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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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, March 2018
Kansas lawmakers negotiating school finance changes.
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The Key School Finance Question: Are Dollars Allocated Based on Students?
The U.S. spends $634 billion annually on public education.
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Center for Student-Based Budgeting Newsletter, September 2017
“IPS believes the school is the unit of change in a school district. IPS is moving from a “directive” district - making decisions at the central level in a “one-size” fits all - to a "collaborative" district that shifts decisions to the school level."
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Time to Make it Easier for Kids to Find the Right School
States such as California are adopting interdistrict transfer policies, which are supposed to help students enroll in schools across district boundaries. California's "District of Choice" program was given a passing grade by the state's LAO office.