Our kids deserve better than classrooms that are beyond overcrowded, fewer supports than ever before and record numbers of teachers leaving the profession due to increasingly challenging conditions.
That’s the central message of a new advertising campaign that the Alberta Teachers’ Association has created that is now appearing in various media outlets around the province.
Entitled “Take a Number,” the ads show worried-looking students in a crowded classroom waiting for their number to be called so they can be helped by the overworked teacher. The video ads are now appearing on television, in movie theatres and on YouTube, while still versions are being shown on billboards and in weekly newspapers.
“We want to increase Albertans’ awareness of the consequences of chronic underfunding of education in the hope that they will hold their MLAs to account,” said Andrea Berg, the ATA staff officer who oversaw the ad’s creative development and filming.
Slated to run until late May or early June, the campaign is a follow up to the “The Least” ads that have been airing since the fall. Whereas “The Least” was meant to educate the public that Alberta has spent the least per student on public education in all of Canada, “Take a Number” aims to take the conversation a step further by showing the effects of chronic underfunding on classrooms and students.
Within three days of sharing on social media, the ad had received more than 90,000 views and many positive comments, Berg said.
“We are very pleased with the reaction,” she said. “We’re hoping the message resonates with average Albertans and that they make enough noise that the government has no choice but to listen and dedicate more funding to public education.” ❚
Act on it
Can We Talk? addresses need for mental health supports
The ATA has also launched its annual Can We Talk? campaign, aimed at highlighting the importance of supporting students’ mental health. Slated to run throughout the province in the lead-up to Mental Health Week (May 5–9), the ad depicts the strain on students when underfunding prevents them from accessing the mental health supports they need. “We know that young people were among the most heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and their mental health has really been challenged by the tumult arising from that time and into today,” said Lisa Everitt, an ATA staff officer and researcher who oversaw the commercial’s production. “With Alberta spending the least per student of any public school system in Canada, it is urgent to highlight the need to support our young people with professionally trained counsellors and mental health experts,” Everitt said. “We can support a better and brighter future for young people by supporting their mental health with wrap-around services at school.” |
