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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Unfair Local Education Funding Keeps Schools From Accepting Students Across District Lines. Here Are Some Ways to Fix That
For state policymakers, the lesson is clear: Funding equity is a key component of educational choice.
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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.