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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Three Things Policymakers Can Do to Improve School Finance Systems Right Now
There are practical and prudent steps policymakers can take to help schools support kids in the coming school year.
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As Schools and Families Deal With COVID-19, California Needs to Let Education Funding Follow Kids to Their Schools
California is generously funding schools that lost students, while short-changing schools that are better serving families during the coronavirus pandemic.
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It Is Time to Fix Systemic Inequities in Education Funding
States and school systems must do away with the relationship between school funding and zip codes.
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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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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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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.