Shelley B. Mayer

Shelley B. Mayer was elected to the New York State Senate to represent the 37th District in an April 2018 Special Election and she was subsequently re-elected in November 2018 and 2020. She is currently Chair of the State Senate Education Committee. Prior to her time in the State Senate, she served in the State Assembly for six years.

Shelley has been a champion for children and public schools throughout her time in the State Legislature. From 2013 to 2017, Shelley served as the Chair of the Assembly Education Subcommittee on Students with Special Needs. During this time, she advocated for and ensured that schools  serving the state’s most vulnerable students (Special Act, 4201, 853, and 4410 Schools) received increased funding from the state. While representing the  City of Yonkers in the Assembly, Shelley prioritized delivering for the city’s 26,000+ public school students. In 2019, after being re-elected to the State Senate, Shelley was appointed to serve as the Chair of the State Senate Education Committee. 

One of her first achievements was the passing of the APPR bill which decoupled teacher evaluations from an undue reliance on state standardized tests. She continues to work with her colleagues to deliver the resources and policies school districts throughout the state need to provide a quality education for every child, regardless of zip code.  Most recently, the adopted budget began the long sought full phase-in of Foundation Aid to be completed by the 2023-24 budget and significantly expands PreK outside New York City. 

Prior to being elected as a member of the State Legislature, Shelley served as Chief Counsel to the New York State Senate Democrats, where she helped draft critical legislation to reform Albany ethics and protect taxpayers.

Shelley received a JD from SUNY Buffalo School of Law in 1979 and a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA in 1975.