Including Women: The Establishment and Integration of Canadian Women’s History into Toronto Ontario Classrooms 1968-1993 by Rose Fine-Meyer A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Theory and Policy Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Rose Fine-Meyer 2012 Including Women: The Establishment and Integration of Canadian Women’s History into Toronto Ontario Classrooms 1968-1993 Rose Fine-Meyer Doctor of Philosophy Department of Theory and Policy Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto 2012 Abstract Social movement activism throughout the 1960s and 1970s provided space for feminist concerns in a variety of arenas. Women's movement activism and women's scholarship in history challenged the ways in which women’s experiences had been marginalized or omitted in school history programs and curricula. Women's organizations developed and broadened networks, created and published resources, and lobbied governments and institutions. Their widespread activism spilled into a range of educational circles and influenced history teachers in altering curricula to include women in course materials. Advocating for women, on a curricular or professional development level, however, was complicated because of entrenched neo-liberal systems in place within education institutions. Although the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Toronto Board of Education demonstrated clear support for a wide range of gender equity- ii based initiatives, they committed to implementing a 'piecemeal' approach to curricular change. The fundamental work to include women in history curricula relied heavily on grassroots networks that allowed for women’s experiences to leak into classrooms, and were responsible for bringing women’s voices into the history curricula. This study explores the initiatives of the Toronto Board of Education from 1968-1993, with particular analysis of women’s committees, teacher/librarians in resource centers, Affirmative Action representatives, individual teachers and administrators. Within the broader public sphere, the contributions of concerned parents, activists, small independent publishers, educational reformers, political leaders and women’s history organizations lent their voices to ideas about how the inclusion of women in history curricula should take shape in Toronto schools. Ministry gender equity policies and history course guidelines provided incremental and therefore politically safe responses to educational change. The Toronto Board's "add-on" approach to including women in course examinations avoided instituting major "top-down'" curricular change, which kept the integration of women’s history within classrooms on the periphery of most course work. The substantive grassroots activism and the commitment of women’s organizations and individual teachers, however, allowed women’s history to flourish within individual classrooms in Toronto and demonstrates the ways in which "bottom-up" initiatives can be a powerful force in curricular change. iii Acknowledgments The researching and writing of a dissertation is a long and challenging task and involves the support and direction of many people. I am therefore extremely grateful for the important contributions of many people who helped me along the way. First and foremost, Ruth Sandwell, who directed me to the topic of examining women’s history curricula in classrooms and whose support has been central to the completion of this project. Her ongoing encouragement, enthusiasm and critical questioning gave my work a clear focus and made me a better historian. Harold Troper’s enthusiasm, good humour and support and Cecilia Morgan’s careful editing and brilliant suggestions provided much needed guidance, knowledge and direction. Nina Bascia’s belief in my scholarship and academic work, and her constant support has been crucial to my completion of this project. I am forever grateful to her for a room with a view and the opportunity to teach. Lorna McLean's comments and suggestions provided important points for me to consider and reinforced my belief in the importance of my project. The Department of History and Philosophy in Theory and Policy Studies has provided a unique opportunity for me to engage in the study of history education. The historians, those on my committee, and as well as David Levine and others, have allowed me to engage in a depth of scholarship that has given me the confidence to research, publish and present papers at conferences. Chair Eric Bredo provided additional support. I also wish to thank the numerous and supportive participants in this study who were most generous of their time and resource materials. The teachers, publishers and members of a wide range of history communities were all willing to share their experiences and resources and I am grateful for their generosity and support. I especially want to thank Pat Staton who was extremely central to this study, for her unwavering support and use of her exceptional collection of resource materials, and Myra Novogrodsky who generously provided important documents and information that was essential to this project. Both women frequently welcomed me to their homes and provided multiple cups of tea, cookies and resources. I also want to thank Greg McKinnon and Marie Passerino from the Sesquicentennial Museum and Archives of the Toronto District School Board who provided a full year of support, digging through the archives for the files and resource materials that I requested and helping direct my project work. And as well, I want to acknowledge the archival staff of the Toronto iv Archives, the Archives of Ontario, the Canadian Women’s Movement Archives at the University of Ottawa and the University of Toronto Archives. And a special thank you to the librarians and support staff at the OISE Library who were especially helpful in directing my research work. The support and direction I receive by archivists and librarians has been essential to the completion of this project. The support staff in the OISE History and Philosophy Department provided vital support for this project. I especially want to thank Cecilia Cavaliere, Sezan Atacan-Mert and Vesna Bajic. I was helped enormously throughout the years from the wise advice and constant support that I received from Ruth Rogers in the Registrar’s Office. I also wish to acknowledge that this research was generously funded by an Ontario Graduate Scholarship. This project benefited enormously from the guidance of many colleagues and friends. I began as a part-time student and became full-time in 2009. I received important direction and advice from a number of PhD students who were well advanced in their work. I especially want to thank Alison Norman whose encouragement and support has been vital throughout the years. I realize how fortunate I have been in developing important friendships, many with other doctoral students in the programme here at OISE. The friendship of graduate student colleagues is central to one’s ability to overcome hurdles, challenges and disappointments. I especially want to mention Cara Zurzolo, whose understanding and advice has been critical to my ability to cope with the ups and downs of research and writing, and her brilliant daughter Olivia who provided much needed perspective. Finally, I cannot thank enough my dear friend and colleague Kate Zankowicz, whose deep wisdom and tremendous support made this project possible. Her brilliant guidance and generous help reinforced my research and writing, and provided much needed emotional and spiritual guidance; and for that I am deeply indebted. Finally, I could not have completed this project without the support of my family. My dear Aunt Fern Fine whose daily phone calls provided essential encouragement and coping skills. I am grateful to my now deceased parents for a childhood filled with love, uncritical support and unwavering encouragement; their belief in me gave me the strength to try new paths. And my two wonderful sons, Carl and Elliot Meyer, who have been my rocks; encouraging and rewarding me throughout these years. Carl’s wisdom and brilliant accomplishments are an inspiration and Elliot’s daily and dependable strength, responding to my coffee, computer and stress demands, has been life-saving. The boys are my inspiration and I am an extremely proud. I dedicate this dissertation to them. v Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1 "The Times They are 'A- Changin':" Social Change, Women’s History and Curriculum Reform in the 1960s and 1970s Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Historiographies.......................................................................................................................... 20 Chapter 2 "Women's Unique Place?": Ontario Curriculum Policies and History Education ...................................................................................................................................