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.
- Update frequency
- every 2 days
- Average duration
- 43 minutes
- Episodes
- 69
- Years Active
- 2025
Divorce, Disability & IEPs: What Every Parent Needs to Know with Mary Ann Hughes
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,…
From Special Ed Teacher to Advocate: Rachel Mottern’s Story of Bold, Brave Transition
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…
How to Request and Navigate Special Education Testing & Evaluations
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 service…
Writing Measurable, Meaningful IEP Goals
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. …
OCR Complaints Part 3: Mediation, Rebuttal, and Resolution Explained
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 …
Ask the Advocate: Paras, Placements, Phones & IEP Problems—Answered
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?
…
IEP or 504? Budget Excuses, OT Battles, and Why Data Always Wins | Ask the Advocate
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 a…
OCR Part 2: Next Steps Unveiled — Navigating Post-Complaint Procedures with OCR
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 Right…
Rapid-Fire Q&A: IEP Services, Transition Plans, 504 Misconceptions & Parent Advocacy
Have a question about IEPs, special education rights, or how to advocate for your child? In this rapid-fire episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, answers YOUR burning question…
What Schools Get Wrong: Q&A on One-to-One Support, Service Minutes, and Your Parent Rights
Do you know your rights when it comes to makeup services, one-to-one support, and placement decisions?
In this powerful, unfiltered Q&A session, Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education Boss®, breaks…
How to File an Effective OCR Complaint (Part 1): Know Your Rights and Get It Right
Do you know your rights when it comes to filing a federal complaint for disability discrimination?
In this powerful Part 1 of our 3-part training, Karen Mayer Cunningham—The Special Education Boss®—wa…
The Testing Talk: How to Get Your Child Fully Evaluated for Special Education
Is your child struggling in school, and you're wondering if special education testing is the next step?
In this powerful episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham breaks down the enti…
How to Make a Formal Special Education Request (Say This Exactly)
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…
AI, Authenticity, and Saving 10 Hours a Week: A Conversation with Matt Fornito
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 …
Hot Topics + Hot Deals: July Q&A with the Special Education Boss®
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 complain…
Dispute Resolution in Special Education: What Are Your Rights
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…
What Is a Due Process Hearing—and What Does It Mean for Parents and Advocates?
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 Cu…
Ask the Advocate: Mid-Year Wake-Up Call + Your Top IEP Questions Answered
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, a…
From Mom Guilt to Systemic Change: Angie Pannuti's Special Education Advocacy Journey
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 w…
From Classroom to Advocacy: Why This Educator Walked Away to Stand Up for Kids
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+ year…