If you ever land in a due process hearing, your documents become your voice. In today’s SEB Live Q&A, Karen Mayer Cunningham breaks down how hearings actually work—resolution sessions, mediation, exhibits (joint, petitioner, and respondent), witnesses, timelines—and why clean, consistent documentation is the difference between overwhelm and outcomes.

What we cover

• Due Process ≠ TV drama: what really happens in an administrative hearing
• 15-day resolution session window and how timelines run outside the school calendar
• Joint vs. Petitioner vs. Respondent exhibits (what goes where and why it matters)
• How to “hearings-proof” your IEP paperwork (deliberations, emails, logs, attachments)
• When and how digital exhibits (audio/video) are authenticated
• Procedural vs. substantive violations (and why both can matter)
• Witness strategy: who actually testifies (hint: the service providers, not the “district yahoos”)
• 504 red flags that scream Child Find → Full IDEA evaluation
• Reality check: most cases settle—so build the record long before you ever file

Resources & CTAs

• Join The Academy (weekly series + 250+ hrs of training): https://www.skool.com/special-education-academy/about
• Pre-order The Epic IEP on Amazon (claim $500 in bonuses at TheEpicIEP.com after purchase)
• Contact: advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

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.

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