This paper presents findings of a study that examined the "health" of the superintendency as perceived by superintendents in two states. Questionnaires sent to 307 Illinois superintendents elicited 227 responses, a 74 percent response rate, and questionnaires sent to 137 Massachusetts principals yielded 104 responses, a 76 percent response rate. Superintendents in both states expressed satisfaction with their salaries and relationships with the community. Both groups of superintendents agreed that the board tended to micromanage the school district and that the job adversely affected their family lives. However, the percentage of Massachusetts superintendents expressing adverse effects on their physical and mental health was much higher. A greater percentage of Massachusetts superintendents than Illinois superintendents described their relationships with school boards in negative terms. The data show that Massachusetts superintendents had little input into their contracts, were not initially hired for the maximum number of years allowed by law, and were not selected unanimously by their boards. Massachusetts superintendents were also older and from larger school districts than were their Illinois counterparts. (LMI)