Thank you for looking into our regional mission project, which is to promote reform of the way New York finances the public schooling of its citizens. Although this project lacks the directness of person-to-person aid, it aims at important structural change for the common good.

We actively supported legislation, to address the substantial injustice that has characterized the way New York State has funded its public schools. Schools in districts with low taxable wealth have tended to be very under-resourced, with predictable results on those students. We have endeavored to promote legislation that would help fulfill the state's constitutional duty to provide a sound basic education for all its sons and daughters.

By the close of 2006, the State Assembly, but not the Senate, had passed appropriate legislation. Governor Pataki opposed court-ordered reforms. Intense citizen advocacy by this congregation, by other community members including SUNY Geneseo students, was brought to bear.

At long last, seeking to bring the state into compliance with the order of its hightest court, Governor Spitzer and the Legislature enacted, early in 2007, the State Education Budget and Reform Act of 2007-2008. All too soon this major reform effort towards equity in public education funding was hampered by state budget deficits that stemmed largely from the factors that cuased the Great Recession dating to 2008, including inadequate regulation of (and flawed corporate culture in) the financial services industry.