Christian Barnard
Assistant Director of Education Reform, Reason Foundation
Christian Barnard is assistant director of education reform at Reason Foundation.
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A Vision For Better School Funding in Arkansas
Arkansas should streamline education dollars into a weighted student formula and ensure that school operational decisions are left in the hands of local leaders.
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How to Improve Special Education Funding in Arkansas
Arkansas' education funding model creates disparities between the resources school districts receive and the actual needs of special education students.
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The Problem with Arizona’s School Finance System
The state's education funds often favor school districts with more property wealth and less poverty.
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Arizona School Finance Data Shows Large Funding Disparities Between School Districts
A new interactive data dashboard gives users the ability to compare Arizona school districts' per-pupil revenue against student demographics and property wealth.
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Arizona School Finance Dashboard
This interactive data portal displays how Arizona's K-12 school district student demographics compare to school district revenues.
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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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Why Increasing Education Spending Might Not Boost Teacher Pay
The United States already spends more on public education per student than almost any other developed nation in the world but does not make the top of the lists for teachers’ salaries.
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The Striking Achievement Disparities Between Boys and Girls in the Education System
The current pandemic-related adjustments could be providing significantly different learning environments in which many boys can thrive.
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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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School Finance Systems Need to Fairly Accommodate Enrollment Trends, Not Ignore Them
Enrollment patterns play a big role in determining both school district operations and state education funding.
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Teachers and Families Could Benefit From School Choice Reforms
School choice reforms could raise teacher pay, provide a check on top-down curriculum requirements and standardized testing, and give power back to educators and families.
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“Nice White Parents” Podcast Series Highlights Real Public K-12 Failures—But Lets Government Off the Hook
While the podcast exposes concerning racial inequalities it fails to hold accountable the major culprits behind the unfair education system.
