During what was surely a long day on the road, Gov. Tom Wolf made a pair of Lehigh Valley stops yesterday to stump for his hefty education plan and hear out the concerns of local school administrators.

His visits were part of his "Schools That Teach" tour.

In the morning, Wolf and his entourage made a stop at Hazle Township Early Learning Center in Hazle Township, where they spoke with educators about the impacts of funding in schools.

His afternoon detour to Governor Wolf Elementary School in Bethlehem was nearly a forgone conclusion.

As students were readying for the weekend and parking became scarce, he apologized, saying, "I understand how disruptive something like this is, but you have to forgive me for wanting to come and see Governor Wolf ES."

Wolf said his mother was a teacher and he has great sympathy for what goes on in public schools.

He implied several times what he's looking for right now is support for his plans for improving the state's education system.

"We have to recognize that mass public education is fundamental to a healthy, free society. As such, it's a practical, bipartisan investment. You have to invest in it … and investment will see returns.

"Pennsylvania ranks near the bottom in the country in state funding for K through 12 education and my proposed budget makes historic investments at all levels - early childhood education through higher education," said Wolf. "After years of funding cuts that resulted in the loss of educators, increased class sizes, and cuts to valuable programs, I want to ensure that the new funding in my budget reaches the classroom and directly impacts student achievement.

Focusing on education will allow us to lay the foundation for long-term economic growth."

He also said it must be understood by all 13 million Pennsylvanians that his administration is "for real on tax relief."

Wolf did not delve into his proposed education plan, which sees a $400 million increase over last year. But of that, about $120 million is set for early education, and Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy made certain the governor knew of the upcoming universal full-day kindergarten in the district.

Roy, School Board President Michael Faccinetto and Curriculum Superintendent Dr. Jack Silva explained that cuts have mostly harmed after school programs in the city, but embracing the neighborhood school model, in which community partnerships with parents, employers and colleges maintains options and flexibility, has kept the district afloat.

Wolf sounded pleased with what he heard, saying that even as a parent in York County he sometimes points to Bethlehem Area School District as an example.

He said if his proposed budget passes, the $4.5 million coming to the city will be well invested.

In March, Department of Education Acting Secretary Pedro Rivera sent a letter to superintendents in all 500 districts detailing accountability measures to ensure the education funding proposed in Governor Wolf's 2015-2016 budget is spent directly on students in the classroom to allow them to compete in a modern economy.

In the letter, Rivera called on districts to submit plans to ensure this new investment reaches the classroom and to measure results for Pennsylvania's students.