Advertise on podcast: Special Education Boss® with Karen Mayer Cunningham

In this Ask the Advocate episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham answers real questions from parents, educators, and advocates navigating complex IEP issues — from unfinished Monday meetings to missing data, procedural safeguards, graduation pathways, and transition services. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why IEP meetings so often stall — and what must happen before they continueThe difference between a diploma vs. certificate of attendanceHow procedural safeguards actually work (and how to invoke them)What to do when schools claim a child was “overserved” — without dataWhy homework cannot count as special education servicesWhat meaningful transition services should look like (and what doesn’t count)Karen also shares updates on The Epic IEP™ book, upcoming trainings, the national book tour, and how educators can transition into advocacy work with the right training and support. You don’t know what you don’t know — but you need to. This episode helps you walk into IEP and 504 meetings informed, confident, and prepared. 🎓 Join The Academy Get access to 250+ hours of training, weekly coaching, and step-by-step guidance: https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/ 📘 Get the #1 Bestseller  The Epic IEP™: A Powerful Playbook for Parents, Educators, and Advocates 👉 https://amzn.to/3Ll0Dos When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. — Karen Mayer Cunningham Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

In this Ask the Advocate episode of Special Education Boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham answers real-time questions from parents, educators, and advocates navigating complex IEP situations — from compensatory services and eligibility decisions to attendance struggles, team makeup, and school-based pushback. This episode is a powerful reminder that IEPs are legal documents, teams are equal stakeholders, and schools do not get to reduce or redefine federal rights. In this episode, Karen covers: When compensatory services are appropriate, and why “closing gaps” is the wrong goalWhy eligibility decisions matter — and how mislabeling harms servicesWhat to do when districts push students from an IEP to a 504Required members of an IEP committee (and what happens if someone leaves early)Attendance concerns, OCD, and capturing all student needs in the IEPWhy some placements, pull-outs, and group decisions may be segregation, not supportThe difference between collaboration and schools acting as the “IEP referee.”How to think long-term about post-secondary outcomes, independence, and adult lifeKaren also shares updates on The Epic IEP book, upcoming book tour stops, professional development trainings, and what’s next inside The Academy. 👉 Join The Epic IEP™Academy: [https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/] 📘 Get The Epic IEP: Available wherever books are sold. 🎧 Subscribe, follow, and share this episode with anyone who sits at an IEP or 504 table. Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

Today’s Ask the Advocate starts with a celebration—The Epic IEP is officially hitting hands soon—and then we go straight into a question that’s blowing up in schools everywhere: Can paraprofessionals take data and deliver instruction when the teacher isn’t in the room? Let’s finish the clip, finish the sentence, and finish the confusion. Karen breaks down what “direct supervision” is actually tied to, why so many teams are unintentionally setting paras (and kids) up for failure, and what to do when the “this is how we’ve always done it” logic doesn’t match the written requirements. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why software-driven IEPs are not the same as student-driven IEPsThe 3-part “direct supervision” conversation Karen uses at the tableWhat to ask your admin (without lighting yourself on fire)What to do when an IEP isn’t scheduled on timeWhy you don’t remove services because an adult/student pairing isn’t working—you fix the deliveryHow to think through program changes (including autism programs) based on educational needReal talk on 504 meetings, “accommodations culture,” and why training matters📘 Get The Epic IEP (Official Amazon link): https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom 🎁 Pre-order bonuses + updates: Head to TheEpicIEP.com (bonuses may include access to special virtual training events).  📍Kentucky Book Tour (first stops): Barnes & Noble Author Event — Thursday, Feb 12, 2026 (5:00 PM ET) (Additional Louisville/Lexington dates are being coordinated—watch for the finalized store-by-store schedule.) ✅ Join The Academy (community + training): https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/ “When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

Did your IEP team say “we don’t have staff,” “we’ll just do a records review,” or “they don’t qualify because grades are fine”? In this rapid-fire Q&A episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham (THE SPECIAL EDUCATION BOSS®) goes rogue and answers real questions from parents, educators, and advocates about what’s happening in schools right now—from missing AAC subscriptions to paras being left to “teach” SPED classes. In this episode, we cover: AAC devices + access: what to do when the school won’t update subscriptionsParaprofessionals: what they can do—and what they legally cannot doTriennials + “records review”: what’s required and when to push for testingToileting support: functional needs during the instructional day are not optionalBehavior + safety: when out-of-district placement becomes a real considerationWant your questions answered live? Join The Academy (your first month is FREE). We train every Monday night on federal requirements, then we open up for Q&A—because you have questions every week, and this is why we sit at the table prepared. ✅ Join The Academy: https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/ 🎧 Listen to more episodes on Buzzsprout + YouTube 📘 Get The Epic IEP (official link): https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom Book Tour / Host a Training Location Interested in hosting Karen for a district, school, nonprofit, university, or community training? Email: [email protected] Text: 606-776-3175 When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. — Karen Mayer Cunningham Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

