In an attempt to warm up to minority voters in the swing-state of Pennsylvania, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney visited the Universal Bluford Charter School in West Philadelphia on Thursday. Garnering a lukewarm response, teachers and local education leaders questioned the former governor on previous statements he made regarding educational reform.
“I can’t think of any teacher in the whole time I’ve been teaching, over 10 years – 13 years – who would say that more students would benefit them, “ said music teacher Steven Morris in regards to Romney’s assertion that class size doesn’t matter. “And I can’t think of a parent that would say `I would like my kid to be in a room with a lot of kids.’ So I’m kind of wondering where this research comes from.”
Struggling to answer Morris’ question and other blunt inquests, it became clear that commandeering the Black vote from Obama may be impossible. “It’s nice that he decided this late in his time to see what a city like Philadelphia is about,” Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter said. “I don’t know that a one-day experience in the heart of West Philadelphia is enough to get you ready to run the United States of America.”
