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Content provided by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham, and Special Education boss®. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham, and Special Education boss® or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
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OCR Complaints Part 3: Mediation, Rebuttal, and Resolution Explained

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Manage episode 496492018 series 3656551
Content provided by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham, and Special Education boss®. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham, and Special Education boss® or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

What happens after you file an OCR complaint?
In Part 3 of our special series on how to file effective OCR (Office for Civil Rights) complaints, Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education Boss®, walks you through everything that happens once your complaint is opened for investigation—including mediation options, rebuttal strategies, and meaningful resolutions.

This episode covers:

✅ What the OCR looks for when opening an investigation
✅ Why mediation is always voluntary—but often powerful
✅ Real examples of how compensatory services and training were negotiated
✅ What to include in your rebuttal if a district disputes your claims
✅ Why every complaint needs clear documentation, timelines, and expectations
✅ What to say (and not say) when engaging with investigators
✅ How to respond when your case is transferred to a new investigator
✅ What "resolution" really means—and how to make it work for your child

Whether you're a parent, advocate, or professional supporting students with disabilities, this deep dive gives you the language, tools, and mindset to stay in the fight for a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

📌 Related trainings mentioned:
➡️ Part 1: How to File an OCR Complaint
➡️ Part 2: What Happens After You File
📚 Get 50% off the 2-Day Intensive On-Demand Training until the end of JULY: Use code JULY at checkout
🔗 Join The Academy

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everyone.”
— 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:

🧠 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.)

...

  continue reading

59 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 496492018 series 3656551
Content provided by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham, and Special Education boss®. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education boss®, Karen Mayer Cunningham, and Special Education boss® or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

What happens after you file an OCR complaint?
In Part 3 of our special series on how to file effective OCR (Office for Civil Rights) complaints, Karen Mayer Cunningham, Special Education Boss®, walks you through everything that happens once your complaint is opened for investigation—including mediation options, rebuttal strategies, and meaningful resolutions.

This episode covers:

✅ What the OCR looks for when opening an investigation
✅ Why mediation is always voluntary—but often powerful
✅ Real examples of how compensatory services and training were negotiated
✅ What to include in your rebuttal if a district disputes your claims
✅ Why every complaint needs clear documentation, timelines, and expectations
✅ What to say (and not say) when engaging with investigators
✅ How to respond when your case is transferred to a new investigator
✅ What "resolution" really means—and how to make it work for your child

Whether you're a parent, advocate, or professional supporting students with disabilities, this deep dive gives you the language, tools, and mindset to stay in the fight for a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

📌 Related trainings mentioned:
➡️ Part 1: How to File an OCR Complaint
➡️ Part 2: What Happens After You File
📚 Get 50% off the 2-Day Intensive On-Demand Training until the end of JULY: Use code JULY at checkout
🔗 Join The Academy

“When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everyone.”
— 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:

🧠 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.)

...

  continue reading

59 episodes

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