The views of Georgia school superintendents on leadership preparation and the role of principals are examined to determine future directions and standards for preparing public educational leaders in the state. Data were collected from 182 (97 percent) of the state's total of 187 superintendents. In the first part of the paper, Georgia superintendents are profiled by age, sex, race, education, work experience, and motivation for the superintendency. Following this is an analysis of the superintendents' perceptions of principals based on responses to seven questions that focused on the role, selection, recruitment, preparation, inservice, authority, and evaluation of principals. The third portion of the paper focuses on the superintendents' perspectives on the performance of principals, as well as the superintendents' projections for staff openings and reductions. The final section summarizes the 307 proposals made by 135 superintendents for strengthening the delivery of public education in the state. Additional financial support for education and general strengthening of standards and policies were the two most cited of the five major proposal topics designated. Interspersed with the text are 9 figures and 38 tables. A copy of the 25-item questionnaire and a 66-item bibliography are appended. (MLF)