Aaron Garth Smith
Education Policy Analyst, Reason Foundation
Aaron Garth Smith is an education policy analyst at Reason Foundation, a nonprofit think tank advancing free minds and free markets.
Prior to joining Reason, Smith was senior director of analytics at YES Prep Public Charter Schools, a nationally-renowned charter management organization serving over 12,000 students in Houston.
Smith has worked in numerous states on school finance reforms and his writing has appeared in various publications, including Education Week, Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News and Los Angeles Business Journal.
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. Aaron is based in Houston, Texas.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, December 2018
Empowering Atlanta's schools, updating Nevada's school finance system, claims about charter schools and more.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, October 2018
A constitutional right to education would be a win for school choice, Texas' system of great schools promotes school-level autonomy, and more.
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Why Local Education Funding Favors Politics Over Parents—And How To Fix It
Why policymakers should eliminate local operating revenues and move to a full-state funding model.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, September 2018
California's pension crisis hits disadvantaged students the hardest, plus developments in Memphis, Oklahoma, Nevada, and more.
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Beyond Test Scores: A Central Role For Financial Health In Evaluating Arizona’s Charter Schools
With the recent passage of HB 2663, now is a critical time for Arizona to assess how it evaluates charter schools.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, August 2018
Benefit spending is increasing much faster than K-12 spending overall and eating up a rising share of district budgets.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, July 2018
Puerto Rico's student-centered funding system gets green light.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, June 2018
LAUSD's fiscal crisis can't be blamed on charter schools or declining enrollment.
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Five Recommendations to Solve LAUSD’s Looming Fiscal Crisis
The process of right-sizing Los Angeles Unified School District presents an opportunity to lay the foundation for a 21st-century education system that’s productive, agile, and responsive to the needs of students.