Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham

he U.S. Supreme Court has spoken—A.J.T. vs. Osseo Area Schools is now a landmark decision shaping the future of special education rights.

In this powerful episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Dr. Mitchell Yell, one of the nation’s leading voices on special education law, to break down what this case really means for parents, advocates, and schools.

You’ll learn:

• 📚 The history and background of...

What exactly is an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE), and when should you request one? In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham breaks down the facts about IEEs under IDEA and why they matter for parents, advocates, and educators.

We’ll cover:

• The legal foundation of IEEs (IDEA §300.502)
• What an IEE is — and what it is NOT
• When to request an IEE (and when not to)
• How schools grant, deny, or push to d...

This week on Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham tackles tough parent and teacher questions that expose what really happens inside IEP and 504 meetings. From falsified service logs to shortened school days, denials of services, and lack of staff training—Karen breaks down exactly what you can do, what the law says, and how to respond with confidence.

In this episode, Karen covers:

• What to do if your school falsifies s...

In this Special Education Boss® episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham tackles your top special education questions—cutting through the confusion with clear, direct answers on IEPs, 504s, data collection, medical needs, and more.

🔥 Highlights include:

• College & Resource Classes: Does being in a resource setting impact college admissions—and how to make up missing credits.
• Behavior Goals That Work: Why “weekly data collection” is cri...

In this powerful IEP & 504 Q&A episode of Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham, we tackle YOUR real-world special education questions—straight from the comments—about eligibility, accommodations, modifications, evaluations, placement, behavior, related services, and more.

Karen breaks down complicated situations into clear, actionable strategies so parents, advocates, and educators can navigate and negotiate a...

Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, kicks off a new series on Parents’ Procedural Rights under IDEA. In this episode, she explains what procedural safeguards really are, why the Child Find mandate is the foundation of special education, and how to protect your rights at the IEP/504 table.

You’ll learn:

• When schools must provide you a Notice of Procedural Safeguards and what makes it current
• Why it must be in your ...

It’s August, it’s hot, and it’s time to talk about starting the school year strong! In this special Ask the Advocate Q&A, Karen Mayer Cunningham — the Special Education Boss® — answers real questions from parents, educators, and advocates on everything from calling IEP meetings to checking teacher credentials.

You’ll hear how to:

• Identify real reasons to call an IEP meeting (and avoid wasting time)
• Make sure accommodations sta...

What’s the real difference between a 504 Plan and an IEP? According to Karen Mayer Cunningham, the answer is simple: everything.

In this powerful episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen unpacks the critical distinctions between a Section 504 Plan and an Individualized Education Program (IEP)—and why settling for a 504 when your child needs an IEP can set them up for failure instead of success.

You’ll learn:

• Why a 504 is not an e...

It's August 2025, and we’re back to school and back to the IEP and 504 tables! In this episode of Ask the Advocate, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, takes questions live and delivers rapid-fire answers, real-talk strategies, and expert insight to get your year started right.

Whether you're prepping for a first IEP meeting, navigating an out-of-place placement, wondering about compensatory services, or t...

Evaluations are the foundation of every IEP, and most parents, advocates, and even school staff don’t realize how many sections are involved, what’s legally required, or how much can go wrong when pieces are skipped.

In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham walks you through the full scope of educational evaluations, breaking down each required component and the common mistakes families face.

You’ll learn:

Welcome back to Special Education Boss®! In this power-packed training episode from Day 1 of “How to Advocate for Anyone,” Karen Mayer Cunningham unpacks one of the most misunderstood areas in special education: the difference between medical diagnosis and educational need, and why it matters at the IEP table.

Key takeaways: 

• Differentiate between medical, therapeutic, and educational models
• Navigate eligibility categories, comorb...

What happens when a parent of two children with autism faces divorce during IEP transition years? In this episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, sits down with Mary Ann Hughes, Certified Special Needs Divorce Coach and founder of Special Family Transitions. From navigating divorce while parenting children with disabilities to building lifelong support plans, Mary Ann shares practical tools, real-life insights...

From the classroom to the conference table—today’s episode is one of full-circle purpose.

Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, is joined by the amazing Rachel Mottern, a former special education teacher turned full-time national advocate, for a powerful and heartfelt conversation you won’t forget.

Rachel shares her journey from struggling with dyslexia as a child to becoming a teacher, earning her master's at Van...

How to Request Special Education Testing + What Happens Next
Special Education Boss® Podcast | Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham

Confused about how to get your child tested for special education services? You’re not alone—and you’re in the right place.

In this powerhouse episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, The Special Education Boss®, breaks down what every parent, educator, and advocate needs to know about requesting and navigating ...

How to Ditch SMART Goals, Align with Present Levels, and Meet the Endrew F. Standard

Most IEP goals aren’t measurable—and that’s a big problem.

In this episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham is joined by Dr. Mitchell Yell, special education expert, professor, and hearing officer, to break down how to write IEP goals that actually meet legal standards and support real student progress.

Together, they cover:

• Why SMART goals fall short
• A simp...

What happens after you file an OCR complaint?
In Part 3 of our special series on how to file effective OCR (Office for Civil Rights) complaints, Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education Boss®, walks you through everything that happens once your complaint is opened for investigation—including mediation options, rebuttal strategies, and meaningful resolutions.

This episode covers:

✅ What the OCR looks for when opening an investiga...

What do you do when the IEP isn’t followed? When a para is left unsupervised? When your child is denied services due to a “lack of staff”? Or when a cell phone ban interferes with their support plan?

In this rapid-fire Q&A episode of Ask the Advocate, Special Education Boss® Karen Mayer Cunningham tackles your most pressing questions about special education—straight from the front lines. No fluff. No legal jargon. Just real answ...

What’s the real difference between an IEP and a 504?
Spoiler: one of them is a “waste of good paper”… and Karen does not hold back.

In this rapid-fire Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham answers the most pressing questions from parents, teachers, and advocates navigating special education. From whether schools can deny services based on budget to how to respond when accommodations “aren’t being implemented,” Karen g...

So you filed an OCR complaint… now what?

In Part 2 of our 3-part training series, Karen Mayer Cunningham walks you through exactly what happens after you hit "submit" on an OCR (Office for Civil Rights) complaint—because filing is just the beginning.

This training picks up where we left off in Part 1 (go back and listen if you haven’t yet!). We’re moving into what the federal process looks like after your complaint is recei...