Harris, however, said that more minority teachers should be hired because they provide role models for minority students and best serve the needs of a diverse community like Cambridge.

"Caucasian children would not be wholly educated if they were not exposed to the diversity of viewpoints outside their community," Harris said.

Although whites comprise 71.6 percent of the city's population, almost 58 percent of students in the public schools are minorities, according to U.S. Census data and school department records.

"The youth of the city are more diverse than the population of older residents," said Randall P. Wilson, data manager for Cambridge Community Development.

Caines added that all teachers chosen for employment are well-qualified, regardless of their race.

"If someone is lowering their standards, that would not be sanctioned by me," Caines said.

School officials have countered with a separate policy which would step up recruiting efforts and offer financial incentives to minority applicants, including higher initial salaries and a $2,000 bonus to help defray their moving expenses, Caines said.

Earlier this year, Caines and representatives from the Personnel Affirmative Action Co-operative (PAAC), a group of 23 schools in the Boston area, traveled to North Carolina as part of a recruiting trip in search of minority teachers.

Twelve prospective teachers agreed to visit Boston and were given job offers by PAAC schools, Caines said. Some have accepted teaching positions at Cambridge, she said.

The district also interviewed about 150 graduating college seniors at a minority job fair at Lesley College earlier this year.

"Most of the recruiting we do is in this area," she said. "But we also seek to identify larger pools of minority applicants."

The out-of-state recruiting trip, however, has been criticized by City Councillor Anthony D. Galluccio, who said that the district should spend its money recruiting Cambridge residents.

"It's a slap in the face to the teachers in this city," Galluccio said. "We should not be recruiting all over the country when we don't even try to hire local talent."

The Maher Plan

School Committee member David P. Maher has offered another plan, which would reserve teaching positions for minority graduates of Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School who enter the teaching field.