Challenges Will Help Decide Principals' Pay

By Jeff Archer

The tougher the job, the higher the pay. That's the new rule of thumb for principals' salaries in Palm Beach County, Fla.

A new compensation system slated to be phased in next month promises fatter paychecks to principals at bigger schools and at schools serving larger concentrations of students living in poverty. The aim is to give the most challenging schools a better shot at attracting and keeping strong administrators.

"If you don't have your highest-performing principals in your highest-need schools, then you're just exacerbating the problem," said Arthur C. Johnson, the superintendent...