Administrators Column

In a scene reminiscent of the film "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,'' a group of school principals traveled to the nation's capital to tell federal officials how their reforms play out beyond the Beltway.

"The message we gave them, plain and simple, was: Don't expect us to reach Goals 2000 if we don't get some more support," Richard M. Sykes, the principal of Lewiston (Me.) High School, said last week.

Mr. Sykes and the 50 other school leaders who took part in the event were voted "principals of the year" from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The competition was sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Princials and...