We’re back to school, and I’m not easing into anything. If your district is only giving parents “part of the draft,” if services are being missed because of staffing, or if someone is trying to use paraprofessionals to “cover” certified special education minutes—this episode is for you. Tonight we cover what teams are required to do, what’s simply “district preference,” and the fastest way to bring meetings back to what they’re supposed to be: an efficient business meeting that protects student outcomes. In this episode, we talk about: Why giving parents only “part of the draft” is a red flag (and a bad long game)The truth about accountability: we’re not battling teachers—we’re holding districts responsibleWhat the federal rules actually say about paraprofessionals (direct supervision, close proximity, frequent contact)What to do when your district “doesn’t have” a provider (and why compensatory services matter)When behavior rises above what general ed can support (hello, BIP)Tools I love for struggling readers: Learning Ally and KurzweilWant weekly training with us? Join the EPIC IEP Academy (Mondays) — your first month is FREE. Go to: Special Education Academy → Training → EPIC IEP Academy Use coupon code: NewYear2026 (New + Year capitalized) Get the book (The EPIC IEP) on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom Interested in hosting a stop on the EPIC IEP Book Tour (2026)? Email: [email protected]   We’re educating you so you can show up prepared at the IEP/504 table. “When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

What if we stopped calling kids “difficult”… and started getting honest about what difficult behavior is really communicating? In today’s episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with John Vergara (aka The Difficult Student) — an assistant principal over special education and one of the most impactful voices online when it comes to behavior, leadership, and building classroom culture that actually works. John shares his personal story — from being the student with challenging behavior to becoming a leader supporting teachers, paraprofessionals, and IEP teams across two schools. This conversation is real, practical, and grounded in what helps kids and protects learning for everyone in the room. ✨ What You’ll Learn Why John says “the student is good — it’s the behavior we work on”The 3-part foundation: safety → love → self-esteemWhy structure and procedures are not “strict”… they’re supportA simple mindset shift that changes everything for teachers in hard environmentsResources + Links ✅ Join The Academy (Skool Community): https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about ✅ Get Karen’s book The Epic IEP (official link): https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom Find John Vergara (The Difficult Student) Instagram / TikTok: @thedifficultstudentPodcast: The Difficult Student Podcast (Spotify / Apple / YouTube)If this episode helped you, follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a teacher, parent, or advocate who needs it. “When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

This week’s Ask the Advocate is a fast-paced Q&A covering what parents and educators are dealing with right now: staffing shortages, messy “tier” conversations, behavior needs being dismissed, and districts trying to move too fast (or stall completely) when the child needs support. 🧑‍🏫 Staffing, Paras, and “Who’s Allowed to Do What” Sub paras placed in self-contained/tier settings with no training—what to say and who to alertCan students be left alone with high school helpers?Can a short-term/long-term sub run a self-contained classroom for consecutive years?📚 IEP Process, Documentation, and Data PWN: getting the denial in writing and why it mattersWhy Karen doesn’t want “service logs”—she wants raw data collection sheets tied to IEP goals🚨 Behavior, Safety, and FAPE “IEPs are only for academics” — absolutely notElopement: when the BIP isn’t working, you need a new FBA/BIP and stronger supports🏫 Inclusion and Continuum of Placement “Inclusion only” with no pull-out/self-contained options = denial of the continuumOut-of-district placement: what documentation and patterns matter, and when it becomes urgentLinks & Resources 📘 Pre-order The Epic IEP + claim bonuses: Order on Amazon (or anywhere you buy books), then submit your receipt at theepiciep.com Book link: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom Bonuses: https://www.theepiciep.com 🌐 Special Education Academy: https://www.specialeducationacademy.com 📩 Want to host a book tour training stop? Use the intake form on the website to get connected. Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

In this Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education Boss®, answers rapid-fire questions from parents, teachers, and advocates—and shares how her new book, The Epic IEP, gives you a clear roadmap to write and understand an IEP that actually serves the child. Karen and Cindy dig into real situations from the IEP/504 table, including: The Epic IEP & Pre-Order Bonuses – How the 7-part framework walks you through an IEP step by step, plus how to pre-order the book and unlock $500 in bonuses and group bundles for schools, agencies, and parent organizations.LRE, Placement & Services – Moving from early childhood services into life skills, what Least Restrictive Environment really means, and how to know if your child’s needs are being met.Paras, One-to-One Aides & Staffing – Whether a para can be alone with a student, if a teacher can leave all IEP minutes to a para, and why the phrase “special education para” is misleading.Behavior, Safety, Truancy & FAPE – When sending students home becomes a denial of FAPE, what to do if your child is hurt, restrained, or you only see part of a video, and how to respond when schools stop communicating.The Epic IEP Weekly Academy – weekly training on federal law, IEPs, and live Q&AThe Epic IEP 2-Day Intensive – live and on-demand deep-dive training📘 Pre-order The Epic IEP + bonuses: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom Submit your receipt for bonuses: https://www.theepiciep.com 🏫 Learn with Karen weekly inside The Academy: https://www.specialeducationacademy.com 📩 Host Karen in your state: Email [email protected] Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

