Millions of children have an IEP. By attorney Diane Dragan's count, maybe a thousand lawyers nationwide will take these cases to court. That gap is not an accident — and in this episode, we get into exactly why.
Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Diane Dragan, special education attorney, founder of Dragan Law Firm in St. Louis, and host of the Litigating Literacy podcast. Diane was a federal public defender until her own three children were diagnosed with dyslexia and she hit the same wall every parent hits. So she became the attorney she couldn't find.
This is a direct, no-fluff conversation about how special education really works — the reading crisis, the training gap, poorly written IEPs, and why schools only follow the law when it costs them more not to.
WHAT WE COVER
- Why there are so few special education attorneys — and the financial reality behind it
- The reading crisis: structured literacy vs. balanced literacy, and why 40%+ of kids need explicit phonics
- The teacher-training gap that sets educators up to fail
- Poorly written IEP goals, and how to spot them
- Enforcement: who actually makes a school follow a due process decision (often, no one)
- Independent Educational Evaluations and your right to a free second opinion
- How to build a "suspicion of disability" using your state's learning standards
- The tutoring trap that lets schools take credit for your work
- When a family needs an advocate vs. an attorney
- Why "fixing" a bad IEP can sink a case before it starts
You don't know what you don't know — but you need to. This is why we sit at the table prepared.
NOTE: This is educational content, not legal advice. We're not giving legal advice — we're educating you. For guidance on your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney in your state.
CONNECT WITH DIANE DRAGAN
Website: https://www.draganlawfirm.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/draganlawfirm/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@draganlawfirm
Podcast: Litigating Literacy
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-boss-with-karen-mayer-cunningham/id1805933912
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03I43tikXlYvR6xIe3F24w
Buzzsprout: https://specialeducationboss.buzzsprout.com
iHeart: https://iheart.com/podcast/271518986/
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d75378a3-0f8b-4fd1-989b-67a5723b5377
LEARN WITH US
Special Education Academy: https://specialeducationacademy.com
The Epic IEP books: https://theepiciep.com/bookstore
FOLLOW SPECIAL EDUCATION BOSS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialEducationBoss/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialeducationboss/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-mayer-cunningham-10888127/
When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. — Karen Mayer Cunningham
#SpecialEducationBoss #KarenMayerCunningham #IEPHelp #SpecialEducation #Dyslexia #StructuredLiteracy #ScienceOfReading #IEPAdvocate #SpecialEducationLaw #IDEA2004 #FAPE #DueProcess #KnowYourRights #IEPMeetingTips #SpecialEducationRights
Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Diane Dragan, special education attorney, founder of Dragan Law Firm in St. Louis, and host of the Litigating Literacy podcast. Diane was a federal public defender until her own three children were diagnosed with dyslexia and she hit the same wall every parent hits. So she became the attorney she couldn't find.
This is a direct, no-fluff conversation about how special education really works — the reading crisis, the training gap, poorly written IEPs, and why schools only follow the law when it costs them more not to.
WHAT WE COVER
- Why there are so few special education attorneys — and the financial reality behind it
- The reading crisis: structured literacy vs. balanced literacy, and why 40%+ of kids need explicit phonics
- The teacher-training gap that sets educators up to fail
- Poorly written IEP goals, and how to spot them
- Enforcement: who actually makes a school follow a due process decision (often, no one)
- Independent Educational Evaluations and your right to a free second opinion
- How to build a "suspicion of disability" using your state's learning standards
- The tutoring trap that lets schools take credit for your work
- When a family needs an advocate vs. an attorney
- Why "fixing" a bad IEP can sink a case before it starts
You don't know what you don't know — but you need to. This is why we sit at the table prepared.
NOTE: This is educational content, not legal advice. We're not giving legal advice — we're educating you. For guidance on your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney in your state.
CONNECT WITH DIANE DRAGAN
Website: https://www.draganlawfirm.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/draganlawfirm/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@draganlawfirm
Podcast: Litigating Literacy
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-boss-with-karen-mayer-cunningham/id1805933912
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03I43tikXlYvR6xIe3F24w
Buzzsprout: https://specialeducationboss.buzzsprout.com
iHeart: https://iheart.com/podcast/271518986/
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d75378a3-0f8b-4fd1-989b-67a5723b5377
LEARN WITH US
Special Education Academy: https://specialeducationacademy.com
The Epic IEP books: https://theepiciep.com/bookstore
FOLLOW SPECIAL EDUCATION BOSS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialEducationBoss/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialeducationboss/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-mayer-cunningham-10888127/
When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. — Karen Mayer Cunningham
#SpecialEducationBoss #KarenMayerCunningham #IEPHelp #SpecialEducation #Dyslexia #StructuredLiteracy #ScienceOfReading #IEPAdvocate #SpecialEducationLaw #IDEA2004 #FAPE #DueProcess #KnowYourRights #IEPMeetingTips #SpecialEducationRights