Masterman prepares for President Obama

    Philadelphia magnet school will be the site of Obama’s back to school speech.

    There was a cacophony of preparation at one Philadelphia public magnet school at 17th and Spring Garden Streets, Monday. At Masterman, the site of President Obama’s back-to-school speech tomorrow, the sounds of weedwhackers and powerwashers filled the air outside – as crews spruced up the outside of the building for the President’s visit.

    Inside, tucked into the quiet safety of the school library, wearing pig-tails and dark-framed glasses, sixth grader Tamika Miles says she’s looking forward to delivering the Pledge of Allegiance during a visit from the nation’s first black President.

    “Usually there’s all white Presidents and he’s first the black one and it’s such amazing because I’m black and I think it’s great because black people have brought so much to America and to our society. And my grandmother told me that black people even built the White House.”

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    Masterman’s principal says about half of the school’s 1,200 students will get to be in the Auditorium for the President’s address. She says the rest of the students will be watching video feeds in their classrooms.

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