The number of New York City tutors seems to have exploded in the last two years. I've been a chemistry teacher since 1996 (teaching college students) and a full time chem/physics/biology/AP teacher since 1999 (teaching high school students).
My perception is that the number of independent tutors has risen modestly but the number of agencies has risen enormously. Because the talent pool of good tutors has been diluted, I think the quality of tutors has become spotty.
In October and November I had four seperate new clients call me and complain that their previous tutor was either unreliable, or, worse, claimed they knew the material but actually didn't. I've heard this recently:
1. "I'm not paying a tutor to come and read my book to me," said one organic chemistry student of mine (Kew Gardens, York College).
2. "The guy called and said he couldn't find a parking spot and said he wanted to cancel. I don't think he was even in the same borough when he called me" said a nursing student (Brownsville, Brooklyn Tech CUNY).
3. "Remember we talked in September? Well I wish we'd hired you. The guy we hired instead we have to get rid of...We like her math tutor and we like her Spanish tutor, but her chemistry tutor, he was terrible. " (Park Slope / Catholic H.S.)
So, where are the tutors in New York City? How do you find a good tutor? Of course I would prefer clients to hire me, but if you must go through an agency, I would recommend two things:
1. If you hire through a company, try to use one of the older ones (Amlon, Housecalls, etc). The new ones are really taking almost anyone with any degree and selling them as specialists, which they're not. Keep in mind that the company takes up to half of the hourly fee, in exchange for steering students towards the tutor.
2. Look for a teacher that not only understands the content but also knows the pedagogy. It takes more to teach then just having gotten a passing grade in that class. A real teacher has extensive background in the material and on top of that, should have a background in effective teaching techniques.