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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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.
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Education Newsletter: COVID-19’s Fallout For School Finance, Benefits of Open Enrollment, and More
Plus: How schools can best adapt during the coronavirus pandemic, and examining school finance in Arizona, South Carolina, and Indiana.
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COVID-19’s Economic Fallout Wreaks Havoc on Education Budgets
Policymakers and schools need to start preparing now for a new fiscal reality.
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Testimony: Missouri Can Expand Opportunities for Families to Pursue Educational Options Across District Boundaries
A growing body of evidence shows that open enrollment provides substantial benefits to both kids and school districts.
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Open Enrollment Provides Substantial Benefits to Students and Families
Examining the research on the benefits and challenges of inter-district school choice, a policy that doesn't receive enough attention, so that policymakers can begin working to improve their states' laws and practices.
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Testimony: How to Reform South Carolina’s School Finance System
South Carolina can make school finance reforms that streamline funding, improve transparency and flexibility, and equalize local dollars.
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California’s Schools Are Failing Black Students
Statewide, large achievement gaps between black and white students persist in all subjects.
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Infographic: How Indiana’s School Finance System Works
Indiana should reduce reliance on local revenues and move funding to a state formula so charter schools and districts are funded on an equal footing.
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Infographic: How South Carolina’s School Finance System Works
A better alternative would be to give local leaders autonomy over how education dollars are spent.
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The S&P Ratings System for Charter School Bonds Could Improve Public School Finance
Financial data capture more than dollars and cents and can help reveal trends related to parent satisfaction and even leadership competency.
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How to Improve Missouri’s Education Funding Formula
Missouri’s school finance system fails to ensure that education dollars are allocated in a fair and transparent manner.
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Education Newsletter: Avoiding State Takeovers, Sending Funding to Schools, Parent Satisfaction, and More
Investors in charter school facilities bonds want the same things as parents and taxpayers.
