Kaine pays visit to Philly school, calls Trump desperate

Visiting a North Philadelphia elementary school Thursday morning, Tim Kaine said there is now "a level of desperation" in Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

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The Democratic vice-presidential nominee, who appeared at Spring Garden Elementary School with teachers, parents, students and union officials, said he was worried about the example the Republican presidential nominee sets for schoolchildren.

"I don't think Donald is a good role model," Kaine said. "I don't think anybody would."

Kaine stood alongside Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, and national teachers-union chief Randi Weingarten to underscore his commitment of public education, he said.

Kaine was hailed by Weingarten as a schools champion with real bona fides: he sent his three children to public schools, his wife was Virginia's education secretary, and as mayor of Richmond, Va., he visited at least one school a week to remind himself of the ground-floor effect of policy decisions.

The work "is really important to me," Kaine said.

He talked up running mate Hillary Clinton's education plan, which emphasizes supporting teachers more, rebuilding school infrastructure, and getting more computer-science courses in classrooms.

Trump aims to cut spending to the federal education department and reallocate the money into vouchers, a vision Kaine said would harm the country.

Kaine also took a swipe at Trump University, the Republican candidate's defunct for-profit education venture, now the subject of lawsuits and allegations of defrauding students.

"He saw a moneymaking opportunity out of education," Kaine said of Trump.

The vice-presidential candidate arrived at an event that had been scheduled to coincide with a national "walk-in" for public education being held at thousands of schools around the country and the city.

A Clinton-Kaine administration would advance the cause of public education, a cause whose needs are evident in Philadelphia, where years of budget cuts have left schools reeling, Weingarten said.

"They need help," she said, motioning to Spring Garden.