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Greg Jeffery, president of the teachers’ association, said in a Thursday interview the association is using money from its advertising budget and cash from a rainy-day fund to raise the profile of education issues as Albertans await an election call between March and May.

Mock sardine can

Leading up to the 2012 and 2015 provincial elections, polling showed education was high up on the list of voters’ concerns, Jeffery said. Right now? Not so much.

“They’re thinking about the economy, we’re thinking about pipelines.”

What teachers are thinking about are too many kids in their classes, a lack of adequate support for students with disabilities and a need for mental health therapists in schools, Jeffery said.

Alberta Teachers' Association

Enter a teachers’ association flyer bearing a sardine can of students, “packed in for savings.” Pull on the tab of the advert to peel back the lid and reveal tightly packed students and a list of the association’s top concerns.

Says the mock sardine can, “Warning: large class sizes combined with complex needs may adversely affect educational outcomes.”

At the beginning of February, the association will send 400,000 of the cards to teachers across the province to distribute in their communities — but not directly to students, Jeffery said.

Classroom conditions a top teacher concern

Unlike some third-party advertisers, the association won’t be endorsing any candidate or party, he said. The campaigns are meant to prod voters to ask candidates about education issues important to teachers and students, he said.