The following bio is that of an event speaker or guest author. This person is not directly affiliated with the John Locke Foundation.

Aaron Garth Smith is the Director of Education Reform at Reason Foundation, a nonprofit think tank advancing free minds and free markets.

Prior to joining Reason, Smith was senior director of analytics at YES Prep Public Charter Schools, a nationally-renowned charter management organization serving over 12,000 students in Houston.

Smith has worked in numerous states on school finance reforms and his writing has appeared in various publications, including Education WeekOrange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News and Los Angeles Business Journal. 

Smith 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.