Harry Spence, Deputy Chancellor for Operations of the New York City Public Schools, testified that despite recent and focused efforts to recruit qualified teachers, the number of uncertified teachers in the City’s public schools grew to a five-year high of nearly 13% last year.

Mr. Spence also warned that many seasoned professionals in city schools are nearing retirement. Because teachers salaries in the city are up to 28 per cent lower than those in surrounding suburbs, and because of the poor physical condition of school buildings and large class sizes, he said, “We are having a very hard time recruiting first-rate teachers.”