Hundreds of pupils in Derbyshire will return to classes in September without a permanent head teacher because of difficulties with recruitment. Research by BBC Radio Derby shows that 25 schools out of 506 in the county are looking for a head teacher.
Shaun Haggerty, regional officer for the National Association of Head Teachers, said the stress of the job means it is getting harder to recruit.
County officials said arrangements are in place for acting heads to step in.
The shortage of head teachers is caused by retirement, secondment and other factors.
Andrew Flack, corporate director of education and young people at Derby City Council, said although it was a challenge to find the right person for the posts, the council was confident that pupils would not suffer.
But Mr Haggerty said the problem was getting worse.
"The stress and pressures of headship have become so extreme that those people who are normally expected to become head teachers, such as deputy heads, don't want the job anymore," he said.
Mr Haggerty, a former head teacher, cited pressure from a new Ofsted framework and the on-going debate over testing and league tables as the cause of some of the problems.
He said the average pay for head teachers ranged from �37,000 to �40,000 for primary schools, but could rise to �100,000 at larger comprehensives.
But he added: "It isn't down to pay - it wouldn't matter for some people if you doubled the salary they still wouldn't want the hassle of the job.
"Often you will only get a handful of applicants and sometimes no applicants at all for the post."
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It isn't down to pay - it wouldn't matter for some people if you doubled the salary, they still wouldn't want the hassle of the job
