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Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham - Podcast

Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham

The Special Education Boss® Podcast is where advocacy meets action. Join Karen Mayer Cunningham each week as she empowers parents and professionals to understand their rights, navigate the system, and show up strong at the IEP table.

Education How To
Update frequency
every 2 days
Average duration
43 minutes
Episodes
69
Years Active
2025
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Paraprofessional Roles & Boundaries in Special Education: What Federal Law Requires

Paraprofessional Roles & Boundaries in Special Education: What Federal Law Requires

Paraprofessionals change lives—but confusion about their role can lead to serious violations. In this training, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, explains exactly what federal law …

01:04:48  |   Fri 05 Sep 2025
Preparing for a Powerful IEP/504 Year: Your “Why,” Outcomes, and What Actually Works

Preparing for a Powerful IEP/504 Year: Your “Why,” Outcomes, and What Actually Works

New school year, clean slate. Before the meetings start, let’s get crystal clear on your reason (your “why”), your expected outcomes, and how you’ll get there—so your child actually receives an educa…

00:34:47  |   Thu 04 Sep 2025
IEP Eligibility, Evaluations, and Parent Rights: Your Questions Answered

IEP Eligibility, Evaluations, and Parent Rights: Your Questions Answered

Do you know your rights? In this Ask the Advocate Q&A, Karen tackles the most common—and confusing—special education questions parents face, from eligibility and evaluations to services, placement, a…

00:43:41  |   Wed 03 Sep 2025
Ask the Advocate: IEP Signatures, ESY Services, Compensatory Time & More

Ask the Advocate: IEP Signatures, ESY Services, Compensatory Time & More

Feeling lost in the maze of special education? In this Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham answers rapid-fire questions about IEP signatures, extended school year (ESY), RTI, para suppor…

00:52:44  |   Tue 02 Sep 2025
What Is Specially Designed Instruction? | Part 1

What Is Specially Designed Instruction? | Part 1

What is Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) — and why is it the foundation of special education?

In this brand-new series, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, breaks down one of the …

00:34:07  |   Fri 29 Aug 2025
Your Top Special Education Questions Answered | Rapid Fire with the Special Education Boss®

Your Top Special Education Questions Answered | Rapid Fire with the Special Education Boss®

It’s one of our most popular formats—rapid-fire Q&A straight from TikTok Live! In this episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, answers your biggest special education questions w…

00:51:53  |   Thu 28 Aug 2025
Demystifying Prior Written Notice (PWN) in Special Education: What Parents Must Know

Demystifying Prior Written Notice (PWN) in Special Education: What Parents Must Know

In this episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham unpacks one of the most overlooked yet powerful safeguards in special education: Prior Written Notice (PWN).

Most parents don’t reali…

00:14:27  |   Wed 27 Aug 2025
Ask the Advocate: School Shenanigans, Paraprofessionals, and IEP Questions Answered

Ask the Advocate: School Shenanigans, Paraprofessionals, and IEP Questions Answered

It’s a Marvelous, Amazing Monday with Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, back with another Ask the Advocate episode!

This week’s Q&A is packed with real parent and teacher questions …

00:52:46  |   Tue 26 Aug 2025
Ask the Advocate: Dexcom Denials, Aides, Accommodations & LRE Truths

Ask the Advocate: Dexcom Denials, Aides, Accommodations & LRE Truths

This week’s Ask the Advocate is packed with real questions from parents, teachers, and advocates across the country—and straight answers you won’t hear anywhere else.

From Denton ISD removing a child’…

00:48:15  |   Fri 22 Aug 2025
Unpacking the Supreme Court Decision: A.J.T. vs. Osseo Area Schools with Dr. Mitchell Yell

Unpacking the Supreme Court Decision: A.J.T. vs. Osseo Area Schools with Dr. Mitchell Yell

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 May…

00:57:42  |   Thu 21 Aug 2025
Understanding Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) in Special Education

Understanding Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) in Special Education

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…

00:28:57  |   Wed 20 Aug 2025
Falsified Service Logs, Shortened Days, and IEP Complaints Explained | Special Education Boss®

Falsified Service Logs, Shortened Days, and IEP Complaints Explained | Special Education Boss®

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 sho…

00:42:31  |   Tue 19 Aug 2025
IEP & 504 Q&A: Resource Classes, Behavior Goals, Health Plans, and More

IEP & 504 Q&A: Resource Classes, Behavior Goals, Health Plans, and More

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, m…

00:45:17  |   Fri 15 Aug 2025
IEP & 504 Q&A: Placement, Accommodations, Modifications, and Advocacy Tips

IEP & 504 Q&A: Placement, Accommodations, Modifications, and Advocacy Tips

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, acco…

00:54:59  |   Thu 14 Aug 2025
Parents’ Procedural Rights – Part 1: Procedural Safeguards & Child Find

Parents’ Procedural Rights – Part 1: Procedural Safeguards & Child Find

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 Chil…

00:35:38  |   Wed 13 Aug 2025
Back-to-School Special Education Q&A: IEP Meetings, Teacher Certification, and Advocacy Tips

Back-to-School Special Education Q&A: IEP Meetings, Teacher Certification, and Advocacy Tips

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…

00:58:54  |   Tue 12 Aug 2025
504 vs. IEP: Why the Difference Changes Everything

504 vs. IEP: Why the Difference Changes Everything

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 …

00:10:02  |   Fri 08 Aug 2025
Back to School, Back to the IEP Table: Rapid-Fire Q&A for 2025-2026

Back to School, Back to the IEP Table: Rapid-Fire Q&A for 2025-2026

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 deliv…

00:51:58  |   Thu 07 Aug 2025
Understanding Evaluations: What Every Parent and Advocate Needs to Know

Understanding Evaluations: What Every Parent and Advocate Needs to Know

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 pi…

01:03:00  |   Wed 06 Aug 2025
Diagnosis vs. Eligibility: What Every Advocate Needs to Know

Diagnosis vs. Eligibility: What Every Advocate Needs to Know

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 specia…

00:32:51  |   Tue 05 Aug 2025
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