The nation's K12 school superintendents are increasingly fatigued and frustrated by pressures to accomplish more in their districts with less resources. For most, though, personal commitment to public education helps overcome sources of stress stemming from many aspects of their jobs. That is the top-level finding of the 2012 Public School Superintendent Salary & Career Report, which was prepared by the District Administration Leadership Institute (DALI), the professional development arm of "District Administration" magazine. The DALI report's conclusions come from a survey of U.S. superintendents and in-depth interviews with selected superintendent-members of the Institute and other district leaders. The survey results were based on responses from a sample of 397 superintendents representing a cross-section of districts that reflect the geographic and demographic diversity of all school districts nationwide. There were three goals in producing this annual report: (1) to collect data about superintendent compensation that can be used as a baseline for comparison in future reports; (2) to provide education executives with information regarding the trends in salary and benefits; and (3) to identify the key sources of frustration for superintendents and provide guidance in how to address those stress points. The report found that frustrations superintendents face tend to fall into three key categories: (1) keeping the ship afloat; (2) politics, negotiations and diplomacy; and (3) personal stress.