From a Territorialized to a Transformative Space: Reimagining Inclusive Educational Decision-Making Space

This study examines how inclusive educational decision-making can be reimagined by centering the voices of students, parents, and community members often excluded from policy processes. Conducted in a predominantly White New England school district, a Learning Lab intervention engaged 16 diverse stakeholders in collaborative inquiry. Grounded in critical spatial theory and inclusive education, the inductive analysis revealed three key practices in educational decision-making: disrupting spatial norms of policy design, challenging administrators’ tendencies to maintain existing structures, and emphasizing process over product. The findings show how deterritorializing decision-making fosters more equitable policies and catalyzes systemic change. This research informs education policy, education leadership, and inclusive education through participatory, justice-oriented approaches to school improvement.