Aaron Garth Smith
Director of Education Reform, Reason Foundation
Aaron Garth Smith is the director of education reform at Reason Foundation, a nonprofit think tank advancing free minds and free markets.
Smith works extensively on education finance policy and his writing has appeared in numerous publications including Education Week, The Hill, Orange County Register, and Los Angeles Daily News.
Prior to joining Reason, Smith was senior director of analytics at YES Prep Public Charter Schools, a nationally-renowned charter management organization.
Aaron graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor's degree in business administration and earned a Master of Business Administration from Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. He is based in Houston, Texas.
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Education Newsletter: COVID-19 Increases Need for School Finance Reform, Identifying Student Poverty, and More
Plus: How education dollars are allocated, Vermont’s school funding model promotes equity, National School Lunch Program eligibility, and more.
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How Michigan Can Avoid K-12 Budget Cuts Hurting the Highest-Need Students
Disadvantaged students — who are already the most vulnerable to economic uncertainty — shouldn’t also have to shoulder the most severe losses.
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Education Newsletter: School Systems Adapt During Coronavirus Pandemic, Education Stimulus Money and More
Plus: When and how the U.S. should reopen schools, ensuring K-12 budget cuts don't hurt highest-need students, previewing the COVID-19 impact on state pension plans and more.
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Three Ways to Ensure Education Funding Reaches the Students Who Need It Most
Three principles to guide education and stimulus spending during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Federal K-12 Education Stimulus Spending of 2009
As the coronavirus pandemic continues and Congress considers another relief and stimulus bill, the lessons of past stimulus bills should inform spending and policy decisions.
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California’s Local Control Funding Formula Provides a Model For K-12 School Finance Reform
As a result of reforms, California districts now have considerable financial flexibility, and dollars are allocated more equitably.
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Education Newsletter: Coronavirus and the Impact on Education Budgets, Homeschooling, and More
Plus: Charter school safety, Hawaii’s approach to education funding, teachers' pensions in Arkansas, and more.
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The Economic Downturn Increases the Need to Reform School Finance Systems
Education has rapidly changed in the past two decades and school finance systems should be reformed to reflect these new dynamics.
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Infographic: 3 Rules to Help School Finance Systems Impacted By Coronavirus
COVID-19 is prompting a harsh new fiscal reality for states and school districts. Here's what state and school district officials can do to adapt.