Inclusion Dynamics Educational Advocacy

Tena Green is an excellent facilitator, with a great amount of IEP and FIEP experience. Tena used to facilitate with CDE and has now moved to her own private practice. Tena’s partner Hettie Hueber also co-facilitates IEPs, conducts trainings, and a number of other supports for educators, families, and community partners. They both support our preservice educators at UNC, so I am very familiar and impressed with their work.

~Tracy Gershwin, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Thank you both very much. It was such a relief to have you at my child's meetings, to help us before and after the meetings. You both must have a magic touch. After our meeting the school has been doing such a great job communicating with us. I can not thank you enough for all that you did for our family. I am definitely telling others about you all.

~Charlotte B

I am so grateful to have met Tena and Hettie! The passion, fun, excitement, creativity, honesty, and experiences they bring to the field of education is contagious and beyond inspiring. I teach a course designed to introduce preservice educators to the field of special education. When I asked Tena and Hettie to join as guest speakers, they were more than willing to share their time to help further future educators' knowledge and understanding of inclusion. As an instructor, I selfishly loved my opportunity to collaborate with Tena and Hettie as they radiate innovative ideas that inspire my own practice as an educator. However, what excites me most about Tena and Hettie's time with my class is the feedback provided by my students of the knowledge they acquired and plan to take into their own practice as an educator. Thankfully, Tena and Hettie agreed to join my class again next semester. It is always my goal as an instructor to help my future educators advocate for each and every student. Thanks to Tena and Hettie sharing themselves and their knowledge with my class I can rest assured a new champion of leaders and advocates will enter our schools. - Laura Trapp, Ph. D.

Who We Are

Welcome to IDEA: Inclusion Dynamics Educational Advocacy!

I know how important it is to understand who you’re partnering with, so let me introduce myself. I'm Tena, a mom who has likely stood exactly where you are today. I’ve felt frustrated, overwhelmed, and even angry with the special education system, wondering, “Why is this so hard?”

Through my own journey, I’ve learned how to be a strong advocate; first for my own children, and then for other families navigating similar challenges. What I’ve discovered is that with the right support and by building strong partnerships with teachers and service providers, it’s absolutely possible to create a more equitable and meaningful education experience for your child.

I’m so honored to walk alongside you in this work and can’t wait to support you every step of the way.

Advocating for equity and inclusion is second nature for Tena. She believes that everyone has a right to be included in society, whether through individual behaviors or public policy, and has made this belief her life’s work. During her time as an IEP Facilitator with the Colorado Department of Education, Tena successfully partnered with teachers, parents, and students to develop comprehensive learning plans that met the unique academic and socio-emotional needs of each child throughout Colorado. Upon graduating the Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI) of Larimer County in 2015, Tena pursued becoming a credentialed FLTI facilitator and has worked as a Youth FLTI Facilitator in Larimer County since 2016. In 2017, Tena was invited to add her skills and expertise to the FLTI of Colorado Training Team as a Youth Facilitation Specialist. Tena is also a certified facilitator for Restorative Justice and enjoys working with the City of Fort Collins on restorative practices. Tena formally served as a Board Member for The Arc of Larimer County, an organization that advocates for the interests of individuals with disabilities; she is particularly active in her community around the issues of equitable and inclusive housing. Most recently, Tena has co-developed a regular podcast, Love and Inclusion in the Real World, in which she and her co-host Hettie explore issues of equity and inclusion in families, communities, schools, and other arenas. She strives to live by this quote by Lisa Friedman: “Inclusion is a mindset. It is a way of thinking. It is not a program that we run or a classroom in our school or a favor we do for someone. Inclusion is who we are. It is who we must strive to be.”
Tena has 3 amazing boys her oldest Brady, has the attribute of Down syndrome and received services on an IEP. Dylan, her middle son, was born with the attribute of dyslexia and has a 504. Eli, her youngest, did not want to be shown up by his brothers and wanted to make sure the school had paperwork on him and he is on an ALP (Advanced Learning Plan). Having 3 boys with such different learning styles keeps Tena on her toes.