Christian Barnard is assistant director of education reform 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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Spending data show the U.S. has not been defunding public education
When looking at the data, the verdict is clear: nearly every American state has increased per-pupil revenues in the last two decades, often by substantial margins.
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K-12 Education Spending Spotlight 2021: An in-depth look at school finance data and trends
Reason Foundation’s 2019 K-12 Education Spending Spotlight provides critical insight into key school finance trends across the country by providing policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders easy access to K-12 education spending data in every state.
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School choice needs to be more than an escape hatch for kids in failing public schools
The next step in school choice is to embrace education funding models that appeal to families looking for a way to customize and have more control over their student’s education wherever they are at.
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Gov. Newsom’s Misguided Proposal for California’s Education Funding Formula
The key to promoting both flexibility and fairness is better transparency and California can do this with better data, not more bureaucracy.
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Arkansas’ School Funding System Is in Need of Reform
Simply pouring more money into a broken school finance system will not help the students most in need of educational assistance.
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Oklahoma’s Outdated Education Funding System Is Costing Students Hundreds of Millions of Education Dollars Each Year
Education dollars should follow students to the school they are actually attending.
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Legislation in Arizona Would Pave the Way for Educational Innovation
Learning happens everywhere and it’s time for outdated education policies to reflect this.
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Idaho’s National Education Spending Ranking Does Not Tell the State’s Full School Funding Story
Policymakers would be wise to focus on fixing the state’s antiquated school funding formula before deciding to allocate additional education funds.
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Public School District Boundaries Are a Relic of The Past
State open enrollment education policies are in dire need of modernization.