From Classroom to Advocacy: Why Alan Driggers Left Teaching to Fight for Families

What happens when a seasoned special education teacher realizes the system isn't built to support the very students it's supposed to serve?

In this powerful conversation, Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with former educator Alan Driggers, who recently left the classroom after 14 years to become a full-time special education advocate. Alan shares what it's really like behind the scenes in public education: the lack of training, inconsistent processes, data collection failures, and systemic barriers that leave both teachers and students in the dark.

You’ll hear:

• Why Alan became the 504 coordinator with zero training
• What happens when advocates show up—and schools call in their attorneys
• Why behavior support programs fail without accountability
• The real reason many students never get evaluated under Child Find
• What led Alan to finally walk away and join the advocacy movement
• How teachers are unintentionally getting it wrong—and how it impacts IEPs

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or advocate, this episode will open your eyes to the cracks in the system—and how one educator decided to do something about it.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The 2-Day Special Education Advocacy Intensive
• The Academy: 250+ hours of training for anyone who sits at the IEP/504 table
• Join the waitlist for the Advocate Mastermind
• Email: advocate@specialeducationacademy.com

Listen. Learn. Lead.