About a decade ago, a book came out by a California math teacher who came to admit....somewhere in his late 30’s...that he couldn’t read.
His story was simple. He grew up in the 50s/60s...decent high school baseball player...simply got passed every single year but could not read. Graduated high school and was offered a baseball scholarship at a college. Accepted, and mostly all math courses, which he had some knack for understanding. Graduated college, and then got a job with the state teaching math for high school kids.
For over a decade, he made it through the system and someone finally realized his problem and got him into a reading course for adults.
My guess is that there are hundreds like him, and the system allows them to get hired and no one goes back to ask questions.
I went to HS in the 70’s with a guy like this. Athletic, lettered in FB, wrestling and baseball. Got a special award at graduation because he literally never missed a day of school in 12 years. Went to college and became a phys-ed teacher and returned to his home town school to coach.
Married a former cheer leader who helped him learn to read and go public with his story
He was a really great, smart, energetic guy. I always think that if he had actually learned to read in grade school, he would have been a major mover and shaker in the business world because he went pretty damn far on just personality and perseverance alone.