As for dignity, Corcoran and his “remarkable story” garnered an appearance on the game show “To Tell the Truth” in 1990-91. While that doesn’t automatically call his story into question, it does point up that much of his fame is based on his being an oddity.

Now, it’s entirely possible for someone to hide inside a system which has built-in opportunities for an individual to escape detection…but only if the system doesn’t really want to catch him/her. Students with learning disabilities, for example, have been viewed as a burden by some schools, and so the system tacitly offers ample opportunity to remain invisible. But for a teacher? With a college degree from the pre-1960’s?

It’s a story that is compelling mainly to those predisposed to believe that 1) teachers’ unions are deliberately avoiding merit pay and teacher testing because they have something to hide, and/or that 2) “A Million Little Pieces” is a work of non-fiction.

Not to mention that it is a twisted world we live in when these attributes are making him money by way of writing about them.

Like I said I can appreciate and commend him for coming forward but I cannot let myself think that this is ok, especially as this is one more lesson he has taught… that you can get through school/college by cheating and using friends/wives to help with the disception.

… he did come forward and yes trying to make amends by adovocating. I just would not want this as the example of what happens when you do something like this.