Cindy Connelly, BSEd, M.Jur

A Rare Combination of Classroom Experience and Legal Knowledge

Cindy Connelly has spent her career at the intersection of education and law — two systems that profoundly shape the lives of Missouri children and families, yet rarely speak the same language.

With a Bachelor of Science in Education (dual major in Special Education K–12 and Elementary Education) and a Master of Jurisprudence in Education Law, Cindy brings a perspective that is both deeply practical and legally informed. She understands what happens in IEP meetings, what the law actually requires, and how to bridge the gap between the two.

Before moving into consulting, Cindy taught in special education classrooms — including Life Skills and Resource Room settings — working directly with students across a wide range of abilities and needs. That hands-on classroom experience gives her a ground-level understanding of how IEPs are actually implemented, what teachers face day to day, and where the gap between a written plan and real-world practice most often appears.

Cindy's work is Missouri-focused by design. She understands the unique challenges facing rural districts, the specific requirements of DESE policy, and the realities of families navigating systems that can feel overwhelming and opaque. Her goal is always the same: to make the complicated understandable, and to ensure that families, schools, and organizations have the knowledge they need to act with confidence.