Christian Barnard
Senior Policy Analyst, Reason Foundation
Christian Barnard is a senior policy analyst at Reason Foundation.
Barnard's work includes research and analysis of state education and school district finance systems, with the goal of making them more equitable and innovative.
Barnard's writing has been featured in outlets including USA Today, Los Angeles Daily News, Washington Times, and The Hill, among others.
Barnard previously worked with the Foundation for Government Accountability, where he conducted research on labor policy and criminal justice. He also worked for the Pioneer Institute.
He holds a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and economics from Messiah College.
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North Carolina needs to fix its education funding formula
North Carolina’s education funding formula is confusing for everyone and prioritizes funding for school districts that least need it.
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Florida’s education savings accounts won’t defund public schools
Florida is now giving all families the choice to withdraw from public schools and opt for an ESA of about $8,700 per child.
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Analyzing Nebraska’s proposed legislation impacting school finance and property taxes
State policymakers shouldn’t pass up this opportunity to decrease the education funding formula’s overreliance on property taxes and to make the formula more transparent and student-centered.
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California’s schools need to adapt to the state budget woes
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recently-released budget projects a $22.5 billion deficit, which means school districts will likely need to rightsize operations.
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Three areas in K-12 education that need more transparency
Data and information on special education services, student transportation and school capacity is not readily available to parents or policymakers.
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Cracking down on critical race theory in public schools was not a winning issue
Rather than further politicize schools and classrooms, politicians should pursue policies that let parents choose whatever school is best for their children.
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School districts use ‘capacity’ to keep low-income transfer students out
School districts use arbitrary definitions of capacity to claim they are full and deny transfer requests from low-income students.
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Why teacher salaries are flat as school spending soars
Benefit costs, staffing trends and class sizes may explain why teacher salaries have remained flat while K-12 education spending has grown.
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Recapping Tennessee’s historic school finance reform
The 2022 reform was a major positive shift in how Tennessee funds public education.