This article addresses school reform and the challenges presented to educational leaders working toward social justice which is not limited to only academic achievement. Social justice as used here is education for emancipatory social change resulting in freedom to, that is, the opportunity for individuals to pursue work they value, and, ultimately, to discover and create a life of worth for self and community. To examine such reform and the implications for educational leadership, I use Freire's (1989) concept of conscientization, possessing a conscious understanding of one's lived reality, as a framework by which to analyze two particular reforms, Success for All and Professional Development Schools. From that analysis, I suggest that educational leadership that seeks to liberate students to make social changes creates space and spaces for trust; and nurtures participatory, equitable and just relationships rather than simply managing programs and services, and facilitates "the opportunity for empowerment rather than 'delivering it'" (Grinberg as cited in Larson and Murtadha, 2001, p.8). (Contains 7 endnotes.)