Corcoran.
> 
> For 17 years Corcoran taught high school for the Oceanside School District. Relying on teacher's 
assistants for help and oral lesson plans, he said he did a great job at teaching his students.
> 
> "What I did was I created an oral and visual environment. There wasn't the written word in there. I 
always had two or three teacher's assistants in each class to do board work or read the bulletin," said 
Corcoran.
> 
> In retrospect, Corcoran said, his deceit took him a long time to accept.
> 
> "As a teacher it really made me sick to think that I was a teacher who couldn't read. It is 
embarrassing for me, and it's embarrassing for this nation and it's embarrassing for schools that 
we're failing to teach our children how to read, write and spell!"
> 
> While still teaching, Corcoran dabbled in real estate. He was granted a leave of absence, eventually 
becoming a successful real estate developer.
> 
> It wasn't until he was 48 years old that he gave reading and writing another chance. He drove to an 
inconspicuous office with a sign he couldn't read. He studied and worked with a tutor at the Literacy 
Center of Carlsbad. Assigned to a 65-year-old volunteer tutor, Eleanor Condit, he was able to read 
at a sixth-grade level within a year.
> 
> "I'm just an optimistic hopeful person that believes in the impossible and miracles," said Corcoran.
> 
> Carlsbad City Library literacy coordinator Carrie Scott said people of all walks of life go through the 
reading program, including teachers.
> 
> Corcoran is now an education advocate.
> 
> "I believe that illiteracy in America is a form of child neglect and child abuse and the child is 
blamed and they carry the shame, if we just teach our people how to read we'd give them a fair 
chance," Corcoran said.
> _________________________________________________________________
> Helping your favorite cause is as easy as instant messaging.�You IM, we give.
> http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Home/?source=text_hotmail_join
> _______________________________________________
> Anyone mailing list
> Anyone at laplaza.org
> http://lists.laplaza.org/mailman/listinfo/anyone
> 



--