The deterioration of the American public education system is not related to current teacher and administrator commitment; rather, there is a philosophic confusion about what the educational system can and should do for pupils and about the role that school administrators should play within that system. The essential reform necessary today is the evolution of schools into places that stimulate learning: places where the mind is not just a catalogue and where individuals can thoughtfully find and make meaning. The relevant school principal role is one of developing the thoughtful mind. Innovative programs to prepare principals for this role include internships under mentor principal guidance and genuine cooperation between universities and school districts. One such program, the Leaders Preparation Program (LPP) implemented in 1986, began as a collaborative arrangement between five Utah shool districts and the College of Education at Brigham Young University; today, 16 Utah school districts participate, and program graduates are highly sought as administrative applicants throughout the state. Current observations of four LPP interns and four Utah Valley mentor principals, conducted by three university department members and three graduate students, raise questions that indicate promise of improvement for administrator preparation programs. (28 references) (KM)