Illiterate Teacher

One of those stories where you have to check the url to see if it's from the Onion:

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....

OK, I have sympathy for a guy who has had to adapt to this deficiency; I'm sure it wasn't easy for him. But what does it say about our educational system that in 17 years it couldn't discover this problem? When Obama says that every child deserves a proper education, is he saying he's finally going to wrestle power away from the teachers unions, who oppose teacher testing at every turn? Or is he saying we need to pay the illiterate teachers more?