What do you do when the school’s “data” makes no sense, your child is stuck on a 504 instead of an IEP, or behavior is being blamed on your student instead of addressed in the plan? In this Ask the Advocate episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, The Special Education Boss®, is answering rapid-fire questions from parents, teachers, and paras who are in the thick of it every day. All with humor, straight talk, and a whole lot of “you’re not crazy for asking.” 📚 The Epic IEP™ – Pre-Order + Bonuses Karen’s new book, The Epic IEP, releases next month! When you pre-order, you can come back and claim $500+ in bonuses. 👉 Order the book here: Official Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom 👉 Then claim your bonuses: Visit TheEpicIEP.com and submit your information to unlock your pre-order bonuses. 🎓 Train with Karen & Special Education Academy Ready for deeper training and community? Join The Academy (Skool community) Weekly live trainings, 250+ hours of replays, and practical tools for parents, paras, educators, and advocates. 👉 https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/aboutNeed support at the table? Complete the intake form at SpecialEducationAcademy.com, and our team will connect you with a trained advocate partner.Like, follow, share, and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Send this to a parent, para, or teacher who needs backup at the IEP/504 table. Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

Today’s episode of The Epic IEP™ is a little bit longer — but you’re going to want to hear this. Karen Mayer Cunningham, The Special Education Boss®, shares a real IEP meeting where the school’s data didn’t match what the student could actually do at home. And the difference wasn’t small. Karen walks through why she always brings her own data to the table — three cold reads, two cold writes, and a clear picture of the child’s real baseline. When the school claimed the student was reading 80 words correct per minute on a Level Q, the home data told a very different story: repeated errors, constant self-corrections, and a much lower true accuracy rate. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: • Use home cold reads to verify (or challenge) school data • Identify inflated reading levels using clean accuracy percentages • Share video evidence in the meeting to clarify present levels • Respond when staff say “we don’t take off for errors” • Bring the conversation back to needs, baselines, and appropriate goals • Reset the meeting when the data doesn’t match reality Karen reminds parents and advocates that a child’s needs don’t disappear when they walk into the school building. If it’s a need on Saturday, it’s a need at school. The goal is always the same: find the real baseline so the team can write IEP goals that enable the student to make progress appropriate in light of their circumstances. 📘 Get The Epic IEP (official Amazon link): https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom 👉 Join The Academy: 250+ hours of training and weekly coaching https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

Today’s episode of The Epic IEP™ is going to be a little bit longer — but you’re going to want to hear this. Karen Mayer Cunningham, The Special Education Boss®, shares a story that is funny, frustrating, fantastic, and absolutely essential for anyone sitting at an IEP table. Karen walks you through a real meeting where a student with a vision impairment was receiving 15 minutes a semesterof “consult.” The team insisted it was enough. The paperwork looked “fine.” The VISIT form was “calculated.” But the child still wasn’t receiving the direct services he needed. In this episode, you’ll learn how Karen broke it down: • Why zero minutes would force a DNQ • How to use functional tools (like the VISIT/VSST) in real-life conversations • How an advocate sees the paperwork from a different lens Karen also explains why parents and school-based staff are equal stakeholders, and why disagreement is not a problem — it’s part of the process. Parents rarely know their safeguards or how to interpret evaluations, and schools are often too close to the student to recognize when a need has grown or changed. The heart of this episode: Data tells the story. Data drives decisions. Data determines services. Your job is to listen to the data — not the feelings, not the assumptions, not the “we’ve already calculated it.” If you’ve ever been in a meeting where things drag on, stall out, or go in circles — this episode gives you the clarity and language to move forward with confidence. 📘 Get your copy of The Epic IEP Official Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom 👉 Join The Academy (250+ hours of training): https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

Today’s episode of The Epic IEP™ is a little longer — but you’re going to want to hear this. Karen Mayer Cunningham, The Special Education Boss®, shares a real IEP meeting where everything was “fine”… until the parent disagreed. And that’s when things got interesting. Karen breaks down how a simple request — adding general education as an implementer on two IEP goals — turned into pushback, confusion, and the classic line: “I thought we were collaborating.” She explains why parents are equal stakeholders, why disagreement is normal, and why “collaboration” should never be used as pressure. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: • Understand implementers vs. services • Recognize when teams may be preparing to propose removal from gen ed • Respond when “collaboration” becomes manipulation • Keep the focus on data, not feelings or assumptions • Use IDEA’s framework to ground decisions • Hold firm when the team doesn’t want general ed listed Karen reminds us that the IEP is a document of obligation, not convenience — and that every stakeholder has the gift of persuasion. Use it ethically, use it clearly, and always keep the child’s unique circumstances at the center. 📘 Get The Epic IEP on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom 👉 Join The Academy (250+ hours of training): https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about “When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody.” — Karen Mayer Cunningham Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

