Although traditional curriculum leadership frameworks have dominated educational administration training for almost thirty years, it is becoming increasingly clear that these frameworks fail today's leaders who struggle with the politics of curriculum decisions on a daily basis. In the wake of recent accountability policies and school reforms that appear to support a particular set of conservative ideologies, Critical Curriculum Leadership shows how traditional leadership frameworks come up short, and makes the case for an alternative leadership theory and analytical tools that look to curriculum theory and politics.This book features problem-posing case studies that illuminate critical issues for contemporary curriculum leadership, such as dilemmas leaders face as they use organic curriculum development processes amidst pressures for standardization and accountability. The case examples and discussions highlight nuances and shades of gray in conservative and neo-progressive arguments about curriculum and politics. Ultimately, this book posits a new field of curriculum leadership, recommendations for revisions of current policies, and implications for leadership preparation and development.Providing scholars and curriculum leaders with a useful, critical, theoretical framework at the intersection of educational leadership and curriculum studies, Critical Curriculum Leadership offers contextualized examples of the types of leaders and analytical tools that are essential for curriculum leadership in the present conservative era.