Who We Are

Social Justice Works! The Aaronson Fund was first conceived by Larry Aaronson as he was preparing to retire from teaching at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS). Larry’s teaching career spanned over 4 decades. For all of those years, Larry was a progressive educator working alongside many others in alternative progressive educational programs in Cambridge and Washington, D.C. For many years, progressive Cambridge schoolteachers’ curricula and practices have emphasized issues of social justice. These progressive educators have seen themselves as modeling school reform and community activism;
they have built an exemplary legacy and have made a profound impact on public schooling.

Larry prides himself on the fact that literally hundreds of CRLS graduates are now working in the public sector on issues of social justice, thus replicating the progressive education they received in Cambridge. As he approached his own retirement, Larry realized
that he wanted to do more than have a party. Larry wanted to use the occasion of his retirement both to celebrate this influential legacy and to support the many graduates who have made it their sustained life work to perpetuate progressive principles in the public sector.

Hence Social Justice Works! The Aaronson Fund (SJW) was organized by a group of Larry’s colleagues, family, former students and their parents. With the assistance of the Cambridge Community Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) charity, we are proud to announce the establishment ofa donor-advised, tax-exempt fund, Social Justice Works! The Aaronson Fund.

SJW is rounding out our second year having completed our second annual awards dinner.

SJW! Executive Committee Members. 2008

Larry Aaronson
Phyllis Bretholtz
Nancy Carlsson-Paige
Marion Gillon
Les Kimbrough
Sarabinh Levy-Brightman
Joyce Maguire Pavao
Seacia Pavao
Ray Shurtleff