Today’s episode of The Epic IEP™ is a little longer — but you’re going to want to hear this. Karen Mayer Cunningham, The Special Education Boss®, breaks down a real IEP story that starts with “she’s doing fantastic” and ends with a fourth grader reading 13 words correct per minute and a team refusing resource for five meetings straight. If you’ve ever sat at the table and wondered why services become the sticking point, this episode gives you clarity. Karen explains why the “why” doesn’t matter — power, control, personality, panic, excuses — none of it changes the team’s obligation to write an IEP that enables progress appropriate in light of the student’s unique circumstances. Inside this episode, you’ll learn how to: • Stick to the facts, not feelings or opinions • Respond when teams say “she’s doing great” while the data says otherwise • Quantify gaps (like 13 wcpm vs. the 120 wcpm average) so the need is undeniable • Handle the “we’re worried if she leaves gen ed…” argument • Challenge myths like “she has to hear state standards” • Understand why resource is often resisted — and why it’s necessary • Pivot conversations back to needs, minutes, and services • Keep the main thing the main thing: the student’s unique circumstances Karen shares how a student who was overlooked for years finally received resource reading — and how she moved from 13 wcpm to 60 wcpm. Not because she was “sweet” or “quiet”… but because the team looked at the data and addressed the real need. You’ll also hear how to stay grounded when meetings get frustrating: • Don’t chase the why — focus on what’s next. • If you don’t know if something is true, ask for it in writing. • Use: “Can you send me that code or statute by email by close of business tomorrow?” • Remember: lovely, well-behaved, or quiet is not the standard. Progress is. This episode is all about clarity, courage, and keeping your eyes on the data. 📘 Get your copy of The Epic IEP Official Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom 👉 Join The Academy (250+ hours of training): https://www.skool.com/special-education- Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

Welcome back to The Epic IEP™, where we share stories that are funny, frustrating, and absolutely fantastic—because they really happen at the IEP table. In today’s episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education Boss®, breaks down one of the most common battles in special education: getting a student the actual services they need. This fourth grader was reading 13 words correct per minute (average is 120), had failed district and state assessments, and still the team insisted she was “doing fantastic.” After four meetings, the district finally agreed she needed resource—and five years later, she now reads 60 WCPM and is on track for high school. In this episode: Why “she’s doing great” isn’t dataWhy quiet students often fly under the radarWhy resource is resisted—and why it mattersHow to keep meetings focused on facts, not feelingsThe power of asking: “Can you email me the code for that by close of business tomorrow?”Remember: don’t get stuck on why a team is resisting services. Focus on what’s next. 📘 Get The Epic IEP Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom Upload your receipt for bonuses: TheEpicIEP.com 📚 Train with Karen The Academy: https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...

Welcome back to The Epic IEP™, where we share stories that are funny, frustrating, and absolutely fantastic — because they really happen at the IEP table. In today’s episode, Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education Boss®, walks into what should have been a routine meeting… and instead ends up in a debate about whether a student needs support every day or only three days a week— even though his disability exists seven days a week. When the team insists the student “isn’t focused,” “isn’t motivated,” and “could do it if he wanted,” Karen breaks down exactly why misunderstanding neurological disabilities leads to poor IEPs — and poor outcomes. Karen explains why agreement based on limited knowledge is not informed consent and why the committee must adjust services when the student is not successful. In this episode: Why “lack of motivation” is NOT a disability categoryWhat the Schedule of Services page should actually reflectWhy a student needs support every day — not on mystery days of the weekConflicts you can expect when teams see disability as “choice”What it means to set a student up for destiny, not destructionWhen you stay grounded in the law, the data, and the student’s actual needs, clarity always wins. 📘 Get Karen’s new book — The Epic IEP Your roadmap to writing, understanding, and implementing IEPs that actually work. Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1637635125?tag=simonsayscom Upload your receipt for bonuses, book club access, and chapter previews: TheEpicIEP.com 📚 Train with Karen Join The Academy — 250+ hours of training + weekly live sessions: https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about Support the show ✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨ 👩‍⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss® Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence. 👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week! 🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources 🔗 Learn more at The Academy 📬 Have a question? Email us at [email protected] 📱 Follow Karen on: TikTok & Instagram: @specialeducationboss YouTube: Special Education Academy 🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game? Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence. 📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl (As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.) ...