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 covering IEP services, paraprofessionals, afterschool programs, behavioral supports, and yes—school shenanigans.

Here’s what Karen answers:

✅ What evaluations parents can request when schools say “everything is fine”
✅ Do paraprofessionals need to be in the classroom at all times?
✅ Can schools place a student with an IEP in virtual-only after a fight?
✅ Can schools send a child home for half days instead of providing support?
✅ Do 504 accommodations carry into college?
✅ What to do if your child is head banging (and why FBAs matter)
✅ Amending IEPs without a meeting — what’s allowed and what’s not
✅ How to find and become an advocate (and why the 2-Day Intensive is the best first step)
✅ Teacher questions: missing IEPs, unsafe caseloads, co-teach concerns, and more

Karen shares advocacy strategies, humor, and the straight talk you need to sit at the IEP/504 table prepared.

📌 Next Steps & Resources

• Join The Academy for live weekly coaching + 250+ hours of training
• Explore our trainings on evaluations, complaints, and procedural safeguards
• Download the Special Education Academy App to learn on the go

Advocacy takeaway: If it doesn’t make sense, there’s a reason it doesn’t make sense. Sit at the table prepared.

“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 advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

📱 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.)

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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’s Dexcom, to confusion around aides, accommodations, and placement, Karen dives into the hard truths with humor, clarity, and strategy. You’ll hear powerful discussions on:

✅ Why “sitting in a class” isn’t the same as meaningful benefit in LRE
✅ What to do when paras are delivering special education instruction (state complaint time)
✅ The truth about dismantling the U.S. Department of Education—and why FAPE and IDEA rights aren’t going anywhere
✅ How to document accommodations (and why “extra time” means nothing)
✅ When aides help—and when they actually hurt long-term progress
✅ What to say when schools refuse services like speech therapy or try to downgrade IEPs to 504s
✅ The reality of long-term substitutes “acting” as SPED teachers (spoiler: illegal)
✅ Tips for parents heading into their first 504 or ARD/IEP meeting
✅ Plus: hilarious lipstick talk, flip-flops, and “church pews in Florida”

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or outnumbered at the IEP table, this episode will leave you empowered with tools, language, and confidence.

👉 Join The Academy for weekly training, 250+ hours of archived content, and a community that knows how to win at the table.

👉 Watch on YouTube

📌 Reminder: We don’t give legal advice—we train and educate so YOU can navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes.

“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 advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

📱 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.)

...

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 the A.J.T. case
• ⚖️ Why the Court ruled unanimously (9–0) and what that means moving forward
• 💡 The difference between IEPs, 504 Plans, and ADA claims in this context
• 🚨 How this case pairs with Perez v. Sturgis to fast-track parent claims for monetary damages
• 🛑 Why “bad faith” or “gross misjudgment” is no longer required to prove discrimination
• 🔍 What parents and advocates need to look for in IEPs and accommodations to ensure schools are teaching skills—not just masking disabilities

Dr. Yell also highlights William A. v. Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools, another critical case addressing whether accommodations alone equal FAPE, and Karen shares real-life advocacy insight on how this decision strengthens parent rights at the IEP/504 table.

✨ Whether you’re a parent, educator, or professional advocate, this episode will give you clarity, strategy, and the confidence to navigate these changes.

👉 Join The Academy for weekly training and advocacy tools

📺 Watch all episodes on YouTube
🎧 Catch up on past podcast episodes here or on your favorite streaming platform, Special Education Boss® Podcast

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 advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

📱 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.)

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