The teaching profession is constantly evolving, making the retention of educators increasingly competitive and challenging. As districts create innovative incentives and strategies to attract both new and experienced talent, the role of the principal has become more demanding, particularly in the search for qualified educators to meet the needs of students. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the experiences and perspectives of nine principals from elementary, middle, high schools, and young adult programs, with a focus on how stay interviews impact the future of retaining educators. The research was conducted through a series of semi-structured interviews. The findings highlight that educators value the principal's role as an listener, holds working relationships with leadership and colleagues in high regards, fosters a positive school culture, and prioritizes feedback and recognition as a regular practice. The study recommends that districts prioritize retention of their current educators as a strategy to enhance and enrich teachers' skill set and meet their educational goals for the future. Over the course of several months, a principal focus group collaborated to examine the key elements of stay interviews, design and refine the interview process and questions, analyze the outcomes, and establish next steps for principal accountability and follow-through on their findings with the stay interview as a retention tool for educators. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]