Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on October 17, 2024. Updated on Oct. 18 with a response from the Idaho Department of Education about administrator pay rates. Declining interest in school leadership positions has become a concern, state superintendent Debbie Critchfield told State Board of Education trustees at a regular meeting Thursday. There are too many deterrents to becoming a principal or superintendent, she said, and teachers are incentivized to stay where they are – they can earn more money per day in their current positions, have “less headaches” and avoid paying $12,000 for an advanced degree. And principals don’t always want to make the jump to becoming a superintendent. “Our state has some of the most restrictive requirements and environments around who can be superintendents,” she said.