Aaron Garth Smith
Director of Education Reform, Reason Foundation
Aaron Garth Smith is the Director of Education Reform at Reason Foundation.
Smith works extensively on education finance policy and his writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including National Review, The Hill, and Education Week.
Smith graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor's degree in business administration and earned a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University. He is based in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Examining Student Funding in Texas Charter Schools and Traditional Public Schools
Texas students who choose to attend a charter school receive $813 fewer dollars, on average, compared to peers in traditional public schools.
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Fiscal Explainer: Texas Charter School Funding Analysis
Between 2015 and 2019, the inflation-adjusted funding gap between public charter schools and traditional public schools grew by about 36 percent—from $596 per pupil to $813 per pupil.
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Modernizing School Finance in Idaho
This policy brief provides a brief overview of Idaho’s school finance system, highlights its primary shortcomings, and makes several recommendations for reform.
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Infographic: How Student-Centered Funding Works and How to Get There
How policymakers can align education funding with students' needs.
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Inform: Give Stakeholders The Information They Need to Make Sound Education Funding Decisions
Financial transparency can help leaders get the most out of education dollars while shining light on their spending decisions.
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Empower: How to Put Families and School Leaders in the Driver’s Seat
Policymakers should let those who are closest to kids decide how education dollars are spent, and families should be given options outside of their residentially-assigned public schools.
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Equalize: Education Funding Policies That Put All Kids on a Level Playing Field
Education dollars should be equalized to ensure that funding is based on students, not property wealth or zip code.
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Streamline: How to Allocate Education Dollars Strategically
Education dollars should be allocated based on students’ needs using a weighted-student formula so that funding is fair, portable, and transparent.
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A Student-Centered Funding Roadmap for Policymakers
Student-centered funding models treat every child more fairly, better recognize individuality, and allow for innovation and progress.
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Planning For Potential Budget Cutbacks In Michigan: Sustainable School Finance Solutions
Even in a constrained fiscal environment, Michigan can improve education funding equity and better empower local school leaders.
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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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Infographic — Idaho School Finance: How It Works and How to Improve the System
Idaho should streamline its education funding system into a weighted-student formula that allocates dollars based on local students' needs.
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Education Newsletter: School Finance During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Plus: Families considering homeschooling have a variety of options and curriculum choices, targeting education funding to disadvantaged students, and more.
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Education Newsletter: SCOTUS Delivers a Huge Win For Kids, California’s Funding Plan Shortchanges Charter Schools, and More
Plus: How states can improve virtual education policies and adapt during the coronavirus pandemic, school funding models that promote equity, and more.
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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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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.
