Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham

Parents: If you think you’ve made a request for special education testing, but it wasn’t written, clean, concise, and clear… you didn’t.

In this short but powerful episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, walks you through exactlywhat a formal request is — and what it isn’t.

No more:
🚫 "Hey Bob, can you check on that for me?"
🚫 "I’m on the PTA, they’ll take care of it."
🚫 Phone ...

Are you using AI... or is it using you?

In this powerful episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with keynote speaker, organizational psychologist, and AI strategist Matt Fornito to unpack what’s really happening in the world of artificial intelligence—and why it matters for educators, advocates, and business owners alike.

They cover:

• How AI is changing education and business—for better or worse
• What Ka...

July is heating up—and so is the conversation! In this live Q&A episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, answers your biggest questions on IEPs, 504s, eligibility, state complaints, ABA therapy, inclusion, and more.

Plus, she announces exciting news:
📕 Karen’s long-awaited special education book is finally done—and pre-orders with bonuses are coming soon!
🔥 For the first time ever, the 2-Day On-Dem...

If you're facing a disagreement with your child’s school over special education services, this episode is for you.

Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, breaks down the four state-level dispute resolution options every parent, guardian, and advocate must know:

✅ IEP Facilitation
✅ Mediation
✅ State Complaint
✅ Due Process Hearing

This episode covers:

• What each option is and when to use it
• Pros, cons, ...

f you’ve ever said, “I’ll sue the school district,” you may be thinking about a due process hearing—but do you actually know what that means?

In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham breaks down the fourth and most formal dispute resolution option under IDEA: the Special Education Due Process Hearing.

Whether you’re a parent, advocate, or educator, you’ll walk away with a deep understanding of:

• What a due...

We’re back with a no-holds-barred Ask the Advocate episode—and this one is fire. Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, is answering your most-asked questions with the clarity, humor, and wisdom you’ve come to expect.

Spoiler: It’s July. That means we’re in the second half of the year—and there’s still time to get in the game and fight for your child’s rights.

In this episode:

• How long schools have to evaluate your c...

What happens when a fiercely intelligent parent is told her child just isn’t “a good fit” for school?

In this raw and powerful episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, sits down with Kentucky-based mom, medical professional, and now advocate, Angie Pannuti. What began as a personal struggle with sleep-deprived nights, guilt-filled days, and a nonverbal toddler has turned into a mission to shift entire school sys...

The system isn’t just broken—it’s breaking teachers.

This week on Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Linda Glazewski, a bold new voice in the advocacy world. After 30+ years in the classroom, Linda walked away from the job she once loved to start advocating full-time for families and students with disabilities. Why? Because the very system she served was standing in the way of student success.

👉 You’...

We’re wrapping up June with Ask the Advocate—and it’s packed!
Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, answers your most-asked questions about IEPs, 504s, compensatory services, and more. From data myths and goal-setting to speech therapy, para support, and placement issues—this episode is full of clarity, education, and laughter (of course).

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
Now through June 30, download Wealthy & Well-...

What would you do if your child’s school ignored the law—and told teachers not to speak to you?

In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham shares a powerful whistleblower letter from a former general education teacher inside Fort Bend ISD. This teacher came forward to expose what was really happening behind closed doors:

🚫 IEPs not implemented
🚫 Accommodations skipped
🚫 FERPA violations—including sh...

What happens when a seasoned special education teacher realizes the system isn't built to support the very students it's supposed to serve?

In this powerful conversation, Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with former educator Alan Driggers, who recently left the classroom after 14 years to become a full-time special education advocate. Alan shares what it's really like behind the scenes in public education: the lack of...

Over 20 questions. One boss. No fluff.
In this high-energy episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham tackles your biggest concerns in a LIVE Q&A format—covering everything from compensatory services and ESY confusion to ABA therapy myths, denied evaluations, and falsified IEP data.

📌 Topics include:

• What to do if your child missed speech or reading minutes
• Whether uncertified SPED staff are legal (spoiler...

In this powerful episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham welcomes Cindy—a former teacher of 27 years, literacy specialist, MTSS leader, and now a full-time special education advocate. What led her to pivot from teaching to advocacy? The answer may sound familiar: burnout, frustration, and an unshakable belief that kids deserve better.

Cindy opens up about the emotional and professional toll of navigating a school ...

What’s the difference between FAPE and LRE—and why does it matter so much in IEP placement decisions?

In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with national expert Dr. Mitchell Yell to unpack two of the most misunderstood elements of the IEP process: Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

Whether you’re a parent, educator, or advocate, this conversation of...

Tired of being told “we don’t do that” or “your concern isn’t valid”?
This episode of Special Education Boss® is your reminder: you don’t need permission to advocate for your child.

Karen Mayer Cunningham returns with another fire Ask the Advocate Q&A—answering real questions from parents, teachers, and advocates nationwide. Whether you’re being told you can’t request testing, the IEP “isn’t needed,” or services were “missed...

What’s right, what’s wrong, and what you absolutely need to know about your rights in special education.

In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham is back—answering live questions about IEPs, 504s, placement, compensatory services, and so much more. If you’ve ever been told:

• “We don’t offer that here…”
• “We’re removing resource classes…”
• “Your child doesn’t qualify…”
• “We’re amending without a meeting…”

…i...

Most parents—and far too many educators—don’t fully understand what the “Continuum of Special Education Services” actually means. And that’s a problem.

In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham breaks down one of the most misunderstood components of IDEA: the continuum of placements and how it connects to your child’s right to FAPE in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

From general education with accomm...

Do you know your rights when it comes to getting your child tested for special education?

In this training episode of Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham, we walk step-by-step through the entire process of requesting special education testing—starting with how to recognize suspected areas of need, what to include in your written request, and what evaluations you have the right to request under IDEA.

Whether you’re a p...

n this rapid-fire, real-talk episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham returns for another Ask the Advocate session, answering over 50 real-time questions from parents, educators, and advocates across the country. From first IEP meetings to post-secondary transition plans, from AAC devices to due process complaints—you asked, and Karen delivered.

⚠️ Spoiler alert: This one gets spicy (and hilarious). Don’t miss the ...