Ever wish you could ask Karen Mayer Cunningham all your special education questions — and get straight answers, fast?
This episode is for you. 💥
Join Karen for a rapid-fire Q&A covering real parent and teacher questions about IEPs, 504s, paraprofessionals, behavior, homeschool transitions, private school rights, suspensions, and more.
Karen brings her trademark humor, clarity, and tough-love truth to every answer — reminding us that when it comes to student rights, “direct supervision” actually means direct supervision.
✳️ What You’ll Learn
- What “direct supervision” of paraprofessionals really means
- Whether paraprofessionals can teach without a certified special educator
- How often a student receiving behavioral services can be suspended
- The truth about IEP vs. 504 for mental health needs
- What to do when your child can’t stay awake in class
- Why reevaluations for dyslexia may (or may not) be required
- And much more in this lightning round of real-world advocacy
📚 Resources Mentioned
- The Epic IEP Book: https://TheEpicIEP.com
- Join The Academy: https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about
- Download the Special Education Academy App: available in the App Store + Google Play
💬 Connect + Learn More
Follow Karen Mayer Cunningham — The Special Education Boss® , @specialeducationboss, EVERYWHERE for daily advocacy training and resources.
✨ 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.)
...
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!